Amanda Johnson

Job:

Head of User Experience

Company:

RetroFuzz

Currently I work with fashion brands to help them design, build and improve their online stores. I aim to make the store a really interesting place to visit that’s easy to use. I do this by talking to their customers to hear what they are interested in, finding out what information they’re looking for as well as which bits of the site aren’t working very well. I then use this info to help the team create a better store that customers will love to use.

I am...

Tenacious

Introverted

Inquisitive

The skills I use most in my job...

Research

User testing

Practicing the art of understanding and being understood

Influencing and negotiating

Problem solving

The most interesting thing I've worked on in my career so far...

I worked with a tech startup called Fingopay that provides a service for customers to make payments at the till by just scanning the veins in their finger. How amazing is that! You don't need a wallet, cards or even your phone to pay. My role in the project was to simplify the (somewhat complicated) signup process so more people can access the service.

What inspired me into digital and tech...

I gravitated towards fine arts throughout high school and at uni I studied to be a commercial photographer. But the course of my life changed when I was offered an internship at IBM designing their website. I grabbed this opportunity with both hands. During that time I worked super hard and taught myself programming and website design skills. I loved it and have never looked back. I continue to seize any opportunity to expand my horizons - which is why I’m now working in the field of user experience.

My educational background is...

I studied the standard VCE subjects (I grew up in Australia so VCE is like A-levels) with a focus on Arts subjects. Then I completed a BA in Applied Science Photography at uni.

What advice I'd give to girls thinking about a career in digital and tech...

Don't feel that you are expected to know everything about everything. Developing skills, discovering what you're good at and the stuff you’ll need to work on is part of the journey. The best employers get this and will help you learn, develop and find your feet.