Interview Cyriac Jannel, alumni 2019 - Senior Product Designer @ Yelp

Cyriac Jannel alumni 2019 – Bachelor Interactivity & Master Media

Senior Product Designer @ Yelp

American company that develops the Yelp.com website and the Yelp mobile app. The platform publishes crowd-sourced reviews and connects users with local businesses.

London, United Kingdom

How do you think the design professions have evolved in recent years?

What has changed the most, in my opinion, is the place of design within companies. Yelp, for example, was traditionally focused on engineering and product management, with very little attention paid to design. Over the past five years, the design team has significantly expanded, even tripling in size. Management has realized the value that designers can bring to the company, as well as the benefits of a user-centered approach.

How is your design profession strategic?

Designers bring a sensitivity that other roles may not have. Product managers, for example, often prioritize raw metrics without considering qualitative data or the user experience as a whole. Designers introduce a new dimension through research by directly engaging with users to comprehend their expectations and needs. This approach offers a distinct perspective and enables the understanding of problems beyond mere numbers. The way we identify potential opportunities and measure their impact on users have evolved significantly.

What has L’École brought you?

The bachelor's degree helped me a lot technically, providing me with the tools and skills to design interfaces and produce screens that are both aesthetic and functional. The master's degree allowed me to develop my thinking and methodology, providing me with a more thoughtful approach to projects.

Any advice for future designers?

I would advise them to be curious and go beyond the expectations from L’École. L’École provides a good overview of the designer profession, but it's easy to overlook many aspects if one limits oneself to that. I believe it's essential to research, read articles, and attend online conferences, especially in these rapidly evolving industries.

Has Breixit changed anything for you?

I arrived in London after Brexit, and I believe many things are more complicated today with the visa procedures and all the documents to provide. In my case, it was an internal transfer between Germany and the UK, so my company handled everything, which greatly simplified the process.