Karin is another new and seriously talented recruit for ClearPoint. She originates from Switzerland and speaks a modest five languages: German, English, French, Swizdütsch (a Swiss German dialect) and Spanish. Karin started life as a developer and then did a graphic design degree to complement her technical skills with creativity.
What’s your role at ClearPoint?
I’m a UI/UX Developer which means that I work on the front of applications and websites. I make things look nice but also make sure that the technology is easy to use and easy to navigate around.
What’s your background Karin?
I studied business at the University of St. Gallen, near Lake Constance in Switzerland and I then began to work in IT. I started out as a developer, mostly working on databases. When I first started working on technology, there was a saying that “form follows function”, meaning that things didn’t have to look that nice as long as they functioned well. But I didn’t agree with that saying. I thought that if websites and applications looked good and behaved nicely, users would be more likely to use them. I also figured that they would be more forgiving if there were any initial bugs that needed ironing out. Then Steve Jobs and Apple came along with the iPhone. Other companies suddenly realised that they too needed to look at the visible front-end of applications and make them more attractive and user-friendly.
So what you’re saying is that people agree with you now?
Ha, ha, yes. It’s nice to be agreed with.
Why did you choose to work at ClearPoint?
I guess it was just gut feel. I really liked what I heard about the company, its culture and some exciting, upcoming projects. I felt I was on the same page as ClearPoint and that I would fit in well with the rest of the team.
Tell us something we don’t know…
I play golf off a handicap of nine. Stuart Massey has actually witnessed me hitting a hole in one at Titirangi Golf Club. I also do a lot of strength training. I started that so I could hit the ball further. What it’s done though is give me more consistency. I can lift some pretty heavy weights so don’t take me on in an arm wrestle.
