Meet our Partner & Director of Operations Jordan Alsop aka The Manalyst. In our latest Meet-a-Slider post, he talks about finding new ways to connect and manipulate complex data, doing what it takes to “stand out in the crowd,” and how seven years as a math teacher prepared him for this role.
Name: Jordan Alsop
Title: Partner & Director of Operations
Start Date: May 2019
What drew you to this field! Get it?
What drew you to this field?
Stepping into this role at Slide UX was a total career change for me. Before starting here, I worked for seven years as a middle and high school math teacher in Pennsylvania, and I really loved what I did. However, when I decided to follow my heart and make the move to Austin, I had a new opportunity to re-invent myself. I wanted to find an exciting new way to put my mathematics, logic, and problem-solving skills to use, which led to my search for the role of analyst.
Doing some job searching around the Austin area drew me almost immediately to Slide UX. So I can’t necessarily say I was drawn to this field, specifically, but rather presented with an opportunity that I am so thankful I acted upon.
What one piece of advice would you want to give to aspiring UX designers?
Although I’m not a designer myself, I would say my biggest piece of advice is to be willing to do what it takes to “stand out in the crowd.” This might be doing the work that others aren’t willing to do, or going where others may be afraid to go. In today’s job market, the talent and skill level of candidates is arguably at an all-time high. Doing what it takes to make yourself stand out can reap major rewards. What intangible skills do you possess that put you a step above the rest? Work on those, and be unique!
What's the biggest challenge we face as an industry?
I would say that the biggest challenge posed by this industry is the fact that it’s ALWAYS changing. It’s impossible to quit learning and growing professionally, as it seems that almost daily there are new software, tools, or products popping up in this space.
This ‘fluid’ state can be challenging and overwhelming at times, but it’s also very exciting, as it presents opportunities for new designs and experiences that may not have been possible before. In addition to a constantly evolving industry, our clients’ specific needs grow and change at a rapid pace as well. Staying on top of new practices and technologies can be exhausting, but it’s challenges like this that keep my job exciting!
What's new in the industry that's catching your eye?
A big thing that I’ve taken a lot of interest in lately is the “Low Code/No Code” space. As someone who does not have a significant background in the tech industry, I find low code and no code software, apps, and platforms to be intriguing and extremely helpful.
They give designers and business leaders a way to create workflows, integrate systems, and streamline processes without having extensive knowledge or experience with coding. I’m relatively new to exploring this space, but I’m excited about the direction in which it seems to be heading!
Working at Slide UX
What are the most challenging parts of your job?
As Partner & Director of Operations here at Slide UX, the biggest challenge with my job is wrangling all of our data and presenting it in a simple, easy to use manner. We are constantly pulling data from numerous platforms, software, and databases, so putting it all together to paint a single, coherent ‘picture’ for project leads, managers, and clients to use when making decisions can sometimes be difficult. As we always look to improve our processes, finding new ways to connect and manipulate complex data is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding aspects of my job!
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in your job, and how did you learn it?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is by far organization. Working in a position that often involves a rather fast-paced environment across numerous projects, I have learned that organization is crucial. Better organization leads to more efficiency and better time management.
So many of the tools I use here at Slide help me to organize tasks, files, and other data in ways that are manageable and easily accessible. I would say that for anyone looking to increase their overall productivity, the first thing you need to do is get yourself and your workspace organized! I’m sure my mother wishes I would’ve learned this lesson as a kid, when it came to putting my clothes away!! ;)
Jordan, as kid who did not believe in organization.
What makes Slide UX different?
This one is easy...the people. The employees at Slide UX are some of the most hardworking, creative, and talented people that I know. We may not be the biggest team, but we are certainly one of the most talented. From managers and principal consultants to new hires, I’m blessed to work with a team of designers whose knowledge and skills seem nearly limitless.
As a fully remote company, we’re not bound by geographic location, so we truly do have the best in the business when it comes to our team. Not only do we take pride in the work we do, but we have FUN while doing it, which makes each day of work that much more enjoyable. Whether it’s a spontaneous “pun-off”, or sharing the perfect GIF, we always find ways to make each other laugh, which can go a long way. I’m so proud to call myself a Slider, mainly because of the people that surround me each and every day!
