People are the lifeblood of any organization, but so rarely do they receive the spotlight like the innovative applications and services, company missions, and devoted customer communities they work so hard to create. We want to change that.
At JumpCloud every individual makes a difference, and their work matters no matter what function they hold. This ongoing series aims to showcase the personalities and contributions of every JumpCloudian and share the spotlight with the people who work hard every day to help Make Work HappenTM.
Amelia Leicht (She/Her)
Visual Designer III
Dallas, TX
We recently caught up with Amelia Leicht about what it’s like to work as a Visual Designer at JumpCloud.
When did you start working at JumpCloud? June 2021.
Can you run us through a day in the life of your role at JumpCloud? Totally! As a visual designer for the marketing website, my job is to partner with our immediate team to ensure that every touchpoint on the site meaningfully communicates the JumpCloud brand and the value of the platform. Practically speaking, this looks like web design optimization (from incremental improvements to complete overhauls), net-new design to support in-market messages, and strategy for our information architecture and design system.
A given day (depending on the day) looks like a short standup meeting with the team in the morning, meetings with stakeholders and contributors on upcoming and in-progress work, collaborating with designers across the company for reviews, feedback and brand alignment, and, of course, head-down working time.
How have you grown as an individual since starting at the company? I think the biggest thing has been getting really good at setting boundaries. Not for any negative reason, but working from home puts you in your work environment nearly 24 hours a day! It’s been crucial to set boundaries for myself around disconnecting and taking time to step away.
Pick a JumpCloud value (Build Connections, Think Big, 1% Better Every Day) and share an example of how you lived that value recently. 1% Better Every Day: the marketing team launched one of our very first cross-functional campaigns last fall, which pulled together numerous teams (including ours), resources, and requirements in a short amount of time. As it is with the first of pretty much anything, there were lots of learning experiences that could have created friction. I’m really happy to have been part of an amazing group that not only took everything in stride, but cooperatively facilitated an environment where we could share real-time feedback about processes and optimize along the way.
What is something that you have accomplished at JumpCloud that you are proud of? I think what I’m most proud of so far is implementing a research-based approach to inform our optimization and design efforts across the site. Working with our team to identify what we really need to know, from a design and UX perspective, about performance has enabled us to approach the work from a more informed and grounded perspective, which has already paid off!
What keeps you energized about working at JumpCloud? The team that I get to work with every single day, and the continual opportunity to iterate, experiment, optimize, and improve.
What do you like to do on your days off? I’m usually studying or researching/writing these days, but some of my favorite things to do are to take our kids for hikes, cook/bake, and tend to our garden.
What advice do you have for prospective JumpCloud candidates? Be your truest self! This is the space to thrive, wherever you’re coming from. And, there is infinite opportunity here for growth, so come hungry!
What book or movie have you recently read/seen and why would you recommend it? Gosh. So many. I just recently watched Twin Peaks for the first time EVER, and as a lifelong X-Files fan, I’m ashamed to say it took me so long to get to it. (Hot take: don’t bother with the reboot. I’m pretending it never happened.)
I am also neck-deep in my thesis work, so I’m consuming a ton of graphic design theory, all of which I find deeply fascinating. That’s not everyone’s bag, but if you *happen* to like that sort of thing, I’d recommend:
Design: The Invention of Desire (Jessica Helfand — a perennial favorite. I read it often!)
Ruined by Design (Mike Monteiro)
Caps Lock (Ruben Pater)
Paper Knowledge: Toward a Media History of Documents (Lisa Gitelman)
What’s something you plan to do in the next year that you’ve never done? Finishing my thesis and master’s degree, and getting my motorcycle license.
What is your 15 minutes of fame? In my previous role at Travelocity, I planned and hosted a season finale watch party for season 26 of The Amazing Race as part of our media integration with CBS. The ENTIRE cast flew into Dallas to join us (including Phil!), in addition to several fan favorites (Team Fun, Dave and Connor O’Leary, Vic and Nic). We packed out a local pub, had an audience Q&A with the cast, gave away a ton of prizes, hosted a live recording of the CocoCaliente podcast, and, of course, watched (and live tweeted) the season finale. It was my final project with Travelocity, and felt so good to go out on such a high note!
If you could only eat one item for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? So easy: tacos.
Do you have any pets as in-house colleagues? Yes! Can we count kids? No? Okay then — Arlo (bloodhound), Rory (miniature dachshund), Luke and Leia (yes, they’re twins!), and Whiskey Business (cats).
Want to Make Work HappenTM at JumpCloud like Amelia? Join our team of dedicated, passionate, and creative people who are eager to change the IT industry forever. Take a look at our current job openings here.
