Get to know Stefan, Lead Designer
I love that digital in-store is so versatile. Every brand, every client, and every solution is unique. It's real fun to design and collaborate in a team, to bring success to our customers and own business.
What is Grassfish to you?
For me, Grassfish is about the people. On one hand it is the fantastic team spirit. Days in the office are a joy and give me a lot of energy. On the other hand it is about our clients and partners. We usually share a close relationship with them, often over many many years. In challenging times, this trust is key. Sometimes it is not so much about the plot of the story you write, it is more about the process of writing it together.
Describe your Grassfish journey and how your role looks like today
I started at Grassfish in February 2021 as a consultant in one of our bigger Sales Companions projects. We make these applications to give sales staff in stores control over their touchpoints managed by our system, fully customized to their needs. A solid UX design, which means user experience design, is the core of these applications. We built up UX not only for Sales Companions but as a key role in our squads, representing the user's perspective in all of our projects. Since beginning of 2025 I have the role of the lead designer, which for me is all about driving innovation by applying design.
What has been your biggest highlight since joining Grassfish?
I recently got the chance to introduce our experience design and innovation framework PLAY, which will enhance human-centric thinking in our very technology-driven environment.
Whatever we do, in the end we measure our success by the value our solutions create for real people, the users of our touchpoints, and therefore for our clients and partners, and for their and our business.
How do you live our company culture?
One of our mottos is "dare to challenge" and I take that very serious. I strongly believe that following the usual ways won't lead us to new places. Challenging preconceptions and the "easy ways" is therefore crucial for real innovation. Asking for the "why" again and again can feel uncomfortable sometimes. But it is inavoidable to discover and understand the real problems to create truly meaningful solutions.
What is the best part of your job?
I am a curious person. I love to question things, look for the reasons behind them. This is the foundation for any innovation.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Start doing improvisation, now!! It will change your life.