My name is Amid, and I am passionate about humans, future, and storytelling.
Previously, I was at IDEO - San Francisco, Google - Mountain View, & Microsoft - Seattle. Currently, I work as an Independent Product Designer and Innovation Consultant, helping various companies around the globe with design, strategy, and creative leadership. Some time ago I graduated from Umeå Institute of Design, where I did my M.A in Interaction Design. Before that, I was a Mechanical Engineer.
Having a passion for sharing, I co-founded Velvet Academy and then also was asked to develop and lead IxD.ma, a new Interaction Design M.A. program at EKA.And just for fun, a while ago I put together a little booklet about design, kittens, and space too.
Experience
IDEO
In 2010, I moved to Bay Area to join IDEO for a half a year long internship, during which I worked with clients such as Visa and Samsung. I decided to return to IDEO after graduation and be part of an inspiring community that is creating impact in the world through design. Some of the clients I worked with during my time at IDEO are: Toyota, Bosch, News Corporations, Comcast, and Verizon.
In 2014, I joined Android Design team in Mountain View where I was primarily working on mobile experiences. After leaving Google, I continued my collaboration with the team as a contractor woking on multiple project with Google AI and Pixel teams.
Microsoft
I had the opportunity to join Microsoft on two occasions. In 2009, I was part of the Microsoft Design Studio in Seattle as an intern. Later I worked with Bing team as a contractor, woking on Bing’s future product concepts.
Consultantcy
As an independent consultant I have been working with different teams around the globe from U.S. to Asia and Australia and on projects ranging from Healthcare to Education and Manufacturing. My involvement has been in early stage of idea development to visual design and pixel perfection.
Velvet
I have had the opportunity to be part of Velvet team as a creative advisor and strategic designer consultant. Together with Velvet we initiated Velvet Academy, published a book, and did experiments on design and innovation.
IxD.ma
In 2016, I was asked to develop a new M.A program in Interaction Design in Estonia. During the three years of my Involvement as the program lead I was responsible for the development of curriculum and vision, establishing partnerships and leadership of the program before handing it over in 2019 after the completion of development.
Mentorship
I have been advisor to couple of startups around the world and have been a mentor in different startup programs and events. This has been a great learning experience for me and also an opportunity to get to know many inspiring and talented people.
Planet Earth
I have lived in four continents and this is probably the most valuable experience I have had in my entire life.
Thinking
Design is a Mindset →
Design is just a way of seeing, doing, and thinking about things. Anyone can apply design to pretty much anything. Design creates options. Those options can solve problems or improve the lives of people, and the society that they live in.
Human Values →
We design things for humans, so we need to be informed and inspired by them. This inspiration can be deeper than understanding what people do, why they do it and what they say they need; It is ultimately about understanding what they really value.
Thinking by hand →
Building prototypes is an effective way to think. And the faster we make things, the sooner we realise what works and what doesn’t. Prototyping can also help us come up with new ideas that we could have never thought of otherwise.
Considering the Unconventional & Endorsing Ambiguity →
Design can be about creating new options rather than making the best choice out of the existing alternatives. Exploring wild and abstract ideas and building on them pave the way for innovative solutions. We need to embraces ambiguity, uncertainty, and failure and trust the approach.
The Collaborative Culture →
It is unlikely that one designer always has the right insight and can come up with the most innovative ideas. A diverse team that value the collaboration and building on the ideas of each others can take us to a place that we can’t get to with one mind.
Thinking Systems →
The solutions to today’s problems are not always found in products, but rather in systems or services. Design can effectively be applied to a broader set of system level challenges and in a bigger range of contexts.
Technology, Design & the Future →
We can shape a future where technology is less visible and more integrated, a future that is more aligned with what we need and want as people. Instead of our needs and wants being dictated by technology.
I have put together a booklet about what I have learned from others on the design mindset: Anyone Can Design →
And here are some of my random speeches on design approach:
Press
TechCrunch → Peek Is A Playful Calendar App, From An Ex-IDEO Designer, For People Who Aren’t Forever
Fast Company → Rimino, A Radical Concept For The Future Of Mobile Computing
Fast Company → Ex-Ideo Designers Rethink The Calendar For Mobile Devices
WIRED → Design Secrets Behind Peek, a Slick Calendar App Out Today
The Next Web → Is the Rimino concept phone the future of mobile technology?
The Next Web → Peek: A simple, beautiful calendar app for iPhone
The Verge → Peek brings Clear’s stylish minimalism to the calendar
Core 77 → “Rimino” Looks Cool… But What Does It Actually Do?
Designboom → Rimino concept phone
Lifehacker → Peek Is a Colorful, Gesture-Based Calendar
Engadget → Peek is a very pretty calendar for iPhone
BGR → Download this app right now: Gorgeous Peek Calendar for iPhone
Cult of Mac → Peek Brings Clear-Like Gestures And Bold Design To Your Calendar
CNET Japan → おしゃれな壁掛けカレンダーのようなカレンダーアプリ–「Peek Calendar」
Delfi → Google’is ja Microsoftis töötanud Eestis elav disainer kirjutas disaini-käsiraamatu tavalistele inimestele
Froont → Design user research explained for everyone
BestMarketing → Eesti disainer kirjutas disaini käsiraamatu tavalistele inimestele
and …
Patent
“Proactive delivery of navigation options”
United States Patent Dec. 29, 2015 → US 2016O146620A1
Awards & stuff
I believe the best recognition for today’s product designers is when people find their design valuable and their work creates impact. So the awards I am given are quite irrelevant and useless to be mentioned, even though I have quite a few of them…