At BLOX Digital, we believe success starts with finding the right people. The work we do here is changing the local media industry, and these are the people who are making it happen. Today we shine a light on Shahid Ali, Director of User Experience.
What is your background?
I have been in the digital marketing space for over 15 years and have been involved in all aspects, from acquisition to retention, and all the exciting things in the middle. Over the years I've been focusing on understanding how a user connects with a site through the various journeys they take when buying a product or interacting with a service. It has been exciting to learn how each step can be impacted by how a user experiences that moment.
What interests me the most and what I like to improve for our users: providing them with delightful experiences in the channel of their choice.
What do you love most about your job?
We provide a natural solution for customers in our industry, enabling them to deliver more for their users without having to do the innovating themselves. The technology we offer, and the work ethic in our organization around constant innovation, is undoubtedly an extraordinary situation. I know that what we do has real and meaningful impact on our customers and their success!
What are you currently working on that you’d like everyone to know more about?
It is always about the user experience. My current focus is how to improve the mobile experience for readers who consume news significantly on a daily basis.
As mobile devices keep increasing real estate, processing power, and ease of use, our goal in my department is to ensure that a user has the best experience consuming news on the devices that are ever so near and dear to them.
What are you most excited about for the future of the news industry?
The emergence of new mediums to access information, improved technology features, and overall experiences when consuming news is ever-changing. I am excited to innovate with the team to deliver optimized presentations on OTT platforms and handheld devices, and look to the future for bringing news to virtual reality experiences.
What's something people don't know about you?
I am a sci-fi geek and love to watch anything related to that genre. My favorite show is LOST, and I encourage everyone to watch it at least once. Between spending time with my family and our new dog, there is no dull moment.
Shahid's new labradoodle, Milo, keeps him pretty busy.
