Armita Banihashemi's Linkedin Analytics

I was deeply dedicated to equestrian life until my curiosity pulled me toward uncovering the invisible decisions behind the design of everyday things. I wanted to learn about and design products. With a strong criticism towards traditional education and a bias toward hands-on learning (rising from an athletic mindset), I diverged my focus from the limited degree program I was in to explore all things that give meaning to a product. Parallel to designing products, I learned how strong brands are built to identify with. Narratives deliver value. Strategy is the glue. Creative strategies in brand communications turned me into that odd person who rejects skipping YouTube ads and reads every ad poster in U-Bahn stations. I enjoy reverse-engineering the thinking behind a campaign. Along the way, I applied my product lens in various industries to design business concepts, one of which was my own—a self-funded tasty experiment to test myself and whether my envisioned concept could live beyond a pitch. It did. Kind of. Enduring the everloving economic chaos of Iran -where the currency devalues faster than a ripe avocado- built my tolerance for instability, and eventually, shutting it down also taught me more than any course ever could. Moving to Germany, it was time to give this complexion of experience a name. I began studying Product Management while continuing to work in the EU startup ecosystem. I discovered my strengths in product discovery, design strategy, and spotting socio-economic behavior patterns. Meanwhile, I had the chance to engage with academia in a safe and functional space at CODE. This positive impression grew a new special interest in me for human cognition and learning types. I reevaluated my black & white criticism of academic education. Ironically, I now contribute to the same kind of learning environment I once challenged. I design programs and learning experiences that are meaningful, context-aware, and closer to the realities of an entrepreneurial vision in the age we live in. Side note: Physical products are underrated. Cheers.