Hello : )
Have you ever seen a blue Ladybird?
I have not, yet! But I do have a ladybird story to share.
When I was a computer engineering student, I enjoyed debugging the code I wrote for my assignments. One day I decided to introduce a ladybird into my debugging messages, because it added a human touch to such a difficult task. In case you don’t know, ladybirds are called ladybugs in the States.
My error message looked something like this:
>(::) Ladybug has not found any bugs yet!
This story puts a smile on my face, because its an early anecdote into my professional career that reasures me I was designed to be an Experience Designer. Designing experiences that allows you to feel that there is another human on the other side of the screen is one of the most essential aspects of what I do. I am passionate about leading teams that connect humans through well though out and validated experiences.
Disciplines I have led
During the last four years I’ve had the opportunity to inspire, manage and lead multidisciplinary teams. I’ve built teams from scratch to deliver projects within three months. I have also inherited low-performing teams and sucessfully turned them into award winning organisations.
Here are some of the skill sets I have grown and managed:
UX Research
I established the UX Research function at TalkTalk and Just Eat.
I introduced numerous types of research methodologies such Jobs to Be Done and Bipolar Emotional Response Test.
Brand Identity
I built a 10+ cross-functional team to deliver Just Eat’s global rebrand, working side by side with the CMO to future proof the new brand.
Design Systems
I founded Just Eat’s Digital Brand Studio. It delivered the new look and feel by creating a Design System that encompassed Web, Android and iOS.
Business Strategy
I worked side by side with Heads of Product at Coty and Just Eat to develop business strategies. These strategies were shaped by the Outcome Driven Innovation research delivered by my organisation.
UX Design Frameworks
I have led the successful implementation of UX frameworks such Design Sprints and Design Thinking at Just Eat and Coty.
Conversational UI
I pioneered the non-visual brand personality at Just Eat via a service chatbot and an Alexa skill.
I am committed to bring to the forefront some of the challenges we face in our digital era. This includes sustainable design for women and girls in humanitarian contexts and digital inclusion.
I like to share some of my learnings and thoughts at leading UX conferences.
Below is the lightning talk at Talk UX 2015, where I challenged the UX community to be more involved in the public sector by teaching Design in school programmes.
This talk led to the founding of UX for Change, a well stablished global organisation with the mission to enable positive change in the world by connecting the non-profit sector with the UX community while championing digital design excellence. Active UX for Change chapters include London and New York.
My Work
The following three case studies are examples of my works as an individual contributor, a thought leader for a goverment project and a design leader for a coorporation.
Individual Contributor
Thought Leader for a Goverment Project
Design Leader for a Corporation