User Experience Person

I’m a user experience person with 25 years of experience designing digital products for both consumers and enterprise. During that time I’ve had experience with all the practices that fall under the mighty broad umbrella of “UX”.

Experience

Head of User Experience - Anomali

August 2022 to Present

Senior UX Designer / Researcher - Anomali
August 2017 to August 2022

Leading both UX Design and research, reporting to Anomali’s Chief Product Officer. Taking new products from conception to delivery including inputs into roadmap, lean canvas, and go-to-market in addition to best practice UX processes and close collaboration with product and engineering leads.

  • Define high-level product requirements and work with engineering to create achievable releases towards ambitious goals.

  • Lead the creation of interactive wireframes that tell engaging user stories, creating clear communication to both engineering, sales, and leadership stakeholders.

  • Hired and led a super-talented UX team.

  • Identified gaps, and appointed, and managed vendor relationships relating to UX.

  • Worked with Google Ventures on early usability labs and defined Anomali’s product research processes. Including defining user personas from interviews and validating them to a high degree of accuracy using user analytics.

Wire & Foundry

April 2016 to August 2017

Wire & Foundry was my UX consulting business. I worked with three major clients during this period.

  • Euronext: Designed a Risk Management application and provided UX patterns and best practices for other applications at Euronext.

  • Made to Engage: Designed and implemented a sellable and profitable UX process within an agency setting. Included training the team on research, ideation methods, and workshops.

  • Anomali: Designed STAXX (Anomali’s free product) and designed a UI library that later became the Anomali design system.

User Experience Designer, Chain Reaction Cycles, April 2015 - April 2016

Researched, designed, and oversaw the implementation of new features on the world’s largest online bike store

  • Successfully introduced prototyping as a primary UX deliverable

  • Successfully introduced structured user testing

  • Reviewed data from other research sources, including A/B testing, exit surveys, competitor research, and analytics.

  • Documenting and presenting new features for development teams

 

Lead Designer, i3

December 2014 - April 2015

Responsible for all of i3’s Graphic, UI, and UX design output

  • Ran UX workshops and was involved in the sales process

  • Wrote usability reports for most Northern Ireland council websites

  • Gave presentations, both internally and client-facing, promoting UX practices

  • Clients included most Northern Ireland councils, the National Lottery (Ireland), and Titanic Belfast

 

Lead Designer, TheAppBuilder

April 2013 - November 2014

Responsible for all elements of product design, including user research, prototyping, user testing, and overseeing UX during development

  • Designed and wrote HTML/CSS for the content management system

  • Researched, designed, and documented significant new features to the platform

  • Developed the company brand guidelines

  • Worked with many large brands including Deloitte, Tesco, O2, Sodexo, and Heathrow Airport.

 

UX/UI Designer, Haymarket Publishing

December 2009 - April 2013

Responsible for designing digital business media products

  • Designed the digital edition of all business magazines.

  • Designed and iterated several major new features to Haymarket Business Media’s in-house content management system

  • Designed a responsive web platform which was implemented on live websites

  • Gathered requirements from stakeholders

  • User tested concepts

  • Designed and built many microsites

  • Remained involved during development projects as part of an agile/scrum project management method

  • Worked with many large brands including Stuff, Practical Caravan, Management Today, Campaign, Marketing and Brand Republic

 

Digital Designer, Chaos Design

June 2008 - December 2009

Worked on all aspects of the companies digital output (including direct email, animation, video and online display advertising

  • Designed and developed (HTML/CSS/JS) clients brand websites

  • Rapidly conceptualised a new brand identity in many digital formats

  • Worked with worldwide brands such as Canon, BAA, BlackBerry, Dell and Sony. Work for these clients was often multilingual and rolled out across Europe.

 

Web Designer, Liverpool Football Club

June 2006 - May 2008

Worked on all aspects of the company’s digital output (including direct email, animation, video, and online display advertising

  • Designed and developed (HTML/CSS/JS) clients brand websites

  • Rapidly conceptualised a new brand identity in many digital formats

  • Worked with worldwide brands such as Canon, BAA, BlackBerry, Dell, and Sony. Work for these clients was often multilingual and rolled out across Europe.

Designer / Developer, Igloo New Media

June 2001 - August 2003

Web Coach / HCI Researcher, Planet Electra

May 2000 - June 2001

Education

West Wales School Of The Arts (2003 – 2006)

Computer Arts - 2:1 BA (Hons)

Liverpool Community College (2000 – 2002)

AVCE ICT (Information and Communication Technology, specialising in HCI)  

Hobbies and Interests

Aside from a very real love for software, I enjoy illustration and writing. I had my first stage script performed at the Liverpool Playhouse at the age of fourteen, and went on to volunteer at the local young writers group up until I left Liverpool. I still regularly contribute to creative writing and theatre groups. Some of my illustration projects have been displayed at galleries in Liverpool and South Wales.

Traditional nerd hobbies also present.