THS Career Stories: Hanna Kinnunen, Design Manager
Hi Hanna! Would you kindly introduce yourself and provide some information about your background?
Hi! I’m Hanna, and I work as a Design Manager in the Product Management Team. I studied communication and film production before specialising in what was then called “web media”, before ending up working with concept designs and developing front-end and functionality of tablet applications. UI and UX design captured my heart.
Could you please tell us about your professional journey at Topcon Healthcare Solutions? How has your work evolved over the years?
I started as a UX/UI designer in the Harmony team in 2018. I was the first designer in our branch of the company, and in addition to designing Harmony, I was able to help out with marketing materials now and then. My work evolved from mostly UI design to cover more UX aspects of product design as well, working with user needs and use cases.
As the company grew, we hired a few more designers, and we noticed the need to unify our ways of working between different teams. So, in August 2022, we formed a design team, and I became the team lead. My work took another turn towards project and team management when we formed the team, which is super exciting for me.
Currently, we have six people in the design team. We collaborate often and work on our Design System together.
The best thing is to see your own handprint on the product and to be able to influence the activities of both your own team and the company by bringing your ideas to the forefront in a supportive environment.
What do you find most rewarding about being part of the THS team?
The best thing is to see your own handprint on the product and to be able to influence the activities of both your own team and the company by bringing your ideas to the forefront in a supportive environment. Also, something I always say is the best thing about working in THS: we seem to have only hired awesome people for the company. That was true five years ago when I started here and still holds true.
What currently excites you the most about your work, and which skills would you like to develop further?
I am honored to be trusted with the Design Manager role, and I am eagerly looking forward to what I am able to accomplish with this new position. I hope to develop my team and project leadership skills, as well as deepen my knowledge of UX design.
Could you please share with us a nice memory from your time at THS?
We have a “summer camp” almost every year, where everyone from the company gathers together to have fun and relax. One year, we had a frisbee golf tournament, and even though my team didn't win, it was so much fun having everyone try it out!