Have you ever wondered how Vinted effectively manages the thousands of items uploaded to our platform? For our Ontologies team, it boils down to one crucial element: collaboration. Join us as we sit down with Product Designer Eidvilė Bagdonaitė and Taxonomists Laura Horan and Charlie Lapin to discover how they leverage their unique areas of expertise to co-create a better member experience for all.<h2>About the Ontologies team</h2>Ontology is all about describing items&nbsp;– from defining the category they fit into to details like their size and the materials they're made from. By exhaustively cataloguing each aspect of an item in our database, the Ontologies team helps Vinted members find&nbsp;exactly what they're looking for.&nbsp;In other words, the Ontologies team ensures items are discoverable throughout the member journey, including the moment a member uploads an item to Vinted and when they use filters to find the items they need while browsing our platform.&nbsp;"We do this by making sure our platform includes the metadata terms that members use to describe these items."&nbsp;Eidvilė Bagdonaitė says.

<h2>The Buyer domain</h2>As part of the Buyer domain, Laura, Charlie, and Eidvilė's work focuses on the initial stages of the buying and selling process. This covers everything from opening the app and listing an item for sale to searching for something to buy. The Buyer domain also includes the stage where members chat about an item or when they make an offer to buy something. The following steps – payment, shipping and feedback – are handled by another branch of the team.<h3>A unique structure</h3>Vinted’s Ontologies team is an Engineering Product team, which means Engineers, Data Analysts, Product Managers, and Product Designers all come together to achieve the same goal.What makes our Ontology team unique at Vinted is that it also includes Taxonomists. As Laura puts it, "Charlie and I were the first taxonomists at Vinted and the first employees with this background and expertise. Our first order of business was to meet with an array of stakeholders across the matching domain to introduce our skillset and ways we might be able to support their work through improved data modelling."As taxonomists working with colleagues from many different fields, the team finds it essential to clarify the language they use so they can keep their communication clear. After all, words that mean one thing to Product Designers may mean something else to Taxonomists.There are many different paths to the role of Taxonomy, including a History, Librarian, Museum Curation or Knowledge Management background. The ideal taxonomist is someone who’s a logical thinker and enjoys creating order from chaos.<h2>How Taxonomy meets Product Design at Vinted</h2>While our taxonomy data model is the backbone of every item on Vinted, having extensive information is only helpful when we can display it to our members. That’s why we've learned it's vital to get Product Design involved as soon as possible, as it's a lot easier to work in tandem before a launch than it is to start the design process after.So, how do these different approaches come together in the Ontology team’s projects? Eidvilė states, "One of the most straightforward ways we collaborate is by including member insights and perspectives into data structure decisions."&nbsp;This can involve user testing or showcasing how different data structure options influence user flow. Whenever a new approach is suggested, the team discusses how it will change the way Vinted members learn about an item and how this could benefit them. "By anchoring our communication around the user perspective, we're able to find common ground and collaborate towards member-centric experiences", Laura Horan says.Furthermore, in some scenarios, to address the needs of sellers on Vinted, we may need to present information in a way that’s relevant to them but would require a different level of granularity to be user-friendly for buyers. As Eidvilė puts it,&nbsp;“This nuanced understanding has empowered me to approach my design process with greater depth and to develop more solutions that meet the diverse needs of various member groups”.Another way the Ontology team collaborates is through the Kanban method. The team uses a virtual Kanban board to keep track of what everyone’s working on and facilitates meetings that foster collaboration and communication. Every day, the team has a 15-minute standup meeting where they update the status of their Kanban board tickets as a team. They also have weekly planning meetings, where they add new items to their Kanban board and host post-launch retrospectives for projects that go live. The Ontology team also uses Slack to discuss work topics and ask questions more freely&nbsp;– sometimes, these can be answered in a simple thread, but the team is always happy to jump on a quick call to explain the details, too. These methods help everyone to stay on the same page.

