User experience: some companies just get it. Kik, the company behind the smartphone messenger of the same name, is one of these. Actually, they don't just get it, they nail it.

At this dynamic and fast-growing company, user experience is at the heart of their messaging platform. They are dedicated to offering the most life-like chat experience on a smartphone, aiming to redefine how people connect with each other and their environment.

It goes beyond the interface too, as designers touch all parts of the user experience. "[Designers] also work on brand and marketing activities, and are asked to contribute a critical eye (or the whole design!)", says Heather Galt, Kik's vice-president of marketing. Their 50-million-plus registered users (with more than 200,000 people joining every day!) is testament to the success that can be achieved when UX is paramount.

We couldn't be more thrilled that this UX loving company is sponsoring Fluxible. The Kik team is another example of how strong the UX community is here in Kitchener-Waterloo and it makes us so proud! And did we mention that Kik is hiring?

We recently messaged with Heather about UX and what it means to be a part of their design team:

Q: Can you speak to the role of design in making Kik the most "life-like chat experience you can get on a smartphone"?

A: UX/UI is incredibly important to Kik. We literally spend thousands of hours working on how the app looks, feels and works for our users — and our designers are integral to that process. Our designers sit with our development team so they can iterate together as they create new features or new Cards, or update/iterate on existing elements of the app.

Q: What does a typical day for a Kik designer look like?

A: Our designers work on a huge variety of projects. They sit with our developers, so being a key participant or lead in our development activities takes a significant percentage of their time. They work on our native app as well as our Cards, from the concept phase through to release.

Q: Why did Kik choose to get behind Fluxible?

A: Beyond the obvious (we are looking to add to our design team!) we are making a real effort to support more local initiatives, and we believe so strongly in the importance of user experience that this was a perfect fit for us.

Q: Any last parting thoughts to share with our beloved attendees?

A: If you love what you hear about Kik — come and meet us! We have beer every Friday at 5pm, and we welcome visitors to come and join us to learn more about the team. You can check out the details on our careers page.

A huge thanks again to Kik for sponsoring Fluxible. It's only with support like yours that Fluxible is possible!