Consultant Christian Müller is now a permanent member of the UX&I team

Christian, what defines your career and your current work?

After studying philosophy, logic, and comparative literature, and starting out as a web developer, I gradually shifted into the hybrid role I still hold today: balancing implementation and consulting, I’ve worked for startups and large corporations, as well as for a management consulting firm and as a partner in a three-person civil law partnership (GbR). At artop, I completed training as a systemic coach.

Over time, technical tasks have taken a back seat. I work more with people than with technology. It’s always been important to me that teams function well and have fun. That’s a common thread for me: I’m happy when the team is in the zone, enjoying the pace and the work itself. I think this works best in small teams, without a lot of overhead, scheduled meetings, or strictly defined roles. But that’s something we can debate at length.

Why UX&I?

We’ve known each other for a long time and have been collaborating on various projects since 2017. I wanted to be part of a permanent group of colleagues again.

I like UX&I’s mission. Back at the turn of the millennium, I felt that euphoria, that the internet would change everything for the better. In 2003, I wrote my first Wikipedia articles and was fascinated by the world’s freely available knowledge. Today, one might ask: Has the internet really made anything better? If you turn off your ad blocker, it’s surprisingly ugly. That’s why it makes sense to focus on the “Benefit of Humans.” It’s wonderful to develop products that help users in their daily lives and empower people to navigate their work more effectively.

I also want to continue driving the area of team and organizational development at UX&I and help our clients build teams and improve structures. However, this must be developed internally, and I’m here to support that process.

What’s the most important trend in the UX world right now?

I see a shift toward the product perspective. It is increasingly integrating the user perspective. Roles such as product coaches and product managers are driven by the desire to develop successful products. The user perspective, which, among other things, helps us understand the problem, is of central importance. However, the economic factor is playing a greater role. Weighing options and finding compromises is key. The goal is to enter a constructive mode and not limit oneself to defending user needs, as I’ve often seen happen. Ideally, you build a product that’s economically successful and makes users happy. That only works if you bring all perspectives together.

What skills do consultants need?

Be patient and listen, and you can’t just listen quickly. I’m the kind of person who brings calm to projects, especially when things get hectic. To be resilient in the face of stress, you also have to take care of yourself. Plus, good consultants need to be able to get up to speed quickly and tolerate uncertainty. “Hitting the ground running” is part of everyday life. Then there’s the consultant’s paradox: No client has a truly huge problem, yet we’re there to help solve exactly that. Here, you have to strike a balance, not throwing everything out the window right away, but still making progress. My approach is this: I don’t tell clients how to do it. If you’re honest with yourself, you know that as an outsider, you usually don’t know either. They have to figure it out for themselves. That was also a learning process for me: to take a step back and stop trying to explain the world to others. Also because there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution. One organization can find a solution that works for it but doesn’t work for another, for example, when it comes to leadership and self-organization. You have to be patient with that and develop a feel for it.

Can you tell us a little more about yourself?

I’m a passionate sailor and ski tourer; I’d love to work in the outdoor industry or the shipping sector someday. I’m interested in products that involve technical challenges or are designed for technical users. I enjoy working with other people, preferably together in person. It’s only when we’re together in person that you get that “schoolyard whispering”; I really love that, and it creates a dynamic. I’ve also always enjoyed working in international contexts. I’m a cheerful skeptic: I enjoy looking at things with a skeptical eye. And: I’m the same person both personally and professionally.