Humans of iQmetrix: Guilherme Ferreira, Product Design

In the first of our Humans of iQmetrix mini-profiles, we chat with Guilherme Ferreira.

Guilhere — AKA Gui (pronounced ​“Gee” with a hard G) — is a Product Designer in the Retail Commerce and Carrier Connect teams. Gui, who is originally from Brazil, came to iQmetrix through our partnership with international tech recruiter VanHack (and he’s not our only story about VanHack recruiting an awesome iQer).

Gui is a member of the Vancouver office and, like most of his local colleagues, works mostly from home but comes into the office for ​“Together Thursdays” each week. His colleague Tanya Lisle describes him as ​“optimistic, practical, reliable, and yet adventurous.” With those awesome adjectives painting the picture of a pretty cool person, we figured it was time to get to know Gui a little better. 

iQmetrix: Tell us a bit about your role at iQmetrix and when you started.

Gui: I started working for iQmetrix in February 2022, but I was working remotely from Brazil. I moved to Canada in August 2022. As a product designer, most of my days are spent figuring out how people will use our systems, so I have to do a lot of research about user behavior. I’m also trying to understand how to improve the experience of our products, to bring my research into a more tangible and physical result, and improve the user interfaces. 

What’s the story that got you to iQmetrix, all the way from Brazil?

My goal was always to leave Brazil and go to work abroad, and a few years ago I came across a company called VanHack, which hires people in tech roles to work in other countries. I had found VanHack online when I was a front-end developer, and thought they could offer a good opportunity, but I thought I would have to pay. When I realized there was no cost to be a member — it was free — I uploaded my profile on the VanHack website. They showed me the product design position at iQmetrix, and when I read the job description, I was very interested. It was close to what I wanted, because it was focused on user experience and design research, so the job caught my attention a lot. I applied for it and then I got the job, but I didn’t move to Canada until five months after I started. 

Another good thing about my job is that it was a newly structured team when I joined, so I was able to share my opinion and help create the new working processes. Now we’re a more mature team and we have much better product design processes and measurement of achievements. It was very nice to play a big part in creating those processes. It’s still not perfect, but we are constantly iterating and everybody seems open to giving feedback, and receiving feedback. 

Where did you live in Brazil, and what were you doing before you got the job with iQmetrix?

I’m from Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. First, I was a front-end developer, working in machine-learning projects to create intelligent analytics, and most of my experience was in financial markets, creating products related to financing. I worked at some banks, including one of Brazil’s biggest banks. I also worked at some research institutes, too — in those roles my mind was opened about how user interfaces can go beyond screens. For example, I did one project related to augmented reality wearable glasses for Epsom, and this opened my mind to all the possibilities of user interfaces and creating great experiences. 

For me, working at iQmetrix is totally different from my experiences working in Brazil. It’s fun for me as I can tell people that here, I can have a life! In Brazil, the working hours are long and, after work, you don’t have the energy to do anything else, and most things are closed. Here, there is a much better work-life balance and I can have fun, and for me, that’s awesome. 

What’s something interesting that we might not know about you?

I’m a total nerd who loves to play videogames, but at the same time, I love to cook! When I’m stressed, I can prepare a good meal and enjoy it, and it’s satisfying. Plus I like to eat and I like trying new things! Also, having some physical activity is important to me, and I’m taking kung fu classes. It is not just about the body, but also it’s good for the mind — which is important, as I’m alone in Canada. 

My family and my girlfriend are still living in Brasilia. I’m hoping to go back to visit them this year, and I’m working hard to get my Permanent Resident visa. I am hoping to sponsor my girlfriend Deborah [a marketing analyst and part-time ballet teacher/​dancer, pictured above] to come and live here in Canada with me. 

Want to learn more about the Humans of iQmetrix? Follow the series on our blog or our Instagram page.