<h2>Achieving results</h2>Although Taxonomy has some Member-facing results (e.g. creating a new category in our taxonomy "tree"), they tend to fall into the existing Product Design framework. "We're not reinventing the wheel when adding a new subcategory under Jackets or Skirts", Charlie says.But their collaboration truly shines when the Ontology team works on a new concept. Charlie explains: "For example, in our current project we're working on...Taxonomy has a few options to choose from when building a data model, and we would have been stuck, but product design helped us settle on the best choice, and now we're actively working on implementing it for our members!"Sometimes, the taxonomy design options are limited by the current systems or product designs in place. By collaborating with a Product Designer, the Ontology team can identify opportunities for product design improvements, which enables us to create better data models that enhance the member experience. Eidvilė elaborates: "Like Charlie, I've realised that taxonomy and product design go hand-in-hand. When we combine our skills – thinking how to organise information with a solid grasp of how members think and manage information, it can help create solutions that make a difference to the user experience."<h2>Find out more &nbsp;</h2>Are you a logical thinker who excels at bringing order to chaos? Consider joining our Ontology team and collaborating on projects that make a real impact on millions of members. See our open positions <a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. &nbsp;

Taxonomy

Fostering Collaboration in Engineering Teams: How does taxonomy fit into product development? 

Product design is an ever-evolving field, so it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and tools. This is a broad list of recommendations, so make sure to choose resources specific to your interests in the field.1. Some of the classics to read:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18197267">"Don't Make Me Think"</a> by Steve Krug</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/840.The_Design_of_Everyday_Things?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=lUvY3FFx7U&amp;rank=1">"The Design of Everyday Things"</a> by Don Norman</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668729-hooked?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=4ahr0m3tC5&amp;rank=1">"Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products"</a> by Nir Eyal</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10127019-the-lean-startup?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=7FJqoNNPSH&amp;rank=1">"The Lean Startup"</a> by Eric Ries</li><li class="li3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25814544-sprint?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=KQk6rt4Fyx&amp;rank=1">"Design Sprint"</a> by Jake Knapp</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25520974-articulating-design-decisions?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=CkuECbfDwn&amp;rank=1">“Articulating Design Decisions”</a> by Tom Greever</li></ul>&nbsp;2. If you are more of a YouTube type of person, check:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li3"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/UXDesignInstitute">"UX Design Institute"</a> for video tutorials and insights</li><li class="li4">"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AJSmart">AJ&amp;Smart"&nbsp;</a></li></ul>&nbsp;3. Consider pursuing certifications like:&nbsp;<ul class="ul1"><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.ibm.com/design/thinking/">Enterprise Design thinking certification</a> from IBM&nbsp;</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/ux-certification/">Nielsen Norman Group UX </a>Certification&nbsp;</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-ux-design">Google UX Design Professional Certificate </a>on Coursera</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://hfi.training/na/certifications/cua">HFI Certified Usability Analyst (</a>CUA)</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://hfi.training/eu/certifications/cxa">HFI Certified User Experience Analyst</a></li><li class="li4"><a href="https://hfi.training/eu/certifications/cdpa">HFI Certified Digital Persuasion Analyst</a></li></ul>&nbsp;4. Stay updated with design guidelines. Two of the most important to keep an eye:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li4"><a href="https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines">Apple’s Human Interface</a> guidelines&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li class="li4"><a href="https://m2.material.io/design/guidelines-overview">Google’s Material Design guidelines&nbsp;</a></li></ul>These are continuously refined and expanded, so make sure to come back to these resources continuously.&nbsp;5. Join online design communities and seek mentorship:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li3"><a href="https://adplist.org/">ADPList</a>: A platform that offers free mentorship from experienced designers for free</li><li class="li3"><a href="https://www.behance.net/">Behance</a> &amp; <a href="https://dribbble.com/">Dribble</a>:&nbsp; platforms to showcase your work, as well as discover others'</li><li class="li3"><a href="https://mobbin.com/">Mobbin</a> is a hand-picked collection of the latest design patterns from mobile apps that reflect the best in design</li></ul>&nbsp;6. Get inspired and network by attending meetups and conferences:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li3">Look out for local UX and design meetups in your area</li><li class="li3">Participate in design conferences focused on UX/UI, iInteraction, information architecture, etc.</li><li class="li3">Consider joining these networks as a volunteer</li></ul>&nbsp;7. Practice the craft:The most important - the more you design and work on real projects, the better you'll become. Consider:&nbsp;<ul class="ul1"><li class="li3">Volunteering for nonprofit organisations</li><li class="li3">Take internships</li><li class="li3">Participate in hackathons</li></ul>&nbsp;In the ever-evolving field of product design, this comprehensive list of resources equips you to nurture your passion and grow as a designer. Embrace hands-on experience, connect with fellow designers, and stay curious to thrive in this dynamic landscape of product design.

