03/12/2024

One day with Erik Lorenz – UI Designer at IBM iX Berlin

Authors: Marten Neelsen & Parastou Ghaffari-Hosseini

UI Designer Erik Lorenz is sitting at his laptop, talking to a colleague

Erik Lorenz has been working at IBM iX in Berlin for almost four years. He kept hearing the agency’s name crop up at trade fairs and events he attended as a design student and thought it sounded like a fantastic place to work – a first impression that’s happily proven highly accurate.

Erik’s route into the digital industry – from a passion for music to UI Design

Erik had actually wanted to follow his great passion for music and work for a magazine in that niche after graduating. With this in mind, he decided to gain some initial work experience in publishing alongside his studies. But when it became clear that the future of the print business was on shaky ground, Erik switched course and moved into the digital industry. A traineeship in UX/UI Design at an advertising agency laid the foundation for his design career, which he is now continuing at IBM iX.

Today, Erik mainly manages projects for the retail, health and energy sectors. From creating designs for cooking platforms to sustainability hubs for large supermarket chains and even a hospital platform – he’s always working on something new. And as a UI Designer, he plays a key role in establishing the visual look and feel for new digital products, working closely with UX Designers to develop innovative and user-friendly layouts.

As for music? Erik still has a toe in the industry with a side-line as a freelance concert photographer.

Sustainability in design – a personal mission

In addition to his work as a UI Designer, Erik is also a member of an IBM iX sustainable design focus group. After all, it’s not only physical products that leave an environmental footprint. Erik is committed to employing smart design techniques to keep the environmental footprints of his digital products’ as small as possible.

At the same time, this work is enabling him to deepen his own expertise, something that plays a central role at IBM iX both in terms of providing comprehensive and highly effective customer support, and for his own potential next career steps. At IBM iX, we believe in the importance of promoting experts from a wide range of fields and incorporating their expertise into our shared projects. Erik’s experience in developing sustainable designs is no exception – he can apply this knowledge strategically to create added value for us and our clients.

7:30 am
From dawn to that first morning coffee

Erik often starts his day working from home as there are fewer distractions. Before heading to his desk, however, he gets into gear with a walk in the park, accompanied by his dog ‘Fussel’. Fresh air and exercise help him clear his head, and a coffee afterwards gives him a well-earned energy boost.

9:30 am
Meetings and project coordination

Erik’s first daily meetings and coordination sessions start by 9:30 am at the latest. When Erik decides to spend a day at the office, he particularly enjoys the personal interactions he has with his colleagues and likes to use the time for teamworking and making quick decisions together.

1 pm
Lunch break with colleagues

On office days, Erik often spends his lunch break with his team at the farmer’s market near the iX office in Berlin. On Wednesdays, they always go for a Greek zucchini ball pita – a longstanding tradition for him and his colleagues – and chat about life both inside and outside of work.

2 pm
Design projects and mentoring

Erik’s afternoons are often filled with 1:1 meetings and design reviews for various proposals he’s submitted. And it’s not just his own projects he focuses on; he’s also mentoring a colleague through her traineeship. He is passionate about developing young talent and teaching them the basics of UI Design.

UI Designer Erik Lorenz is standing at a window and talking to a colleague

4 pm
Focused working

The afternoons are the most productive time for Erik as he can work on designs undisturbed. As far as possible, he tries to schedule project-specific coordination meetings and feedback calls for the morning or early afternoon. Erik knows from experience that it can sometimes be beneficial to work in clearly defined blocks of time and complete tasks without interruption.

6 pm
Unwinding with music

After work, Erik often goes to concerts. A passionate concert photographer, evenings see him switch from being in front of a screen to behind the camera. “I’ve always been drawn to music, but unfortunately I never learnt an instrument, let alone how to sing”, says Erik. “As a concert photographer, however, I get a little closer to my dream of doing something in the music industry.”

The human factor and user centricity – Erik’s guiding lights

For Erik as a UI Designer, the human component is always key, including in the areas of sustainable design and user-centred working methods. He firmly believes that aesthetics, ecological responsibility and user-centricity all have their place in digital product design. As an expert in this field, Erik incorporates his human-centred perspective into all the projects he participates in at IBM iX.

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