Describe the ideal client or project?
As Partner & Director of Operations, my role is rather unique in that I typically do not deal directly with clients or client-based projects. Instead, I work primarily within the internal systems here at Slide UX. However, I can still shed some light on what an ideal client looks like to me. In my eyes, the perfect client is one grounded in transparency.
At Slide, we strive to be as transparent as possible with our clients, so ideally we like to get the same in return. In order to maximize the overall success of an engagement, I feel that a client should enter with an open mind and be willing to try new ideas.
Communication is key, so the ideal client will open a line of communication and stay involved throughout the life of their project, providing open and honest feedback along the way. These are the types of relationships I feel are the strongest and most successful!
What's the most powerful part of our design process?
Although I’m not typically a big part of the design process with my current role, I would say collaboration is one of our most powerful tools in the work we do. On any given project, we have numerous team members working together, collaborating, sharing their work, and providing feedback.
We’re not afraid to ask each other for help and lean on team members who may have different areas of expertise. We also have a phenomenal research team here at Slide, so when our design components are backed by research, it makes them that much more effective. Basically, the team effort that goes into each project we acquire contributes to the results that we’ve grown to become known for.
What's your typical day look like?
When I can, I try to wake up early and go to the gym before I start working. I’m usually at my desk by 7:30 am, ready to start the day. Each day is different for me, depending on the internal project or process that I may be working on.
Typically, I spend a lot of time creating, updating and maintaining spreadsheets. These may be project status reports that we prepare weekly for our clients, or internal systems to better manage things like employee allocations and our invoice database.
Some of my work also includes creating visual representations of data so that the main takeaways are easy to identify. I have various reports that I update daily, while others are updated on a weekly or monthly basis. Since I manage many of our internal systems, I often help teammates troubleshoot various problems that may pop up. No two days are exactly the same for me, which is great. It definitely keeps me on my toes!
What tools do you use for your job that you could not live without?
Hardware: My 27-inch monitor. When looking at spreadsheets for long periods of time, this is almost a necessity.
Software: Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. I’m learning how to do just about anything with these two tools. Still trying to figure out how to get them to cook and vacuum...
How do you stay inspired and creative?
For me, since I came from education this field is still very new and fascinating to me, so it takes zero effort to stay inspired. I feel like I still learn so many new things each day. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a keyboard shortcut or a quicker way to accomplish something. Other times it may be a new feature released on software I use, or a new component of the business that Erin or Brant wants to streamline. In either case, I’ve always been a person who enjoys learning the inner workings of whatever I’m dealing with, so this becomes its own form of inspiration for me.
Outside work, I try to take time each day to do something for myself. This may be sitting down at the piano or with my guitar for a few minutes, working out, walking the dog, or even catching up on TV shows. Whenever I can participate in a hobby that I enjoy, just taking my mind off work can re-charge my creativity a bit, and it’s often these times when a solution to a problem I’ve been dealing with will hit me out of nowhere!
Lightning Round
• Do you have any hidden talents?
I can juggle! I also mess around with playing the guitar and piano. I like to think of myself as a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I dabble in many different areas and hobbies but do not necessarily stand out as exceptionally good at any of them. Unless, of course, telling cheesy dad jokes is a talent? In which case, call me a scarecrow, because I’m outstanding in that field (see what I did there?).
• Cat or Dog?
Both. You don’t get to live with a veterinarian and pick sides when it comes to cats and dogs!
• BBQ: sauce or no sauce
Sauce...on the side!
• Hot Dog Toppings:
Ketchup...Heinz 57 to be exact.
• Favorite coffee shop
Cafe Java. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but it’s where I go most often.
• How do you like your coffee?
With so much milk, sugar, and artificial flavoring that it’s nearly unrecognizable as coffee.
• Who on the team would you want to be stuck on an island with and why?
I have two, for two completely different reasons. I think would either want to be stuck with Brant or Tom. If I were stuck with Brant, I feel like he would work with me to devise a plan and/or build some sort of raft to get us off the island. If escape were not possible, I think it would be fun to be stuck with Tom. I feel like he’s the type of guy you can just sit back and put your feet up with. He doesn’t seem to get rattled by too much, and I think he has enough stories to keep us occupied for quite some time!