Our alum Kirsi Aalto: Software systems and usability expert makes room for humanity with digitalisation
Digitalisation, humanity and healing the world a bit
Since 2018, Kirsi Aalto – better know as Kikka – has worked as Senior Service Architect at Gofore, a company that provides technology, business and design expertise. Most of her customers are public sector organisations, such as the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Content-wise, Kikka’s work covers aspects such as service development and design, process and requirement specification, and IT system procurement. Kikka is also one of Gofore group’s occupational safety and health delegates.
In her customer assignments, Kikka works both independently and closely together with customers, other system suppliers and Gofore’s own developers.
“I enjoy the versatility of my work and the fact that I get to use many kinds of skills in it. The meaningfulness of the work feels particularly inspiring to me and getting to heal the world a bit. All my work is aimed at improving people’s lives and having things work more seamlessly. We use digitalisation to give people more time to work on things that computers cannot do,” Kikka says.
I enjoy the versatility of my work and the fact that I get to use many kinds of skills in it. The meaningfulness of the work feels particularly inspiring to me and getting to heal the world a bit. All my work is aimed at improving people’s lives and having things work more seamlessly.
Kirsi Aalto, Senior Service Architect, Gofore Oy
A specific challenge associated with the work both from users’ and Kikka’s perspectives is that authorities typically have separate information systems for each individual topic. One day, she is hoping to see a single service cover them all.
“I dream of a single joint service through which people could manage all their official affairs. They could use the service in their role as an employer’s representative, when renewing their driver’s licence, in day care and school affairs as a mother or father, and so forth. It would be really convenient if a single channel could take care of all your affairs,” Kikka points out.
IT and usability
Kikka’s previous work experience shows a clear focus on education service development. At the Tampere Universities community and on the Hervanta campus, in particular, she is remembered as a long-standing Head of Student Services and Project Director for Education Services & IT in the Tampere3 project that prepared the university merger.
“I have always enjoyed my work, and one major reason is that I have always had super lovely people as colleagues and collaborators. It does not matter what the exact content of the work is because working is fun when you are surrounded by great people,” Kikka notes.
Kikka also completed her own master’s degree in Hervanta with software engineering as her major in which she focused on usability. Her minors included industrial management and strategic HR management.
“I value the scientific foundation of engineering sciences. It helps you understand the world from many different perspectives.”
In 1998, Kikka originally started her studies in the electrical engineering study programme at the then Tampere University of Technology, and she planned to become a mathematics teacher. Electricity had to make room for IT, however, when Kikka found her passion – partly by accident.
“I found myself on a usability basics course and had a turn of mind. I was fascinated by the idea of developing services and technology from a user-centred mindset – such as the inclusion of left-handed people in designs. As for myself, things got started from planning glass crushing machines because not all users are literate across the globe. Since then, the wider notion of service design was introduced,” Kikka says.
Kikka still has a large circle of friends and contacts she originally came to know during her studies. Her student colleagues have taken up a variety of paths since graduation. Some are PhDs, others are entrepreneurs or authors, and some work in medicine. However, most of them are still happily working in a technology-oriented position.
In 2022, Kikka turned a whole new page and took up nursing studies at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, while still working. In a way, a circle closes with the studies as Kikka had actually dreamt of the profession of a medical doctor before her engineering studies. The motivation for that, too, was her aspiration to help people. She will graduate during 2024.
I also think that as a person who constantly does brainwork, I should not be lulled into believing that the brain remains fresh and alert without studying. Compared to solving work-related problems, my head works in an overdrive when I try to learn to understand the intricacies of the human body and mind. Studying promotes brain health as our brain also needs new input.
Kirsi Aalto, Senior Service Architect, Gofore Oy
“I also think that as a person who constantly does brainwork, I should not be lulled into believing that the brain remains fresh and alert without studying. Compared to solving work-related problems, my head works in an overdrive when I try to learn to understand the intricacies of the human body and mind. Studying promotes brain health as our brain also needs new input,” Kikka notes.
First ever female super fresher
Apart from being active in several spheres of human life, Kirsi Aalto is also a proud native Tampere resident – east side, to be exact. Similarly to many other locals, Kikka’s family had a May Day tradition as early as the 1980s to go and watch tech students’ first dipping in the Tammerkoski rapids. With the same group every year, they gathered to watch the dipping on the terrace of the hotel Cumulus cabinet in Koskipuisto.
“In 1999, I was in the first basket that was dipped in the rapids. As a little girl, I would never have guessed that one day I would become the university’s first female super fresher. For some reason, I had to go overboard with that, too,” Kikka says laughing.
Kikka has been an active tech student alum and says that she appreciates the alum activity of communities such as guilds and hobby clubs. She keeps in touch with her former and current student colleagues through active WhatsApp channels, for example, and Kikka finds one special channel, in particular, to give better and faster answers than Google.
In alumni activities, Kikka appreciates both the bigger picture and the networks of smaller but active circles.
“Fundamentally, it is the people we come to meet at alumni events. In events arranged for specific study subjects, you are obviously more likely to meet people you know personally. I think it would be great if the American model was also adopted in Finland, however, as it involves incorporating students in the community so closely from day one that you do not want to leave it behind. That would promote togetherness, facilitate fundraising and increase everyone’s pride in their very own alma mater,” Kikka says.
INFO BOX
Who: Kirsi Aalto
Education: Master of Science (Software systems), TUT 1998–2005; nursing student at TAMK 2022–
Work: Senior Service Architect, Gofore Oyj
Quote: “I am proud of having been able to study and work in diverse ways – and especially in Tampere. The people here work autonomously and with a certain happy-go-lucky attitude, and they do not necessarily go about blowing their own horns. Then, suddenly, a new company such as Nokia pops up.”
Text: Tiina Leivo
Picture: Rami Hanafi