CV

A designer of apps and web-based software. Over 25 years’ experience of making technology work for people, based in Leeds, UK. A specialist in UI design, with a strong background in UX design. Designing simple and usable digital products, bringing a human-centred design approach. A creative problem solver with versatility, interpersonal skills, and technical understanding.

SENIOR INTERACTION DESIGNER - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Leeds, Aug 2024 - Present

Interaction designer specialising in designing web-based data visualisation dashboards. Designs include local outcomes, deprivation in England, and land analysis websites. The role includes:

• Prototyping: Designing new data-led products, content, and end-to-end experiences in Figma and HTML.
• Design communication: Communicating complex ideas, problems, and decisions clearly with others.
• Designing for everyone: Turning complexity into simple, inclusive, accessible, ethical and usable designs.
• Designing strategically: Advocating user-centred design to meet business goals, innovating solutions. Designing new components and patterns. Mitigating risk and adapting to change in an Agile team.
• Designing together: Leader in design workshops, connecting across teams. Engagement and feedback.
• Evidence based design: Working with user researchers. Documenting evidence of design improvements.
• Iterative design: Applying evidence-based changes to prototypes based on research. All changes based on user needs. Improving the understandability of designs. Working in Agile methods. Designing at the right fidelity to test hypotheses. Using existing components and patterns and creating new ones to test.
• Leading in design: The lead designer in the team. Supporting other designers. Promoting user-centred design to senior leadership. Translating complex services, making them understandable for the user.
• Creative problem solving: Analysing options. Sketching, brainstorming. Creativity and design thinking.
• Standards based design: Using Government Digital Service (GDS) best practice, quality, and accessibility.
• A department prototyping champion: Promoting ways of working with GDS Prototype Kit and Figma.
• An accessibility expert: A member of the department accessibility working group. Promoting standards, such as WCAG and the Equalities act. Passionate about empathy, compassion, and inclusion in design.
• Trained in design service assessments: Involved in design critiques and guidance across MHCLG.
• Curiosity: Lifelong learning, continuous improvement, research, fact checking, critical thinking.

FREELANCE UI/UX DESIGNER, Leeds, Dec 2023 - Aug 2024

SENIOR CREATIVE DESIGNER (UI/UX designer) - KPMG, Leeds, Apr 2016 - Dec 2023 (Redundancy)

UI/UX product designer and visual designer. Designs include dashboards, surveys, mobile prototypes, policy apps, AI chat, product ordering, and HR systems. All sold successfully to well-known brands. The role included:

• Designing high fidelity mock-ups: Creating prototypes, using brand guidelines, with Figma and Sketch.
• Graphic design skills: Creative problem-solving layout, branding, typography, colour, hierarchy and grids.
• UI design: A passion for meeting user needs, with intuitive, user-centred, responsive designs.
• UX design: Low fidelity wireframe design and task flows. User personas, user journey mapping, information architecture, and white boarding layouts. Usability and user journey improvement.
• Accessibility and usability: Incorporated into all designs. Conforming to WCAG and the Equalities Act.
• Human-centred approach: Creating designs with empathy, ethics, simplicity, accessibility, and usability.
• Design system creation: Including component and pattern library design for KPMG UK.
• Communication skills: Clear, confident communication. Soft people skills, listening, copywriting.
• Collaborating: Cross-functional Agile teamwork and negotiating. Handing over designs to developers.
• Creative thinking: Imagination, new ideas, and challenging assumptions. Identifying improvements.
• Research activities and ideation: User research, using data, scoping, sketching, creative brainstorming.
• Planning and prioritisation: A design leader in Agile/Scrum teams. Time and deadline management.
• Presentation and workshop skills: Presenting to clients and stakeholders. Leading workshops.
• Design leadership: Mentoring and supervisor of junior colleagues. Stakeholder engagement.
• User testing: Usability testing designs with users, iterating from user research feedback.
• Logo, icon, and print design: Branding for software products. Design of training manuals.
• Understanding front-end code: HTML, CSS, SEO, browser testing.
• Technical understanding: Knowledge of the software development life cycle and processes.
• Attention to detail and best practice: Proof reading, design quality control. Diligent checking of content.
• Responsive design: Mobile first and desktop design. Occasional building in HTML and CSS.

FREELANCE UI/UX WEB DESIGNER - Leeds, Sep 2012 - Apr 2016

SENIOR WEB OFFICER - Leeds Metropolitan University, Dec 2005 - Sep 2012

E-CONTENT OFFICER - Derbyshire County Council, Oct 2004 - Dec 2005

WEB DESIGNER - Peak Net, Derbyshire, Jun 2001 - Oct 2004

WEB DESIGNER - Textile and Clothing Network, Leeds University Textiles Department , May 2000 - Jun 2001

IT HELPDESK - Leeds University Information Systems Services, Apr 1998 - May 2000

IT TRAINING CONSULTANT - LINK Multimedia Learning Centres, Leeds and Wakefield, Feb 1997 - Apr 1998

Software: Figma, GDS Prototype Kit, Adobe CC, Mural, Miro, MS Office, Affinity Designer, Visual Studio Code.

Marketing and event management: Having previously run and promoted a successful club night. This was as a spare time business. Skills include, digital marketing, print design, advertising, and staff management.

1993-1996: BA (Hons) Degree Sociology and Public Media (Grade: II i). Trinity and All Saints, a College of the University of Leeds.

1991-1993: Brighton University Certificate in Foundation studies Art (pre BA). Hastings College of Art and Technology.

1991: A-LEVELS; Sociology (A), Art (C), Politics (C). William Parker School, Hastings.

Video gaming, seeing bands, hobby art and design projects. A Sci-Fi and Fantasy fan.