Aleks Safarova leads UX Design, Product Design, Content and Brand & Design Systems at KAYAK, driving the creative vision across web and mobile platforms in collaboration with product managers, designers, and engineers. As the leader of a global design team overseeing travel brands across 60+ countries and territories, Aleks recognizes the importance of not just the work, but how the work is done. She has been instrumental in optimizing and refining team processes to enhance inter-team cooperation. Aleks began her tenure at KAYAK in 2014, previously serving at Macy’s Fashion Office with an emphasis on global trend forecasting. Educated in Art and Design, Aleks graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentrating in Design. Currently, she is pursuing an Executive MBA at MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Past Talks
12 October 2023
We will delve into the age-old debate about whether it is more beneficial to become a generalist, having a broad knowledge base in numerous areas, or a specialist, focusing in-depth on a particular aspect of software development.
The debate will be centered around four key questions:
1. Companies need speed - which is more efficient?
2. Which is more effective?
3. Is it easier to become an expert or learn base level in multiple areas?
4. Is it safer for your career to be a generalist versus specialist
