Ellinor is a UX/UI designer and has been working for Softronic for 3.5 years. Ellinor started her career at Softronic by doing Softronic’s trainee programme Gate 1. In this interview you will get to know her a little better and she will also give you some tips on how to approach accessibility in your operational systems and websites.
You did Gate 1 – how did you find the transition from the trainee programme to real-life assignments?
“I’d already taken on some smaller assignments while I was doing Gate 1 in the autumn of 2017, so it felt like an extremely smooth transition. I learnt so much about the role of an IT consultant and I was able to put this knowledge into practice in my assignments straight away.”
What are you most proud of with the work you are doing at the moment?
“It’s when I’m working with my customer and my team and we come up with a solution that we’re all happy with, even more so when I see how happy the users are with it. And that I’m able to work on making sure that solutions are more accessible for everyone.”
Doesn’t your work include making sure that products, systems and web applications are more accessible for all users? Do you have any tips on what people need to consider?
“Firstly I’d recommend familiarising yourself with the current guidelines on digital accessibility. After that, it’s important to make sure that everyone in the team working on a service knows about this topic, as work on accessibility cannot be performed by one role. Just like everything else, we need to work as a team on these issues as well. You have to make sure that everyone is able to use the solution that’s being developed. A solution that is accessible for everyone should be a matter of course, not just something that’s ‘nice to have’.”
Many companies and organisations have older operational systems and might think that it is not worth changing them, as they will replace them at some point in the future anyway. What is your experience with this?
“I’ve worked with customers who have older operational systems, who have often chosen to build a new system. But this is not always the case. Perform a benefit analysis to see what advantages and disadvantages there are in keeping your operational system compared with updating it. If this will improve the efficient use of resources, quality and accessibility, it might definitely be worth the cost, as you will get back what you have spent in the long run anyway. If the analysis doesn’t balance out, for example, because it’s difficult technically to make changes to your older operational system, it might be worth waiting to invest in replacing the system in the not too distant future.”
You are also a sustainability coordinator at Softronic – what does this involve?
“Every business area at Softronic has a sustainability coordinator. They are responsible for setting sustainability goals in their business area, producing and following action plans linked to Softronic’s sustainability policy and general goals, and providing employees with information about Softronic’s sustainability work.”
What does GoodTech mean to you?
“For me, GoodTech is about us working with our customers for the digital transformation of society, which will contribute to a more sustainable future. This will enable us to take long-term responsibility for the economic, environmental and social results of our business operations.”
Can you tell me what is the most enjoyable part of working for Softronic?
“All the friendly colleagues. And that I’m allowed to be ambitious and try new tasks.”