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List of useful resources for aspiring Product Designers

Meet Eidvilė and Agnė – our newest Product Designers – who joined Vinted after graduating from Vinted internship programme. During our talk, the alumni get into the details of their internships, the opportunities they provided, the lessons they learned, and tips for future interns.

Hi! Can you introduce yourself and tell us what your roles at Vinted are?&nbsp;Eidvilė: Hi, I’m Eidvilė, and after my internship, I joined Vinted as a Product Designer in the Monetisation domain.Agnė: Hi, I am Agnė. I joined the Design System team at Vinted as a Product Designer as well.&nbsp;So, Agnė, tell us a bit about your professional background and what led you to apply for an internship at Vinted.Sure! My background is in architecture, where I worked for eight years. My work consisted of creating functional, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing designs, which I enjoyed. But then I found out that designing products is very similar. It’s also about creating a structure that should be useful, usable and visually appealing – but in the digital world.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Eidvilė, what about you?My road to product design also wasn’t straightforward. After several years across different roles in tech marketing, communications, and visual design, I switched my career to product design. During this time, I got to know myself and figure out where my professional curiosity lies. Product design seemed to combine it all – technology, visual aesthetics, and human-centric problem-solving. I love the multidisciplinary aspect of this field, where I can put my curious explorer nature to use.&nbsp;Splendid! Let’s move on to the Vinted Academy itself. What are the most important things you’ve learned during this internship?&nbsp;A: I think I learned many valuable skills. One of them was time management. Because we had to narrow down the scope and deliver designs that developers could implement in quite a short time – we had to plan and prioritise the main features without getting lost in ideas.Another valuable skill was collaboration. It may seem simple, but in truth, it can be hard to stay open-minded and listen to different ideas and solutions all the time without getting defensive. Receiving feedback from a diverse audience was a great thing! Not to mention the design critique sessions, where we could listen to other designers' feedback and share our thoughts as well.E: I share many similar thoughts to what Agnė mentioned. What I would add is that, most importantly, I learned how to better frame problems and have a clear approach to what I am trying to tackle with the designs.Receiving and giving feedback was also a crucial piece of learning. Gathering relevant information and feedback is essential in this role, and I am happy to have had space to develop the skill to do this better.&nbsp;Eidvilė, has the mentorship you received during the internship boosted your career?It definitely did. During the Academy, mentorship was at the core of our learning. We had personal mentors who helped us address general professional growth questions. Also, we received more project-specific mentorship in the form of design critiques and such. I learned a great deal from the questions they raised to challenge us. They helped to create a solid base for our decision-making.

