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Simon Mateljan
Design Manager @ Atlassian in Perth, Western Australia, He/Him
About
Hey there! 👋🏼
I’m Simon, a multidisciplinary creative who has dabbled in various industries, picking up a unique perspective on design along the way. I love leading teams to create innovative solutions for complex customer challenges.
Right now, I’m at Atlassian as a Design Manager, leading the charge on accessibility within our Design System team. It’s a dream gig that lets me flex my systems-thinking muscles and work with an award-winning crew.
Fun fact, I’m pretty tall—most people are surprised when they meet me in person! Basketball is my sport of choice, although my height has nothing to do with it—honestly!
I also spend a significant amount of my life in record stores, hunting for vinyl treasures to add to my collection. And yes, I absolutely appreciate a good cake (who doesn’t?).
I’m passionate about giving back to the design community. Since 2019, I’ve been a board member of UX Camp Australia, a non-profit that brings designers together for annual conferences. I also organise Friends of Figma events in Sydney and Perth and support local meet-ups through Experience Design Perth.
It might sound cliché but I firmly believe that design can make the world a better place, and I’m thrilled to be part of a community that feels the same way.
Reach out and let’s keep making great things together!
Work Experience
Speaking
If accessibility was an ingredient for a cake, you couldn't just add it after the cake has been baked. You must include it as you make your cake. Similarly, creating accessible products or design systems requires considering accessibility from the very beginning. At Atlassian, we have thoroughly considered accessibility in all our Design System foundations to build a delicious outcome
If accessibility was an ingredient for a cake, you couldn't just add it after the cake has been baked. You must include it as you make your cake. Similarly, creating accessible products or design systems requires considering accessibility from the very beginning. At Atlassian, we have thoroughly considered accessibility in all our Design System foundations to build a delicious outcome
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, most of our department shifted to remote work. As a design leader in the community, I shared my experience leading remote teams, collaboration, and conducting research in this new landscape.
Building a design system is one thing, getting teams to use your design system is another - with this talk, I explore methods you can use within your business to help with adoption.
Your life is your biggest design project, you need to give it the time and focus it deserves. Using design thinking frameworks we use to solve business problems, we can use those to design our life.
Writing
Lessons for designers as they shift from individual contributor positions into design management and leadership.
Speaking with users doesn't always equal research, we as designers need to ask ourselves questions to make sure we are finding the right answers.
As a leader of design teams both in remote or hybrid capacity, I have many lessons on how to best collaborate and engage with team members and customers.
From starting with your first idea, right to the moment, you leave the stage - there is an art to storytelling and presenting to an audience.
Awards
Awarded to staff members who have been with the business for 12 months or less, I was awarded the RAC - Rising Star award for the success I had with the establishment of the Experience Design function and delivery of Sunrise: Design System.
Volunteering
We aim to create an inclusive community by organizing frequent events for designers who are passionate about utilising Figma.
We aim to create an inclusive community by organizing frequent events for designers who are passionate about utilising Figma.
Annual single-day conference held in Perth since 2019, open to practitioners from UX, CX, Service Design, Research, Software Developers, Product Owners, Students and more.
Formal mentorship to a number of designers both locally in Perth since 2018 and recently internationally through ADPList.
The Artability Gala was established to raise funds for young Western Australians with a disability to participate in culture and the arts, I supported by creating the digital assests and website.
As a mental health advocate, I speak at a number of corporate events about my own journey in successfully navigating depression and anxiety in my life.