Product Designer Mike

About

Experienced Product designer & user researcher

I'm a proactive, analytical and self-motivated Product Designer with extensive experience of delivering outstanding UX and UI for online platforms, websites and apps. I'm passionate about delivering accessible & user-centred designs and delivering solutions that exceed both user and business needs.

I love being part of the entire end-to-end product journey from understanding requirements, users and wireframing to conducting and presentaing user research and creating user-centred, consistent, accessible designs.

I excel at understanding and solving complex problems and creating solutions that meet the needs of the business and delight users. I thrive working in a fast-paced environment to tight deadlines whilst always maintaining professionalism, excellence and a level head.

I’m a strong communicator, experienced at working within Agile product teams, collaborating with product managers, developers and stakeholders in multidisciplinary squads and presenting research and design concepts.

Strengths

If I had to pick out my key strengths, I'd say...

Strong design skills

Experienced in design of websites, design systems, apps, dashboards, elearning platforms & more

User-centred design champion

Championing the user throughout the product design experience using real research

Accessibility advocate

Creating designs that are accessible for everyone

Collaborating & presenting

Comfortable explaining designs & rationale to developers & stakeholders

Problem solving

Successfully tackling complex design problems to deliver innovative solutions

Calm under pressure

I maintain a level head even as requirements and priorities change

Skills

I have a wide range of skills that I can apply across the end-to-end product journey. I'm primarily a designer and user researcher but also have useful development skills.

Figma, Figjam & Figma Make
Sketch
Adobe CC
Ballpark, Maze & Dovetail
Balsamiq

Design systems
Accessibility & WCAG
Wireframing
Protoyping
Axure

User research
User interviews
Focus groups
A/B testing
Persona creation
User journey mapping

CSS / CSS3
HTML / HTML5
Javascript (basic)
Bootstrap
Content writing & microcopy

CV / Resume

Professional Experience

UX/UI Designer

Jan 2022 - Present

Alcumus, Cardiff (remote) / Montreal (hybrid)

Collaborate with multi-functional global teams to design intuitive, accessible and visually appealing SaaS web applications. Originally part of a larger design team then the sole designer for several products across multiple squads in the UK and North America.

Responsibilities

Responsible for design of Alcumus’s products including registration portals, dashboards, questionnaires, apps and platform improvements
Problem solving and ideation, presenting design solutions for stakeholder approval
Create personas, user journeys, wireframes & prototypes
Drive user research including online interviews, focus groups, surveys & usability testing. Share insights and promote enhancements based on research
Create and manage in-house design systems for use across global products
Gather & evaluate product requirements with product owners & development leads

Key achievements

Creation and ongoing development of in-house design systems
Redesign of customer registration platform - registrations up 11% YOY
Creation of a new customer questionnaire portal, delivering a better user experience
Successfully managed and launched a new user research repository
Taking on an 18-month secondment in the Canadian office
Taking over as the sole designer following company changes

UX/UI Product Designer

Jan 2020 – Dec 2021

Nimble Elearning, Stonehouse

The creative lead for Nimble’s intuitive elearning platform, creating a user-friendly course authoring SaaS platform

Design enhancements to authoring platform
Research, wireframe, prototype and user test new features
Carry out user interviews and user testing, Create personas & user journeys
Communicate research findings & designs to stakeholders & dev team
Redesign of Nimble corporate website

UX/UI Developer

May 2017 – Jan 2020

CORVID Cyber Security, Cheltenham

As CORVID’s first design hire I was responsible for making good UX integral to their offering, Responsible for the user research & design of CORVID’s cyber security SaaS solutions.

Redesigned CORVID’s email security platform following extensive user research
Design & development of CORVID’s corporate website using WordPress, Bootstrap & Hubspot
Implementation of a new inbound marketing strategy, increasing site visits by 40%
Managed the in-house marketing team

Senior UI Designer

Nov 2015 – May 2017

IntechnologyWifi, Harrogate

Lead designer of multiple sports, healthcare and travel apps

Design of iOS and Android apps for English Football League clubs
Design of ‘My Possible Self’ mental health app and Bootstrap website
Research, wireframe, prototypes in InVision
Working with development squad to design app enhancements

Senior UI Designer

Feb 2003 – Nov 2015

IGD, Watford

Progressed with promotions from Web Editor to Senior UI Designer to be the lead designer for IGD’s commercial, subscription and not-for-profit websites

Website design, assets, imagery and branding
Design and sending of marketing emails
Championing of user-centred design
Responsible for SEO, AdWord campaigns and Google Analytics

Education

BA (Hons) in Marketing Design

1995 - 1998

Solent University, Southampton

A broad degree that furthered my interest in branding & marketing, and introduced me to Photoshop

Interests

Outside of work I’m an award-winning leader for a UK-based hiking group, leading hikes, weekends and longer trips away. I also run online quiz nights. Other interests include