In this instalment we speak to Nikos Tsouknidas, UX&D's Senior Developer Advocate currently working with ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Global Experience Language (GEL).

How do you explain what you do for a living to a child?

Nowadays I would say, "I make things for your iPad!" But, for my Granny I would say,_ "It's like a magazine most of the time, but on TV, so you can play and stop it."_

Name one favourite thing and one challenging thing about your role?

My favourite thing is that I get to work with different and smart people… maybe that's also the challenge sometimes!

What was your journey before coming to the ´óÏó´«Ã½?

Greece > Japan > London!

But, outside of literal journeys… I've always had a computer (since around 1985). I learned English so I could play the old text adventure games on my Intel 8088 PC. I also always used to draw and make things as a kid, so not much has changed really.

What's the worst job you've ever done?

Because you're asking for the worst one, I would have to say doing research admin for one day in Kyushu University Design Faculty. It wasn't bad… actually it was great!

If you could explore any other profession, what would it be and why?

I love drawing, and I think it is because it allows me to understand the world. You could draw a bicycle if you don't know how it works, but it wouldn't be a good drawing (or a good bicycle). The same applies when drawing the human form or portraits, which are very difficult because of our immediate disapproval of any wrong detail an artist might make, due to our heightened pattern recognition. In comics, my favourite area, this principle applies to ideas and stories and what happens in the gutters between the panels. I think my approach to art was always similar to engineering, which is odd, but I wouldn't change it.

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of career advice, what would it be?

Again, I'm a lucky fella, so I can't say much here. But, I think pursuing some creative endeavours (comics, video, art) early on in your career is easier. So, maybe a more organised approach to that 10 years ago?

What's on your playlist right now?

The National, Haley Bonar, (check that last one out).

What do you do to switch off from work?

I make and I do 3D web stuff. I have a sort of heuristic that says_ "If you find yourself doing something at 2 am, having forgotten to eat dinner, then do more of that stuff…"_

In a world where anything is possible, what is the single most exciting thing you would do with technology?

"Alexa, make me a flat white please!"

What drives or inspires you?

Beauty, I think… and clever things.