I'm one of Johku's three founders. I'm responsible for how Johku looks and feels to use: usability, visual quality and, in general, everything that merchants and customers come across in the service.
Where this started
I've been making websites and web applications ever since I got my Amiga connected to the internet in 1995. Back then, it was still just a hobby.
The hobby began to turn into work when Marko and I were studying information technology at Lappeenranta University of Technology and he asked me to join him on joint projects. I designed my first interactive pages in the corner of the desk in his student apartment.
What I've done
In the early 2000s, Sami, Marko and I founded Aptual Oy. Our division of work has stayed the same since those days: Sami is responsible for the concept, Marko for the backend and I for usability and the frontend. Each of us understands the others' work just enough that even large systems can be carried smoothly from start to finish.
In addition to my IT studies, I've completed a bachelor's degree in graphic design at XAMK (South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences). It matters to me that the work is polished and smooth to use. A pretty surface alone won't save an awkward user interface, and on the other hand, a solution that works technically must not look unfinished.
Over the years, I've designed and built numerous online services, user interfaces and visual identities. My passion for high visual quality and fluid interaction hasn't gone anywhere. Over time, it has simply been backed up by solid experience of what large systems make possible and what is actually realistic to build.
At Johku
All of this is reflected directly in the quality that Johku's users see. Long experience has taught me what truly matters when a merchant and a customer meet. Because I also know the technical capabilities of today's systems, I can make sure that Johku's user interface stays first-class, and that it's designed so that it can actually be built.