User research and usability testing

I love going to where people will end up using the product or service I’m working on. Observing people in their environment, asking clarifying questions, validating assumptions, getting quantitative and qualitative feedback and testing prototypes to improve the overall design of the final product.

Dashboards and responsive web apps

Information management tools that visually tracks, analyses and displays key performance indicators (KPI), metrics and key data points to monitor the health of a business, department or specific process. Dashboards are designed to be customised to give control back to the user and let them decide what information they want to see and interact with.

Personas and user interviews

User personas based on user interviews help provide empathy and design direction throughout a project. They also provide insights into the various demographics such as age, background, pain points and desires of the people using the product. By specifying goals, behaviours and must-have features, the focus stays on solving issues for your target audience while delivering a great user experience.

iOS and Android app design

I’ve designed mobile apps based on the iOS Human Interface Guidelines (Apple) and Google Material Design (Android) to ensure apps look native and feel intuitive to their respective platforms. Reducing design, development and testing time means apps get into the hands of your users faster.

Tablet app design

I’ve designed tablet apps based on the iOS Human Interface Guidelines (Apple) and Google Material Design (Android) to ensure apps feel familiar and cohesive. Tablet user interfaces can also be designed as responsive web apps.

Design Thinking methodology

The Design Thinking methodology gives product teams the ability to solve complex problems, big and small. Design, technology and business collaborate to deliver great products that help people and generate revenue. You get the stability of the five stages, with the flexibility to move between them in a non-linear way as needed.

Mobile app design

Custom mobile apps built to the iOS Human Interface Guidelines (Apple) and Google Material Design (Android) to ensure apps look native and feel intuitive to their respective platforms.

User experience design (UX)

By investigating and researching new and existing user experiences, both digital and physical, you can identify areas for improvement, uncover user pain points, simplify processes and add moments of delight to your products and services.

Design systems and pattern libraries

User interface components are designed using the Atomic Design approach recommended by Brad Frost. Elements are reusable to speed up both the design and delivery process, ensuring faster turnaround times and getting updates and features into the hands of users quickly.

Product design

I love seeing people interact with products I’ve worked hard to create. Imagining, creating and iterating on products that solve real problems or address gaps in the market is why I think product design is the best job in the world.

Sketching, ideation and wireframing

I prefer to go low-fidelity and sketch ideas with pen and paper to generate as many concepts as possible, exploring high-level ideas before investing too much time in the design phase. From there I’ll either produce wireframes or jump straight into design and rapid prototyping to validate ideas and assumptions with users.

Smartwatch app design

With the uptake of smartwatch apps in recent years, a minimal UI/UX for bite-sized information and push notifications makes a great complement to mobile apps.

Information Architecture (IA)

Information architecture goes hand in hand with the wireframing process to map out exactly which screens are needed and all the interface elements that make up the user flows. Having everything in one place makes it easier to spot gaps and areas for improvement in the overall experience.

Gamification and educational games

Using gamification elements such as rewards, tokens and leaderboards, I’ve designed mobile and web-based games to increase user engagement and meet business outcomes.

Typography

I’ve always wanted to create a simple geometric vector font and make it publicly available as a free download. This served three goals: becoming more proficient with vector software like Sketch and Illustrator, building out my design portfolio and giving something back to the design community.

E-commerce and sales psychology

Using ethical sales nudges and psychology techniques such as scarcity, reciprocity, reviews and ratings to increase sales and customer retention. When done well, these provide real benefits to both customers and businesses.

Iconography and illustrations

All icons are designed to fit a 24x24px bounding box. Keeping icons within that constraint ensures consistency, makes the icon family feel cohesive and makes scaling straightforward. Illustrations bring personality and delight into the equation and help create a meaningful connection between users and your product.

User interface design

User interface and visual design enhances the overall user experience and really brings products and services to life. This is usually the final step in the product design process and provides the last layer of polish to your product.