I also got a more realistic view of what a product designer's role means. Each of the mentors had a unique way of approaching the same problem. I found this inspiring, and it helps me when I'm looking for a way to tackle the challenges I face.&nbsp;&nbsp;Agnė, what's your outlook about the mentorship you received?I found mentorship at Vinted a valuable experience, especially at the beginning of my career. Eidvilė and I were challenged to think, find the most suitable answers and make independent decisions with the given tools, guidance, and honest feedback. That helped us to move forward and be able to navigate almost independently.In addition, I had 1:1 meetings with my mentor to talk about future growth possibilities, how I was feeling, what challenges I was facing, etc. Sometimes that helped as mental support as well.&nbsp;How were you feeling before the application? Did you have any hesitation? What finally made you apply and go for the opportunity?E: At the time, I was already well invested in switching my career to product design. It was yet another lockdown, and I’d spent my after-work hours doing upskill UX/UI courses.&nbsp;So when my sister shared a post about Vinted looking for interns, I was sure that it was the opportunity and place I’d been waiting for, so there wasn’t much hesitation, to be honest.A: Back then, I was actively looking for a start-up or company I could join to gain real on-the-job experience. So I did not hesitate and applied immediately. I had heard many good things about Vinted’s culture from a few people who work there and was thrilled to see the UX track added to the Academy that year. After a while, I received an email about proceeding with the selection process and was very excited!&nbsp;How would you describe the people who work at Vinted? What should anyone applying for an internship have in mind?E: Well, every person applying should have in mind that they will have a chance to work with many talented people. Vinted is a positive work environment where everyone seems to share the mindset that in order to reach the best result collectively, one has to be open to diverse perspectives. Generally, I feel lucky to have joined colleagues who have a sense of purpose and are excited about what they do.A: The atmosphere is quite relaxed at Vinted. People are encouraged to express themselves, be proactive, and share their opinion. I find people here very professional and would describe them as friendly, supportive, and collaborative colleagues who enjoy what they do.&nbsp;What are you currently working on within your team, and how much time at work do you spend learning new things?&nbsp;A: I work in the Design System team. We are responsible for maintaining a&nbsp;unified visual language at Vinted. Our task is to help designers and developers collaborate more efficiently and optimise their work by creating UI and UX elements they can use as a kind of LEGO blocks in their designs – made to build anything.A collaborative atmosphere&nbsp;helps immensly and prevents you from getting lost in too many technical details. I learn all the time with every task I do. It’s fun and exciting because there are always supportive colleagues who are glad to help and share their experiences or resources. Besides, at Vinted, every designer has a learning budget for books, courses, and conferences which helps you gain knowledge as well.E: During the first couple of months in my new position, I learned new things every day, including processes, tools, and the best ways to collaborate with the team across different roles. Once everything settled down, I started using another great Vinted perk for employees – the&nbsp;learning budget. Currently, I am attending a Behavioural Design course at Hyper Island. I’m happy that Vinted provides me with so many ways to grow.&nbsp;And last but not least, a question for both of you:&nbsp;are there any unsung heroes that help you in your work (perhaps people from other teams)?A: Vinted people are so collaborative, willing to share their knowledge, give feedback, and be friendly, supportive, and positive. I would say that everyone is an unsung hero at Vinted.E: Thanks to all the unsung heroes, Vinted is working smoothly across several different countries and offices. We have the best work conditions and equipment and do not have to worry about anything. What's left for the rest of us is to focus on how we can do our best work. &nbsp;

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Former Vinterns: Constant Learning and Growing at Vinted

Ina Semionova is a product designer at Vinted. She shared her story about her main inspirations in life and her attitude towards sustainability which has its roots in her own family.&nbsp;

