“Your time is better
spent looking for the right problem rather than thinking about solutions.”
Who am I? Let’s start from the beginning…
I am a problem finder.
Hello! I’m Lucie Stepanian, an experienced Customer eXperience Strategist with over 10 years’ experience in design environment. In my job as in life, I always focus on correctly defining problem before looking for creative solutions. After years of saying that design helps find solutions, I’ve decided to focus on the “before”. That’s why I like to call myself a “problem finder”.
No matter how you ended up on this page. By chance, curiosity or deliberate search, I’m delighted that our roads have crossed. I hope you find what you’re looking for here, or perhaps something unexpected but equally rewarding. In any case, if you’re looking for a fresh take on UX, with a touch of philosophy and originality, this is exactly where you should be.
I use only one skill.
I’m not a Swiss Army knife and I don’t want to become one. While the others display their panoply of skills and titles, I arm myself silently with a single competence. We live in an era where versatility is presented as proof of success, but I prefer to move forward with the conviction that the key is communication.
More than any technical skill, it’s the ability to build relationships, talk about emotions and create bridges between minds that makes all the difference. It’s by choosing the right words, creating nuance and finding the right balance that we can liberate ideas and inspiration. Around us, technology and robots are almost omnipresents. In the future, our ability to communicate will enable us to stand out from the ordinary world and standardization.
So if I had to keep just one skill for the future, it would undoubtedly be this one, because it opens so many doors.
What I do?
I create value for brands through User Experience strategy.
Year after year, I’ve helped brands create value for their users by developing strategies tailored to their needs. When one of my customers asks me how to create a product or service that’s more optimized for the end-user’s needs, I always start with the same approach. The only rule is that I don’t know anything.
Why is this so important? Because starting with User Research is essential if you want to innovate. I’m talking about real, on-the-ground research. The kind that requires methods and training. Without using chatGPT. The kind of research that requires you to go out and meet real people. They’re your customers, and they’re the ones who hold the smallest elements capable of making your product or service a success.
Challenging the Statu Quo is only possible by going through the painful phase of admitting that we don’t know what users and customers need. And sometimes, customers don’t know either.
This is where communication comes in. Getting users to talk about their real needs is no easy task. But it’s the one I’ve set myself in this profession. I help you find insights from your target audience, so you can innovate. Always research before you start designing.
I play the right way.
From empathy to execution, Design Thinking is the compass that guides me to create and innovate.
Design Thinking is just like my morning coffee: it helps me get to work each morning. I’ve always considered Design Thinking to be a state of mind, a constant. Beyond professional projects, I apply it even in the private sphere. It’s a human-centered approach that allows me to understand before creating.
It’s true that sometimes I get perplexed looks. But no matter, Design Thinking isn’t a method, it’s a way of life.
As I said, at the very heart of Design Thinking there’s a mentality.
I adopted this mentality thanks to my curiosity. Over the years, I’ve practiced and experimented.
I’ve been wrong many times, and I’ll certainly be wrong again. But with years of experience, I’ve adopted an undeniable holistic approach.
The End Goal of Design Thinking:
The ideal innovation process is the trifecta of desirability, feasibility and viability
Brands I’ve worked with:
For years, I’ve been coaching clients and entrepreneurs in their pursuit of innovation and success.
Contact me, if you need me!
How Can I help?
I believe that we have to redefine our self-worth if we want to thrive in today’s world. Let me help you find it, so you can start your journey with peace of mind, feeling that you are where you belong.
I’m not perfect and I won’t have all the answers. I make mistakes like the rest of humanity. But as I often say, for years I’ve been practicing just one skill at which I excel: communication. And that’s what allows me to always work with Authenticity and mindfulness.
If you’ve read this far, I’m delighted. Perhaps this is the start of our successful collaboration. As I’m passionate about human beings, I’m determined to stay away from anything that’s as dehumanizing as possible. That’s why you won’t find me on Instagram or Facebook. However, I do keep my contact details to a minimum, so here’s the only way you can get in touch with me.
Thank you for visiting, I’m excited to meet and talk with you.