Welcome back to one of our favourite blog series, where a different member of the team is introduced on the second Monday of each month. In these posts, you can find out more about the hoodies behind Zerocopter!
This month’s conversation is with Lars van Zadelhoff. He is our UX designer and he ensures that the users of Zerocopter app have a great experience!
Please tell us a bit about yourself, who is Lars van Zadelhoff?
Howdy guys! I’m Lars, a design aficionado. Born and raised in The Netherlands and highly intrigued by Japanese culture. One thing that keeps amazing me is the level of architecture and art that breathes heavily through Japan. It’s also one of my number one ways to gain inspiration when working on a new project. While art is something that drives me on a daily basis, I’m quite the otaku who loves games, anime and streaming on Twitch!
How would you describe your job title in a couple of words?
I make sure that our users have a great intuitive experience on our app!
What do you like about working in UX?
I like the challenge and destroying stuff to make everything easier to use and minimalistic. My work is very visible and provides great satisfaction when our users love to use our product.
How did you end up at Zerocopter?
I got in contact with Riccardo, our CTO, who explained Zerocopter is in need of a UX designer. After some great talks with Edwin, I got on board!
If you could trade positions with anyone in Zerocopter for a day, what would it be and why?
I would love to trade positions with Delia for a day. I started way back in Marketing and always loved to come up with creative ways to advertise a product. You get to learn a lot about the company. It’s clients and audience. It would surely help my everyday job.
What have you learned from working at Zerocopter?
I’ve learned a lot about hacking actually. Not just the terminologies but also the way of working. It’s a profound industry that goes quite deep and has a lot of different takes. From software to hardware, both are equally interesting to take a look at.
When was the first time that you heard about the term “Bug Bounty” or “Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure”?
It was back when I was talking with Riccardo about Zerocopter. He explained what Zerocopter does and what it means to be an ethical hacker. Myself, as a creative, never quite heard of that, and I was instantly intrigued.
What resources would you recommend to someone (new) in this industry?
Hands-down the YouTube channel “The Futur”. Chris is an excellent leader in design who touches on several points of interest in design. Definitely a must to check out if you’re heavily involved with the design industry.
What is your favourite stereotype about the hacking industry and why?
I always love it when people compare hackers with unshaven and unshowered guys behind a desk in a fully dark room, typing like mad as if their lives depend on it. It couldn’t be farther from the truth haha!
Do you have a (hacker)handle/username? And what is the story behind that name?
Definitely. I go online by the name ‘Grotesque’. I have been using that nickname since my youth days. You mainly see it popping up on socials or games really. I’ve always been fascinated by the French art culture where they have various expressions of ‘grotesque-like’ beings. While it’s often seen as hideous or scary, I actually love the beauty of imperfection. It’s different, stands out and has a very intriguing look. You could say nowadays I view it more as the beauty of art. It shouldn’t always be perfect, because being unique is a whole new level of beauty on its own.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Lars a little better! Stay tuned for our next post in March!
