Mattias Johansson, Senior Product Designer

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Mattias Johansson, Senior Product Designer


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Spotify Design Team

To showcase our band members, once in a while we put a Spotifier within the limelight. Today’s headliner is Mattias Johansson, Senior Product Designer for Experience in Stockholm. Put in your headphones, hit play, and skim alongside!

Questions & Answers

Why are you a designer?

I grew up surrounded by artwork, music, and folks. My dad works as an artist, and there was all the time paint and colour round. My first inventive outlet was to color and spray one wall of our home. My dad and mom weren’t thrilled about this, however they created a brand new wall for me to maintain portray on.

My curiosity in portray was very temporary although and was quickly changed by computer systems. When I used to be 11 years outdated I met my pal Jakob, who sat in a darkish room, coding assembler and making music. Amazed by the issues he might create with the pc, I requested him what I might contribute. He talked about graphics, so I made a decision that will be my factor. Shortly after, I begged my dad and mom to purchase me a pc. My dad offered a portray and I obtained my first Commodore 64.

Me and my new pal continued making issues. I did the graphics and he made them actual. Logos began shifting and folks began utilizing my pixel fonts. I quickly obtained my first Amiga, geared up with Deluxe Paint, and I used to be curious to study extra about graphic design.

We grew to become half of a bigger workforce, visiting demo events to point out off our work whereas assembly new individuals. I used to be in love with this manner of making collectively, the place everybody introduced one thing distinctive to the combination.

My love for design has by no means modified and creating issues collectively that folks can use or really feel impressed by remains to be my principal motivation.

Describe your job at Spotify with out utilizing the phrases “design” or “designer.”

Our workforce is engaged on the holistic expertise of the Spotify shopper cell app, and I work throughout two thrilling targets:

1. Continuously evolve the person expertise of the cell app, in order that it’s usable, coherent, and pleasant to our finish customers. 

2. Maintain and evolve a helpful cell system for our inner customers.

One of the issues I really like about working on this workforce is the variability and quantity of collaboration it comprises. One day I’m trying into the longer term with different groups, whereas one other, I’m deep within the particulars of our visible language.

Show us an image of your desk, and clarify why it appears to be like the way it does.

  1. Greens within the combine: My desk setup is kind of minimal and free from distractions. I exploit what’s important for the second and maintain the remainder in drawers till I would like them. The plant provides a pleasant natural contact to the combination.

  2. Garmin Forerunner 245: I prefer to maintain my working watch shut whereas working, reminding me to take a lunch or after work run. Spoiler alert: I run with out music!

  3. Ugmonk leather-based mouse pad: A classy and easy mouse pad feels important to me. I obtained this one from Ugmonk 5 years in the past, and the leather-based has remodeled properly over time.

  4. Byredo merchandise holder: For the darker months in Sweden I depend on Byredo’s scented candles to set the temper. They work nice as a phenomenal merchandise holder once they’re out. I maintain some pens, Apple Pencil, and a keyboard brush from Hay inside attain.

  5. Notebook: I just like the notebooks from Low Key Goods. Clean aesthetics and plain pages for each day notes.

Tell us a couple of time you beat an intimidating design problem.

At a earlier job, I used to be engaged on the product imaginative and prescient, with a practical app as the primary deliverable. There was loads at stake and the corporate’s management appeared ahead to the consequence.

It was a good deadline so we employed an exterior company to help the manufacturing. After seeing the preliminary final result from our new associate I instantly felt upset. My design imaginative and prescient had remodeled into one thing else, and I didn’t like what I noticed. I additionally didn’t like how I used to be reacting. I felt manner too connected to my design. I didn’t need my feelings to bias my workforce, so whereas I nonetheless felt upset, I made a decision to replicate and take a look at the work once more.

I quickly realized that, with the assistance of the company, my imaginative and prescient had reached new heights. Gaps stuffed, pleasant animations added and interplay flows now made sense. After this modification of mindset, I spent per week with the workforce in a room and we created one thing particular. By this level, I understood that this isn’t about my design—it’s about our mission and success.

I used to be having enjoyable once more, collaborating, and making new associates. It was an excellent perception for myself, to rework a unfavourable response into one thing productive.

Name three non-designers you are feeling impressed by when designing.

Mustafa Mohamed

I liked Mustafa Mohamed’s story on Sveriges Radio this summer time. Mustafa talks about shifting from Somalia to Sweden and his ardour for working. One quote that impressed me was “I want to focus on all the positive things in my life”.

Sofia Kourtesis

Sofia’s tracks have been on repeat for me whereas designing currently. Catchy, melodic, and energetic. No surprise I’ve two of her tracks featured on my Spotify Design playlist, Zoned 10!

Asket

Cheating a bit right here since Asket is a model. August and Jakob are pioneers in remodeling the style business right into a extra sustainable mannequin. Their ideas “We don’t design for seasons, we create for forever”, and “When something isn’t perfect we improve it”, resonates effectively with me.

What would your self-portrait appear like?

Any last shout-outs or belongings you’d prefer to share?

An enormous shout-out to all of the unbelievable individuals I collaborate with on daily basis. I get power from our collaborations, and I’m amazed to see new inventive methods of working whereas all of us now do business from home.

Also, shout-out to my wonderful associate, Emelie. She’s my finest pal who’s all the time supporting me, even when I keep up all evening recording mixtapes.

You can catch me on Twitter @mattiasjo and Instagram @mattiasjo. I make playlists on Spotify if you happen to’re involved in listening to some tunes! 🙂

Credits

Spotify Design Team

We’re a cross-disciplinary workforce of people that like to create nice experiences and make significant connections between listeners and creators.

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