This is the second of a three-part blog series profiling our Australia and New Zealand Product Design and Design Research team.

In the first part we explored how the team are levelling up their design maturity, craft and culture. In this second part, we’d like to introduce you to four of our Designer Zipsters who are making it happen. Read on to hear more about their passions and perspectives, and the workplace rituals that make them work Stronger Together.

Get to know Sieny

“Joining Zip as a web Digital Designer, then leaping into Product Design to shape the app, and more recently diving into the world of Service Design, my journey at Zip has been nothing short of a thrilling adventure of learning and growth.

At Zip, as Designers we are more than pixel-pushers, we’re influencers ✨. What sets Zip apart for me is the ability to influence-up in the org. Regardless of seniority, I have the chance to influence senior stakeholders, wider-teams and plan product roadmaps. Knowing that I’m being heard reassures me that my work is impacting our customers.

My proudest moment is overcoming my imposter syndrome by taking the opportunity to mentor school-aged students as part of a financial startup incubator. The feedback relayed to me was “one of the girls decided they want to be like Sieny when they grow up” - a heartfelt moment!

I wouldn’t be able to flourish without my team. I am lucky to work in a company that continuously strives to promote a healthy culture where we regularly share ideas, constructive feedback, good laughs and a glass of wine!”

Get to know Thays

“I’m a Product Designer II based in Tauranga, New Zealand and I work remotely with our Zip New Zealand team on the ground here, while collaborating remotely with the other Product Designers based in Australia.

My day to day involves getting exposure to all different parts of the business in New Zealand, from the way we work with our Merchant squad to how our designs impact the customer experience as we partner with the Consumer squad. Owning the end-to-end Design process can be so diverse, and it means we’re always identifying and exploring different opportunities to hone our craft.

Our team is diverse, both culturally and based on the different backgrounds we all bring, and this is something I deeply value. We foster a culture of support, collaboration and continuous learning, and a big part of that is how much we learn from one another. I also appreciate the fact that so many of our leaders across the business support and advocate for Design.

In line with the growth opportunities we all get here Zip, I’m super excited to take part in our 8-month Mentoring Program to learn with experienced people across the business. This is just one of the many benefits Zipsters are provided to support the growth and development of their careers.”

Get to know Clara

“I am a passionate Senior Product Designer from Argentina, based in Sydney. Focused on our Australian consumer space across web and mobile, I work collaboratively with cross-functional teams such as Core Product, Payments, Accounts and more. To transform our users' needs into solutions and ensure a high-quality user experience. I’m driven by a deep understanding of the long-term strategy of the initiatives we work on and the impact and value these initiatives will bring to both our customers' lives and the overall success of our business. I thrive on creating designs that prioritise an end-user’s needs, taking a holistic approach.

What I like the most about working at Zip is that it offers an enriching experience that combines the advantages of being part of a well-established company with a vast user base, while also providing the opportunity to lead end-to-end projects. This involves working with cross-functional teams, managing stakeholders, and taking responsibility for the entire project lifecycle.

An added bonus for me is getting to work in an amazing, supportive team of Product Designers, who all contribute such diverse work styles and perspectives. Zip’s high bar empowers us to grow and to constantly improve our ways of working and design quality. The result? Outstanding design maturity, collaboration and creativity!"

Get to know Laure

“I am a Product Design Lead at Zip and a massive advocate for spending our time on problems that matter. You’ll often hear me on Zoom (I am a remote Zipster based in Dalgety, NSW) challenging things with heart.

Our team is fun, approachable, focused and continuously delivering top-notch experiences for our customers and merchants. We are committed to measuring the impact of our work and relentlessly iterating to improve ‘stickiness’. Beyond that - and most importantly - we all love an outing, and a beer together..

I feel so grateful to be in an organisation where we value and understand design, where we dream bigger, and where innovating and being truly ‘Customer First’ is possible.

What I also appreciate is the investment Zip makes in our health and wellbeing. We are all given two days of volunteering leave every year, and this year I was fortunate to spend a day training Brumbies in the Snowy Mountains. Read about my volunteering day.

Five facts that you might not know about the team

When it comes to our team, there’s more than meets the eye. Now you’ve met four of our fearless Designers, we wanted to share a little bit more about some of the things that makes us tick:

• Within the team, we speak a few languages fluently between us, including Indonesian, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. This rich exchange of cultures has led us to sample our favourite international cuisines together including dulce de leche… and Clara’s first taste of Vegemite!
• We jam together over music and have some eclectic tastes - here’s our latest team Spotify playlist!
• While we’re digging life at Zip, we feel proud that several of our Product Design team alumni have taken the next exciting step of their careers at organisations including Woolies X, Immutable and Atlassian - we also recently farewelled a Zipster who took the opportunity to migrate with his family to join the Zipfam in New York
• As a team we do offsites - this last time after a morning of workshopping in the office, we went to the MCA, before catching the ferry over to Manly for lunch at The Pantry. In the afternoon we did a breathwork session before celebrating the team through award-giving and drinks - it was a special day!
• Beyond using our annual volunteering leave allowance, we make the most of Zip’s ‘work from anywhere’ benefit, which has seen members of the team do their best work while visiting family or holidaying in countries like Argentina and India.

Looking ahead

We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know the team a little better. If you like what you’ve read and are considering the next step of your career, see our open roles.

In our next post - the third of the series - we’ll share more about the impactful initiatives the team are working on, and how we’re leveraging our passion and experiences to do the best work of our careers.