SIC’s Career Spotlights: Keri Harrowven
Keri Harrowven is a User Experience Lead with 20+ years of experience working in product and digital workplace development and communications management, as a hands-on practitioner and consultant.
Starting her career at the National Trust, Keri led the development of their first digital systems and intranet platforms before establishing their internal communications function.
After 23 years, Keri left the National Trust, moving on to develop and deliver workplace transformation programmes across a range of sectors, before joining Invuse in 2020.
Keri has always been passionate about usability and accessibility and champions the user experience at the heart of all her development work.
As an ‘out and proud’ dyslexic, she sees her Dyslexic Thinking as a Superpower, which enables her to create solutions and re-imagine what others can’t see.
We sat down with Keri to discuss her career so far.
A photo of Keri. She is a white middle aged woman with long straight brown hair past her shoulders. She has a side fringe. She is smiling at the camera and appears to be wearing a black shirt with white spots, but only the tops of her shoulders are visible.
Why did you choose the career that you did?
I didn’t choose the career I’m in, it chose me. It’s been an evolution where I’ve experienced many twists and turns. It’s certainly not been a straight line, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When I first started working with computers and developed my first database system for the National Trust, it seemed like second nature to me. I thought, surely the logical thing is to make this system easy to use.
This was before I even really knew about the term usability, but somehow user experience and usability have always been at the heart of what I do.
How do you think being dyslexic has changed your approach to how you do your job?
I embrace my dyslexic thinking, and I honestly don’t know how other people think. Dyslexic thinking is a mixture of creativity and a very methodical approach; traits that shouldn’t go hand in hand but they do.
The way my thinking works means I can visualise things and I’m great at problem-solving. I’m also an empath - something that’s a particularly strong trait for dyslexics.
What is your career advice for those who aspire to do a similar role?
For me, the most important skills that you can have going into User Research and User Experience are:
Empathy is so important. You have to be able to imagine what it’s like to be a user and not just assume you know what it’s like.
You have to have a passion for solving people’s problems and just making lives easier.
The ability to think on your feet. With any technical role, time is often of the essence and you need to be able to think creatively to solve problems.
An analytical brain is a must so that you can understand and interpret data and digest research.
Creativity and the ability to question things, like “what does good really look like”, and “what’s the potential here?”
There aren’t any specific qualifications you need to get into User Research or User Experience. Some people come to User Research from a background in Psychology at a degree level, but it really isn’t necessary. I don’t think having a degree is particularly helpful to this career.
A lot of the people we employ at Invuse simply started by spending time learning about UX online. If they’re able to show passion, creativity, and a willingness to learn, that’s normally what we need. As an organisation, we’re about investing in young people and developing their skills.
Did you experience any setbacks when you started working, due to your dyslexia? How did you overcome them?
Starting work was the time when I came into my own. It was school that I had always found most challenging.
At school I was undiagnosed, so I had teachers who thought I was either clever and lazy or just stupid.
The one thing I was good at was performing so I always wanted to become an actress.
I left school with one O Level and while I was waiting to get into drama school I got a temp job. I really didn’t think anything of it, but suddenly people recognised that I was good and that I was employable. Although this was before computers, it really built my confidence that I could have a career. It was a lightbulb moment for me.
And then when computers came along, my brain went ping and I had a career path!
Are there any specific projects you are particularly proud of?
I’m very proud of a lot of things I’ve done along the way, but my firstborn will probably always be my favourite.
My first-ever database at the National Trust allowed properties to record income and see how properties were performing. When I left, the system still existed and was still being used although it had certainly been further developed and changed.
It was the first time the National Trust had changed from a paper-based system to a digital one. In fact, the first developer they employed was the person I was working with, so this was one of the first things that the IT department did. It’s something I can always be proud of.
Is there anything that Invuse is doing that other organisations should mirror?
When clients come to us with a User Research and User Experience project, by default we will always look at accessibility as well. We include accessibility testing and an audit of their platform from an accessibility point of view. I definitely think this is an approach we should all be using.
For anyone who wants to get into User Research or User Experience, make sure you recognise the importance of accessibility.
If there is anything specific you would like to shout out?
Yes, 100% Made by Dyslexia which is a fantastic charity.
Not only have they changed other people’s views of dyslexia, but they’ve also changed mine. I am so much more confident about talking about dyslexia and dyslexic thinking and I totally own it, without them, I don’t think I would. They’re empowering dyslexics.
Did you know that dyslexic thinking is now a skill you can select on LinkedIn? That’s down to the work of Made By Dyslexia.
The first company that signed up to the charity, as a company looking to actively hire dyslexic thinkers, was Microsoft and I think that says a lot.
Dyslexic thinking is a skill that companies need - and I’m absolutely certain that it’s the same for other neurodiversity
With the help of Made by Dyslexia, I’m able to confidently say, I’m neurodiverse and I’m great, not I’m neurodiverse and let me apologise for that.