The next chapter of my career: advancing the transition to sustainable energy at Enode

2025 was a transitional year in my career. I left my previous role in June, took two weeks off, then built this website. I made myself available for a new role—contract or permanent—and had conversations with quite a few interesting companies. I was fortunate to find that plenty of people, in-house or at design studios, are looking for experienced Software/Product Designers (I may dedicate a post to my learnings in this regard, as well).

I rolled into contracting for Fictive Kin, where I collaborated with a magnificent team on two different projects; one for a Mexican retailer, another for Ladder, which will hopefully see the light of day soon. It was during this time that I got to talking with Enode about replacing one of its two designers, Jens, during his parental leave. This would be an opportunity for me to work with a dear friend, Kristian—with whom I initially set up the Amsterdam office of Bakken & Bæck in 2015—and alongside a few ex-colleagues from my time there. After a few conversations about the work they required, I decided to take on the opportunity, joining them from October onwards.

Enode creates software that helps build a resilient future for energy systems, and more flexibility for consumers. Energy providers can use their API, and a plethora of connected devices, to create an energy grid that can carry the load that all those energy devices (electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, heating systems) require of it, and optimise and balance its usage.

As they put it:

Through technology that automatically optimises energy usage for millions of consumers around the world, we aim to be at the forefront of the energy transition. Our goal is to enable the next frontier of energy apps and services that will play a crucial role in solving the toughest challenge of our time.

My place was on the Experience team, designing software for the people who use Enode to simulate their use cases, collaborating with a handful of engineers and a PM. The welcome was warm, and I enjoyed the collaboration immediately. I was able to get up to speed quickly and contribute meaningfully within a week or two. It’s a very technical product, but translating something so technical to understandable and usable interfaces can be incredibly satisfying.