Apolos glides his stylus across the digital canvas, translating codes and turning thoughtfully chosen colour palettes, tones, and pixels into menus and buttons. His intuition is at work while anchoring his eyes on the flickering screen, wondering if the interface he just created would make sense to the users and is aesthetically pleasing for their vision
He truly understands that in the digital world, user experience is undoubtedly the key that makes people flock back to a website or an app as their go-to. It is no secret that behind an easy, breezy app or website use, there is a UI/UX designer working on their magic. In this article, we put Apolos Avrialdo, a Mitrais UI/UX designer, in the spotlight. Let’s dive into his quest to be a top-notch Designer and how his fondness for board games has made the journey smooth sailing.
Walking down The Creative Path
Apolos’s passion for designing was sparked by the epiphany that what he does could make a difference in others’ lives. “A few years ago, when I started exploring UI/UX, it struck me that my designs could help solve people’s problems and make an impact,” he recalled.
Eager and unstoppable, he applied for an internship at one of the biggest marketplaces in Indonesia, where he was challenged by a mentor to work on the design system. Apolos took the challenge and was obsessed with mastering it, leaving no stone unturned, “Through podcasts, classes, certifications, and my experience as a full-timer, I have transformed into a T-shaped multidisciplinary Product Designer, working with UX design, interaction design (motion), UI design, UX writing, UX research, front-end development, and specializing in design systems.” he said proudly.
Today, with his extensive experience and unbeatable creativity, Apolos is a gem at Mitrais, a full-time UI/UX Designer with international clients, channelling his design skills and artistry into Customer Experience (CX) software.
Apolos Desk Setup
Creating a Ripple of Champions
Apolos understands that giving back to the community is a big part of his responsibility as an accomplished UI/UX Designer. The creative thinker is a member of ADPList, a global platform that offers inclusive one-on-one tech industry mentoring with world-class mentors worldwide. He revealed his other accomplishment, “Right now, I’m also the Indonesia’s ADPList Ambassador. Our goal is to cultivate more designers like me, who have decent experience in mentorship, to achieve their dreams and become more amazing together.”
The Love for Board Games
Besides Design, Apolos is into board games; in fact, he has collected 61 board games. It all started with an invitation, “A senior at my university invited me to join the Indonesia Board Game community. Basically, he told me I could try playing a board game for free before buying it.”
Boardgame Mitrais
At the drop of a hat, light-hearted competition and playful jabs in trying to outwit each other over a colourful board started to steal his heart. “Through the weekly meetups, I discovered that board games could help me improve my communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and bonding skills while having fun.”
These encounters have led him to master a lot of board games to a T and create his own collections. “Currently, I host board games with 5-10 friends at least once a month. Additionally, I toss the fun at Mitrais Jakarta office during happy hour by playing board games with my colleagues,” he added while proudly showing his board game shelf.
Apolos Boardgame collection
Fusing Gaming Strategy into Designing Best Practices
Board games have altered Apolos’ brain chemistry in approaching his work as a Designer. He commented, “In a cooperative game, for example, players must collaborate to achieve victory, much like the collaboration when working as a UI/UX Designer with a Product Manager, Front-end developer, UX researcher, UX writer, and illustrator. We need to creatively solve the problems we stumble upon together by generating and implementing creative ideas.”
He continued, “One board game that holds a special place in my heart is Camel Up 2nd edition. The board is unique, featuring a 3D tree, a 3D pyramid for rolling the dice, and camel-shaped meeples. It’s a lot of fun and serves as a great introduction for those starting in board games. It’s easy to learn and involves a lot of interaction between players, helping to practice decision-making skills by choosing the best action from a few available options.” said the Designer who loves creating content for #DocuHobby related to desk setups, tech, and gaming.
Camel Up 2nd Edition
Playing board games has also helped Apolos to put himself in the users’ shoes. His approach to board games’ mechanics, aesthetics, and user experience guides him to be intuitive, anticipating users’ stumbles and frustration to improve customer experience with his designs.
Board Game Guide for Beginners
Want to get your feet wet in the world of board games? Apolos shared a couple of great tips on how to make your first move, “You could visit a board game cafe and ask the board game master to introduce you to beginner-friendly games. Alternatively, join the Indonesia Board Game group on Facebook and find communities near your location.
Apolos’ journey is another success story that proves that one’s passion can ignite the potential for cross-pollination between different creative pursuits. So, if you have any passion, go for it! But first, find a work environment that supports it. At #Mitraislife, we prioritize the well-being of our team members and and let them indulge in their hobbies.
Reach your fullest potential and #JoinMitrais today.
