For me, IT is a universal tool that can solve incredibly many things. I've always had a creative urge, been full of ideas, and wanted to experiment with different things. Originally, I thought I would become a bank advisor because I find the banking and finance world really exciting. But I realized that it was IT that ignited my passion. I had more passion for building things and making them work – both in the physical and digital worlds. In that sense, IT Product Development suits me incredibly well because the education supports that creative drive and enables me to bring my ideas to life.
Before I started at university, I studied at HHX (Higher Commercial Examination Programme) and was convinced I would become a bank advisor. But I also have an interest in building things and making them work both mechanically and digitally. Therefore, I participated in U-days at Aarhus University to learn more about my educational choices. I went to hear about medicine, mathematics, physics, and IT Product Development. I also had a tour of the Department of Computer Science, and when I saw the department's laboratories where you can sit and experiment, cut wood, or solder, I became completely sure of my choice. What I think is the strength of IT Product Development is that it encompasses a broad range: you work with business understanding, the technical IT toolbox, and product design, where there is more focus on people.
I have never regretted my choice because IT Product Development is an amazingly versatile education where you get to experiment with many different branches of IT - from physical 3D printing to augmented reality, prototyping techniques, programming/app development, sensor circuits, and user studies. You really get a lot in your toolbox, and it has been extremely useful for me afterwards. IT Product Development is a very holistic approach to IT. It's not just about improving your skills and getting a piece of software to work perfectly. It's also about building the right product that suits the user, so you solve a specific problem.
Together with a classmate, I chose to write a thesis on how IT can support people with social anxiety. We developed, among other things, a concept for how breathing exercises can help people with social anxiety, and we looked at whether anxiety could be detected from sensor data. It's not new that breathing exercises can help, but we could assist the exercises with IT. We did some experiments on this, which went really well. We had a supervisor from the university, but we were also connected with a professor from medicine and a clinical psychologist to incorporate these perspectives into the project.
When the thesis was completed, I applied for a grant from the Innovation Fund, which I received. It gave me twelve months with free frames and peace to try out the concept in reality. I assembled a team, and after several prototypes and tests, we developed a finished concept for psychologists, where they could tailor an app with the features and exercises that suited each individual client. We fought for the company as much as we could. But maybe we were too early or didn't hit the mark exactly right. It was a completely new way for psychologists to think, and maybe too radical for many. Since then, I have seen many similar apps and tools flourish, so it is being used more and more.
When that year was up and the company wasn't quite up and running, I had to look for work. It only took ten days from when I sent my application until I started. It was really cool to feel that IT educations, in general, are in high demand. There are many opportunities to get a job after studying IT Product Development. My classmates and I have found it easy to get interesting jobs by using our networks, and that's also how I got my current job at Bankdata.
Bankdata is an association owned by eight financial institutions, including Jyske Bank and Sydbank. We are about 800 employees in Silkeborg, Aarhus, and Fredericia, responsible for developing and operating the financial infrastructure used by banks – everything from mobile banking to core systems. I am part of the department called Digitalization. We work with rapid prototyping, where we build prototypes to test new technology-based concepts. I still use a lot of the technical skills I learned in school to develop software and build prototypes to test new exciting things. I feel very privileged in the way I can use my education here at Bankdata. I am allowed and have the space to embrace the business aspect, where I meet with stakeholders, and also to immerse myself in a prototype.
It's difficult to describe a typical workweek because my days are extremely varied, and that's positive. For example, on Mondays, I might be out interviewing users of our products – like a bank advisor or an end-user. On Tuesdays, the team gathers at the whiteboard to kick off the creative process where we brainstorm about a new concept based on the data we collected on Monday. Wednesday and Thursday, we develop and build the prototype and bring our ideas to life so that on Friday, we can go out and test it and get feedback. We have an ambition to spend 50% of our time on prototyping, actually building and developing something new. We work under the mantra "show, don't tell". We could easily show slides all day and talk about new concepts, but it doesn't move the needle much. Functional prototypes in the hands of the right people, that's what can really change people's minds and attitudes.
In my work, we are very creative, and this is an area that IT Product Development also focused heavily on. That is, how can you manage and systematize creativity. In this way, creativity becomes a process and a method – it's fascinating that you can break down creativity into techniques. Creativity isn't necessarily something that just happens; you can create creativity with the right techniques, and that's one of the things I use a lot today.
What I find most important in my job is that it's fun to go to work. If it's not fun, I lose energy and motivation. Additionally, it's important for me to be intellectually challenged and to have some challenges that need to be solved or have an impact on the world we live in. If we just sit in a corner and the product never sees the light of day, then it stops being fun.
IT Product Development is an amazingly versatile education where you get to experiment with many different branches of IT - from physical 3D printing to augmented reality, prototyping techniques, programming/app development, sensor circuits, and user studies. You really get a lot in your toolbox, and it has been extremely useful for me afterwards.
-Kennet Jeppesen
