Our People – Bente Rønningsen

Bente Rønningsen – Lead UX Designer.
Education: University of Agder – Master’s in Multimedia and Educational Technology.
Joined Keystone: 2021.
Location: Stavanger.

Bente Rønningsen is one of Keystone’s behind-the-scenes magicians! If you’re one of our customers and love the simplicity and ease of user experience in our software applications – you can thank Bente for that. She’s got an unmatched intuition when it comes to what works best for our clients, and always puts purpose, functionality and efficiency at the forefront of all her design work. Here she talks about her role as Lead UX Designer and her journey with Keystone so far.

What is a UX Designer?

Much of the answer lies in the name – User Experience (UX). It’s all about the user, and the goal is to create solutions that meet their needs. You often work in cross-functional teams together with product owners and developers, and hold workshops with clients and end users to determine how to get the best result for the end user. Feedback from all these parties is then collated and different possibilities are tested before proposing solutions to the client. It’s a very interactive process where all parties contribute with feedback and suggestions until we reach a result that everyone is satisfied with.

What about being a UX Designer in Keystone?

I’ve received lots of support from day one, but I also received lots of responsibility. This shows that they have a lot of trust in their employees’ skills. But even though I have a lot of responsibility I’ve never felt alone, the rest of the Keystone team are always happy and willing to chip in if needed. 

So much has changed since I started in 2021. I started as a fresh grad and now, four years later, I manage a team of three designers, and I have played a part in developing more or less all of our current applications. Our new office is very cool too!

What inspired you to get into UX?

I’ve always been interested in how people interact with technology, and how small design choices can make a big difference. I enjoy creating solutions that actually help people in their daily work, so when I got the chance to join Keystone, it felt like a perfect fit. UX combines creativity, problem-solving, and understanding people. I find it really rewarding to make complex systems easier and more efficient to use.

The biggest challenge you face when designing an application?

That the solution often needs to include more information than a previous program, while still being visually clearer and easier to navigate than before. As minimalist as possible visually without omitting any information. This is especially the case when creating solutions for oil and gas companies as there is a lot of risk involved, and easily accessible information makes all the difference.

There’s also added safety factors that make creating applications for the energy industry different from other industries. Examples are dark mode setting for night shifts to reduce straining of the eyes, and avoiding using the color red in our design – as that signifies high risk or danger offshore. 

Favourite part of working at Keystone?

That we always focus on our customers and their users, and that the journey isn’t done after we’ve provided a solution. If they have questions, need teaks or added options to the software then we’re always available and ready to help. We see customer relationships as a two-way street where success is measured in the level of satisfaction from our customers. They also organize great get-togethers, my favorite being a boat trip around Mandal where we ate prawns in the sun!

Your favourite update that had the most impact for your clients?

One of the updates I’m most proud of is the redesign of the Execution View in RMS. We made the layout cleaner and easier to navigate, helping users focus on the right information. It’s an ongoing process, but the feedback has been great. End users felt more in control, and it reduced the need for training. That kind of impact is what makes UX so rewarding.