Observing how people interact with each other and the world around them was always (and I think will always) be my biggest fascination.

I grew up in a Russian-speaking household in Germany, in which I learned the importance of kindness and empathy in all of my relationships. While I was on an ordinary path to go to a local college in Germany, an opportunity to attend a boarding high school in the UK came my way. As I became fluent in English, I started noticing the systematic changes that shaped my new reality in England. After moving across the water, I suddenly looked at myself from a different lens - I saw myself as a change-maker, a leader, a social innovator and found my strength in this new environment. The question of how the different institutions shaped myself image, behaviour, success and even mental health stuck with me. In hindsight, I believe that to be the moment I became a systems thinker.

I went to New York University to delve into my fascination for people and study of what influences human behaviour and beliefs. I graduated NYU with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology, having also focussed my learning on environmental and social issues. My journey through college has shaped me as a critical thinker, a leader and a problem solver. When I saw how world and business issues are being addressed, I realised that human psychology is often not taken into account when trying to solve problems.

I first learned about design thinking in my sustainability analyst internship where I discovered the depth and intersectional nature of design. To dig deeper, I took the IDEO course on Human-Centred Design and immediately knew that this innovative, empathetic and holistic way of problem solving was the path I needed to take. I pursuit my internship at BrightAct where I implemented UX research and Service Design to create a research-backed service of a Domestic Violence Awareness intervention program. As a bigger picture thinker and fascinated by the cross disciplinary nature of service design, I saw the importance of understanding work processes and human interactions in creating services.

My experience as a service designer and UX consultant at NYU Bronfman has shown me the intricate balance needed to satisfy stakeholders, short-term and long-term planning for solutions, and constant optimisation versus time limits of solutions. I believe that most solutions to major problems already exist – yet, it takes a mindset shift, a strategy and a human-centric approach to implement them. I want to be part of the 21st social innovations, grounded in human connection, long-term thinking through research-based service and product development.

Now, I am working in a great team as a researcher at Savanta where our team helps companies find optimal business solutions by talking to their main stakeholders and experts in their industries.