But it isn\u2019t the career he envisaged clearly during high school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved computers from a young age. At school, my friends and I were all doing computing, and I planned to study computer science at Curtin,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut during my degree I had the opportunity to study photography at Curtin\u2019s School of Design and Art. I realised I had a creative side I needed to fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deciding that he needed to understand business holistically \u2013 not just the computing side \u2013 Jonathan transferred to Curtin Business School, where he studied the various aspects of business while still focusing on IT and electronic commerce.<\/p>\n
He says the \u2018real-world\u2019 project collaborations in his final year were stand-out experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn one project we helped a Perth supply-chain consultancy use technology to streamline communication between all parties required to import rice from Thailand.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time I didn\u2019t know it, but that project would be the start of my future career in customer journey mapping and human-centred design.\u201d<\/p>\n
UX design: from Thai rice to Dubai property<\/strong><\/h2>\nHe now leads the Design team at Property Finder<\/a>, one of the biggest property portals in the MENA region, headquartered in Dubai.<\/p>\n\u201cMy team helps create the products and services for clients, but I also work in a close partnership with our product management, growth, data and engineering teams to deliver ambitious growth plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the diversity of my team in Dubai \u2013 it includes people from every continent on Earth. And I love the international aspects of my work, finding that product\u2013market fit across the Middle East and North Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to Property Finder, Jonathan worked at New York University Abu Dhabi, where he established UX research design as the first stage of web and mobile application developments. He also worked as one of the design managers at MYOB in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mission of every designer is to create meaningful impact through changing their organisations to both value and make decisions based on customer research. This starts with a shared vision by a design team that includes evidence-based research through facetime with customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I joined MYOB there were nine designers across Australia and New Zealand. When I left three years later, there were 40 designers, and I had a great experience in helping mature design thinking and practice throughout the organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back to Curtin<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlthough he\u2019s loving work life, Jonathan has very happy memories of his student days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved campus life. Many of my friends attended Curtin and I made new friends quickly. The diversity of the student population is great.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played in the Curtin Football Team that qualified for the Australian University Games held in Ballarat in 2000 and then in Sydney in 2001. We also won the WA Indoor Football competition.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Curtin](\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Curtin-Uni-Football-Team-Sydney-2001-copy-792x420.jpg\")
Jonathan (second from right) with Curtin Football Team at the 2001 Australian University Games in Sydney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nApart from gaining a holistic understanding of how business operates, Jonathan says that at Curtin he gained a real appreciation of diversity and teamwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of my most memorable moments of being a Curtin student were the practical experiences and group assignments. Collaborating to achieve the best outcome possible was something I really enjoyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose skills still fuel my ambition to build design capability in all aspects of an organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Supporting that enthusiasm for his work is his commitment to the evolution of design practice itself. He\u2019s founded meetup groups in Australia and UAE and has established the organisation, Human Centred Design UAE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cSharing best practice is a great way to mentor and create a knowledge-sharing community.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy team helps create the products and services for clients, but I also work in a close partnership with our product management, growth, data and engineering teams to deliver ambitious growth plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the diversity of my team in Dubai \u2013 it includes people from every continent on Earth. And I love the international aspects of my work, finding that product\u2013market fit across the Middle East and North Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to Property Finder, Jonathan worked at New York University Abu Dhabi, where he established UX research design as the first stage of web and mobile application developments. He also worked as one of the design managers at MYOB in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mission of every designer is to create meaningful impact through changing their organisations to both value and make decisions based on customer research. This starts with a shared vision by a design team that includes evidence-based research through facetime with customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I joined MYOB there were nine designers across Australia and New Zealand. When I left three years later, there were 40 designers, and I had a great experience in helping mature design thinking and practice throughout the organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back to Curtin<\/strong><\/h2>\nAlthough he\u2019s loving work life, Jonathan has very happy memories of his student days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved campus life. Many of my friends attended Curtin and I made new friends quickly. The diversity of the student population is great.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played in the Curtin Football Team that qualified for the Australian University Games held in Ballarat in 2000 and then in Sydney in 2001. We also won the WA Indoor Football competition.\u201d<\/p>\nJonathan (second from right) with Curtin Football Team at the 2001 Australian University Games in Sydney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nApart from gaining a holistic understanding of how business operates, Jonathan says that at Curtin he gained a real appreciation of diversity and teamwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of my most memorable moments of being a Curtin student were the practical experiences and group assignments. Collaborating to achieve the best outcome possible was something I really enjoyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose skills still fuel my ambition to build design capability in all aspects of an organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Supporting that enthusiasm for his work is his commitment to the evolution of design practice itself. He\u2019s founded meetup groups in Australia and UAE and has established the organisation, Human Centred Design UAE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cSharing best practice is a great way to mentor and create a knowledge-sharing community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apart from gaining a holistic understanding of how business operates, Jonathan says that at Curtin he gained a real appreciation of diversity and teamwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of my most memorable moments of being a Curtin student were the practical experiences and group assignments. Collaborating to achieve the best outcome possible was something I really enjoyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose skills still fuel my ambition to build design capability in all aspects of an organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Supporting that enthusiasm for his work is his commitment to the evolution of design practice itself. He\u2019s founded meetup groups in Australia and UAE and has established the organisation, Human Centred Design UAE<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSharing best practice is a great way to mentor and create a knowledge-sharing community.\u201d<\/p>\n