What do you do at Vinted and why?Here I work as a product designer. In a nutshell, my job is to create the best user experience for Vinted members. This position makes my daily to-do list vary greatly! For example, one day I’m trying to see into company business goals and define user problems, whereas another – I’m thinking of design solutions, participating in user interviews or even consulting with the legal team. Every day is very dynamic, and you rarely feel bored with your routines here! This is why I love Vinted – its environment drives your personal growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What do you like most about Vinted?An opportunity to grow is probably my favourite thing here. I’ve been working at Vinted for two years already, and I still feel like there’s room to grow and there are interesting challenges waiting to be solved. For me, that’s very exciting because usually I get bored in one place after two years! Constant personal growth and self-development are very important for me. Vinted has the perfect environment for that – your professional ambitions are well-guided by your mentors and nicely equipped with a learning budget. You just need to show willingness and not to be scared of a change!Vinted also stands out with its people. It’s an organization full of curious, enthusiastic, well-educated and caring people. It’s not only nice to meet all of them, but also learn from each other and share different experiences!Last but not least is the main company’s goal. By working here you have an exceptional opportunity to be a part of a big social change – promote circular and sustainable fashion. And I think this aspect is very important in nowadays society.&nbsp;&nbsp;What does sustainability mean to you?For me, sustainability is a conscious choice to be less wasteful and more nature-focused. We live in abundance of things and there’s a great need for a shift from extrinsic to intrinsic values. So stripping everything down to the basics and leaving only the things that are indeed necessary is, in my belief, the way we should follow now.&nbsp;&nbsp;Which is your favourite ever Vinted purchase?It’s a jacket from a small German brand. Actually, I bought it a while ago, but still wear it quite a lot! It’s a high-quality and very versatile garment suitable for many occasions. To be honest, before joining Vinted team, I had no idea I could find such amazing things on the second-hand market!&nbsp;Who and what inspires you?Many things inspire me in different ways. Mostly it’s art, cinema and music gigs. I used to visit art galleries while travelling, but now when I don’t have this opportunity I like scrolling through Pinterest or watching old movies. Actually, I’m a bit obsessed with looking for interesting colour palettes and compositions in interiors, fashion and movie shots!I also love looking at paint or design documentaries on YouTube. Something about a secluded artist’s life has always been very appealing to me. Spending time by thinking about the nature of things, mixing paint for me seems very unmodern and extraordinary in today’s fast-paced, work-possessed world.&nbsp;&nbsp;What were the biggest influences in your professional field?It’s definitely my family – very hard-working, DIY-oriented and creative people! None of them are actual artists, but they always strive to be original by making their own pieces of furniture or altering clothing. Such atmosphere made me quite resourceful and persistent, which I believe are useful personal qualities for a designer!&nbsp;Another big inspiration for me is Ash Thorp. He’s a self-taught multidisciplinary designer, 3D artist, illustrator, photographer and filmmaker. I actually studied history in university, and have no other formal education in design or development. Thus, at the beginning, such motivational people as Ash Thorp inspired me to pursue a different career path and helped me realize that everything is possible with hard work and clear goals!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How do you keep a work-life balance?Honestly, for me it’s a constant struggle to keep balance in life! I need to be conscious of my decisions and know when to stop, do nothing, don’t feel bad about it and even enjoy it. When working towards a certain goal, I often forget that downtime is as important as the hustle itself. But don’t get me wrong – I don’t want to glorify workaholism as it’s quite dangerous for personal health.&nbsp;Actually, getting a dog has helped me with that immensely. Now I spend at least an hour in nature every day. My dog Nike gets to run around freely and I have some quiet time to organize my thoughts. Also, I don’t open my computer after working hours and silence all the notifications. I believe you can always reach a person by calling if it’s indeed important! I also like calming my mind down by reading some books or listening to my favourite music.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What are you reading at the moment?Usually, I read several books at a time. I also listen to audiobooks when I’m driving. I just love consuming information and I have to make an effort to quiet down my mind! Here are three books I’m reading at the moment:The first is&nbsp;Alice Knott&nbsp;by Blake Butler – a weird, brain-twisting, apocalyptic, sometimes even uncomfortable to read novel telling about art, family and memory. This is not some summery, holiday or feel-good read that you can easily breeze through and just forget. It’s a book that demands to stop, think and savour the language.&nbsp;Another one is&nbsp;Money: Master the Game&nbsp;by Tony Robbins. Actually, I’m quite embarrassed to admit I’m listening to this audiobook! However, one of my goals for 2020 was to become more financially aware. It’s one of those subjects that has always seemed boring, and I was just simply ignoring it for a very long time! This book is not a deep dive into the finance world, but a nice primer for more serious stuff.&nbsp;The last book I’m currently reading is&nbsp;The Making of a Manager&nbsp;written by Julie Zhuo. Actually, this book has become a classic read at Vinted office! A lot of colleagues have read and recommended this, so there are many on the waiting list. This is not surprising because the book is very practical. It helps you grasp management role better in a very easy to understand way. I’m currently just trying out the waters of what it means to lead people, so this has been very helpful for me so far!&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;What music do you like to listen to?Mostly punk, sometimes metal, and all the music genres in-between these two! Previously, I used to be much more adventurous and liked searching for new and interesting sounds all the time. However, now I don’t have enough time to do this, so I stick to the same genres and just enjoy it.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you could host a dinner and invite three people, who would you invite and why?First of all, a perfect dinner of mine would contain three things – great food, lots of laughs and interesting stories! So I’d definitely invite a French photographer, illustrator and author Garance Dore, an American chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain as well as Trevor Noah – a South African comedian, writer and producer. All of them are amazing storytellers with their authentic lives and extraordinary experiences! They inspire me a lot in setting my goals and making my own path in life too.

Vinted blog

Fostering Collaboration in Engineering Teams: How does taxonomy fit into product development?

List of useful resources for aspiring Product Designers

Former Vinterns: Constant Learning and Growing at Vinted

Ina Semionova: At Vinted You Can Be a Part of a Big Social Change