Digital Platforms

My workday as a concept designer usually begins by testing the core functions of our own application first thing in the morning—even before I open Helsingin Sanomat. If any problems arise, communication happens via Slack, and if the issue requires more thorough documentation, I create a Shortcut story with an attached video or screenshots. My morning routine as a parent also includes checking Wilma: my child’s schedule, possible messages from teachers, and current updates.

Email is not my primary communication channel. I follow it through notifications and respond only when necessary. Internal communication with developers and programming-related matters take place in Slack or through our application. Direct customer communication is not part of my core responsibilities, but I do coordinate pilot projects—though rarely via email.

There’s no such thing as a “typical” workday, since the content depends heavily on the sprint phase. Generally, my days consist of documentation, research, customer interactions, independent design work, and co-design sessions. For remote meetings, I mainly use Zoom. Teams is also in use, but its flexibility doesn’t quite compare. Our documents are stored in Google’s cloud; Microsoft’s environment could be an alternative, but our practice is Google Drive.

When I need to present ideas related to the application, I use Figma. For quick UI/UX sketches, I use Canva, while Photoshop or Illustrator come into play for more in-depth visual work. Customer presentations are usually built in Canva, while internal analyses and feature reviews are created in Google Slides, since those files naturally belong in our shared Drive. All development documentation is kept in the cloud.

Our communication environment is streamlined, as developers require very clear and precise messaging. I manage programming-related English well, but when needed, I use translation tools (DeepL, Google Translate) to cut out colloquial phrasing and ensure accuracy. For important matters, I double-check translations with both.

The browser and the internet are also central work environments. I constantly test AI-related solutions, since our application’s AI layer is based on Google’s Gemini, and it’s important to stay up to date with different development environments. Still, I would not use every listed service. For instance, Pi relies on the continuous use of user data to train its model, which is not acceptable under European regulation (FRIA).

Characteristics of a Successful Solution

A successful digital solution fulfills its purpose—that is, the task it was designed for (Jobs to Be Done). It must be accessible: all users, including those with limitations, should be able to use it. In today’s context, cybersecurity (GDPR) and AI safety (FRIA) are just as essential. Understanding data security is an important user skill, yet in practice people operate surprisingly unsafely in digital environments. According to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s report (2023), 25 percent of Finns aged 16–89 need digital support. That’s a significant share, and especially concerning in aging regions. In my own municipality, one could roughly estimate that every third resident needs digital support.

Current services can be broadly divided into two categories: AI-native and those moving toward AI-driven operations. Many services have become more complex, and I often reflect on the motives behind “free services.” In practice, services are deliberately made complex so that users struggle to find the settings that allow them to prevent their data from being used for model training. Most of us have probably experienced this.

It is also characteristic of this field that services vanish from the market. This applies even to mobile authentication, which is expected to be replaced by a European common solution!

Platforms Overview

Savee

Savee (https://savee.com) is an ad-free and visually clean inspiration platform created for creatives such as designers, artists, and photographers. Users can save and organize images, videos, and links into their own collections and browse inspiration curated by the community – without algorithms or ads steering what they see.

What makes Savee stand out is its deliberate “old school” approach: a return to a time when platforms served their users rather than business logic. Nothing is pushed, and nothing is promoted based on who pays or what an algorithm decides. Everything you see is there because you or the people you follow chose to save it.

Founded in 2015 and independent from investors, Savee has grown into a community of more than 1.2 million users in over 190 countries.

Runway

Runway (https://runwayml.com) is a browser-based creative tool that uses AI to generate and edit images and videos. The idea is simple: type text, upload an image or video, and Runway transforms it into new content—no coding skills required. Tools include text-to-video, background removal, object tracking and editing, and style transfer. The latest models can even keep characters and environments consistent across scenes, and a distinctive feature is motion transfer: animating one character with the movement from another video.

What makes Runway stand out is how it democratizes creative production. Tasks that once required professional software, advanced skills, or entire teams can now be done instantly in the browser. Instead of replacing creators, it shifts the focus from technical execution to imagination: the creative challenge becomes what to ask, not how to make it.

Since Runway is cloud-based, no installation is needed. Pricing ranges from free trials to subscription plans (~€12–76/month) and enterprise solutions. All user content stays private unless shared, and is never used to train models without permission.

AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic (https://answerthepublic.com) is a web-based tool that reveals how people phrase search queries on Google, Bing, and other engines. It gathers autocomplete suggestions and presents them visually, making it easy to see what people are really searching for.

This is useful for bloggers, content creators, marketers, and influencers to build content that meets real demand. At the same time, it raises questions: what does exposing search behavior reveal about us, and who ultimately benefits from that data?

Atlas of Emotions

Atlas of Emotions (https://atlasofemotions.org/#introduction) is a visual tool initiated by the Dalai Lama. He asked psychologist Paul Ekman and his daughter Eve Ekman to create a “map of emotions” as a guide to self-understanding and emotional intelligence. The map helps users identify, name, and understand emotions, their triggers, and their effects. The tool is free, open to everyone, requires no sign-in, and carries no hidden costs. Users can return as often as they like, making it an unusually open and collective resource.

Pitch

Pitch (https://pitch.com) is a modern presentation platform, a contemporary cousin to PowerPoint and Google Slides. It works in the browser and as an app, allowing presentations to be built individually or collaboratively.

What makes Pitch distinctive is how it shifts presentations away from the old file-based logic into a shared, evolving space. Instead of one-off decks that are exported and emailed, presentations live as continuously updated projects. For example, a student with a weekly reporting course can use one single presentation that grows and adapts throughout the term.

This sense of presentations as “living spaces” makes Pitch part of a broader change already familiar from tools like Notion or Google Docs: documents are no longer static, but collective, dynamic, and persistent.

Pitch is also intuitive and visually appealing, which makes it attractive to students. The free plan already offers unlimited presentations and team features, which is enough for most needs. Pro-level (~€20/month) adds analytics, video embeds, and more.

Self-Assessment

In my work, I am accustomed to managing multiple digital platforms simultaneously and aligning them purposefully. My strength lies in combining pedagogical expertise, technological understanding, and hands-on development so that solutions are both accessible and secure. I master the practical implications of GDPR and FRIA, and I maintain my knowledge through continuous study and professional training in previous roles. I also deliberately use language support tools to ensure precision in communication, and I consider them part of a professional toolkit.

Through reflection, I see that I have found effective working methods and can maintain a balance between developers’ need for clarity and users’ needs. At the same time, it’s important to remember that not everything has to be done at once, nor does it always have to be perfect. A good reminder to myself is: well done, keep going, but remember to rest too. Continuous learning and development are vital, but alongside them I also need recovery to sustain long-term passion and accuracy in my work.