We sat down for coffee with Kristi, a McKinsey service designer and consultant, to dive deeper into her role:
Who are you?
I’m Kristi and I’m originally from Slovenia, although I work in the McKinsey's London office now. As a service design consultant with McKinsey, I rethink long-running, complex systems and replace them with simple, beneficial services that improve everyday lives. As a consultant, I make sure those services are profitable and that they differentiate our clients. In my free time, I volunteer as a member of the management board at the Society of Educated Slovenians Abroad, where I connect Slovenians with opportunities in our home country in the fields of culture, science and business.
What was your favorite moment this week?
As part of consumer research, I interviewed a couple of young women in Saudi Arabia to understand their lifestyle, aspirations and needs. With this information I could better brief our concept development team. It was inspiring to peak into their lives. I was impressed by how entrepreneurial, ambitious and positive they are about their futures. I was happy we could fulfill their needs with our new product. It reminded me why I became service designer in the first place.
What was the most difficult moment of the week?
Convincing my team to follow a user-centered approach when generating new concepts. We succeeded because this approach enabled us to discover new insights and opportunities.
What did you have for lunch?
I worked from home today, so I cooked some pasta with tuna fish.
What is special about your office?
The people – they inspire me. Everyday my colleagues make me laugh and teach me something new. It is an amazing and diverse environment (we work with all kinds of designers, techies and traditional consultants) for a designer to explore and challenge the design discipline.
What are your Friday or weekend plans.
I’m going to Oman for the weekend.
Do you have a Feel Good Friday tip?
Stop working at 5pm. Just stop. You deserve it.
What inspires you?
I get fueled by tackling problems people face every day. I am inspired by leaders who challenge the status quo and work feverishly to change it. I get motivated remembering positive change can happen, even if it takes a while.
What type of music makes you feel motivated?
Good old rock & roll.
What was your best client/team mate interaction this week?
I participated in a women’s training called “Engaging with Presence.” I heard my female peers describe facing some of the same challenges I face. It is always nice to know you’re not alone, and it was even better to brainstorm some solutions and receive advice from some of the more experienced women leaders.
How did you make a difference this week?
Last month, our clients said our study was the best McKinsey engagement they’ve ever done. They were impressed by our new design approach and the non–traditional views we delivered. We co–created a product based on customer needs and was truly different from existing, traditional banking products.
What’s your favorite app?
Spotify –it knows me so well;).
About Kristi
Kristi is a service designer-consultant, based in London. Prior to joining McKinsey, Kristi was a designer with the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Imperial College of London. She has a master’s in innovation and design from the Imperial College of London and a master’s in service design from the Royal College of Art in London.
For more information on McKinsey's design career paths, visit mckinsey.com/TechCareers.