Professional Summary:
I am a passionate and creative Service and Interaction Designer with a proven track record of working on government projects in fast-paced collaborative environments. I have extensive experience leading design delivery and managing large teams, including other senior contractors. My dedication lies in utilising user-centred design processes to help organisations achieve their strategic visions. Currently, I am seeking a Lead role where I can leverage my expertise to drive design excellence across multiple teams.
Work Experience:
DBT via Hays : August 2024 - Present
Interaction Designer (Department for Trade contract)
Working as part of the interaction design team to create user-centred solutions, participating in workshops, design critiques and pair programming sessions. Contribute to the development of custom components and ensure all work meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Collaborate with the wider UCD community to maintain high design standards and support continuous improvement initiatives.
Allen Lane : January 2024 - August 2024
Lead Interaction Designer (Home Office contract)
Managed design delivery across multiple Home Office services, leading a team of 12 designers and researchers. Key achievements include:
- Established design quality standards and review processes
- Developed custom components meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards
- Created a design mentorship program to support junior team members
- Led the implementation of design system improvements
- Facilitated knowledge-sharing sessions and design workshops
CCS via Jumar: February 2023 - January 2024
Senior Interaction Designer (CCS contract)
As a Senior Interaction Designer, I led the design and delivery of complex digital services within CCS, working closely with multidisciplinary teams to create user-centred solutions. I conducted extensive user research, facilitated design workshops, and developed high-fidelity prototypes using the GDS Design System. I championed accessibility standards and contributed to the continuous improvement of design practices through regular design critiques and detailed design histories. My work involved close collaboration with product owners, developers, and stakeholders to ensure services met both user needs and business objectives while adhering to GDS standards.
SmartSourcing: September 2022 - February 2023
Senior Service and Interaction Designer (UK Parliament Contract)
In this role, I developed a GDS-style prototyping kit in .NET, enabling code-based prototyping using the PDS design system and the core infrastructure in Parliament. I spearheaded the adoption of an agile way of working to facilitate collaboration among multidisciplinary teams and eliminate silos. Additionally, I provided design expertise for a new product in the parliamentary web app ecosystem. Currently, I am part of the Design System team, involved in creating a new brand and front-end library, as well as training and mentoring design team members.
Mercator Digital: April 2021 - September 2022
Senior Interaction Designer (HMRC contract)
As a permanent staff member, I contributed to a high-impact, high-priority project for the HMRC. My responsibilities included planning, designing, and prototyping using the GDS prototype kit. I collaborated within a large, multi-disciplinary team following Agile methodology. I was also involved in the digital transformation of Mercator, revamping the identity and web presence for the Digital division. I spearheaded the recruitment for Interaction designers by establishing a process for design and prototyping tests more aligned with a developer coding test. I continued to serve as a design assessor for GDS and created the HMRC standards by introducing a 3-part approach to Design Ops, which included Design critiques, Design Histories, and Pair programming. Ultimately, I led 12 teams of around 35 UCD people from a strategic perspective in terms of how to grow the design functions using the 3-part approach for the Newcastle HMRC hub. This approach spread to other HMRC digital hubs.
DfE: January 2017 – April 2021
Senior Service and Interaction Designer
At the Department for Education, I played a key role starting as an individual contributor and progressing to leading teams in co-creating user-centric solutions. My responsibilities included gathering requirements, facilitating workshops and design sprints, and supporting the establishment of design standards. I also took on additional responsibilities in training, recruitment, and resource planning. I actively participated in GDS assessments as a design assessor. Furthermore, I co-created an internal assessment process to ensure both internal and external-facing services met the GDS Standard and applied accessibility audits to ensure all services were prepared for external assessments or met the relevant criteria even if they did not require one. Eventually I led 4 Digital teams of 10-12 UCD practitioners.
SERCO LTD: August 2012 – January 2017
User Experience Manager
In this role, I led researchers, interview planning, and design efforts for SERCO’S DWP CSA contract. I applied the User-Centred Design process to create engaging lean process experiences for residents and non-resident parents involved in supporting their children, resulting in a significant reduction of average handling time from 90 to 28 days.
PJH Group: April 2007 – July 2012
Service Designer
During my time at PJH Group, I contributed to a 20% year-on-year growth by researching, planning, and designing a new critical path process. This process helped secure further penetration in the B&Q account. I utilised project management methodologies to achieve successful outcomes.
Sunshine Design: October 2005 – March 2007
Lead Graphic Designer
As the Lead Graphic Designer at Sunshine Design, I managed graphic design projects, including retouching photography, creating logos and brochures, and photographing hotels and landscapes. I also oversaw the relocation of the business and installation of new DTP printers while effectively managing the workflow of the design team.
Skills:
Throughout my career, I have actively employed design critiques, design histories, and pair programming techniques to enhance collaboration and drive successful outcomes. Specifically, I have:
Design Critiques:
Led and participated in regular design critique sessions, fostering a culture of constructive feedback and ensuring high-quality design outputs.
Developed guidelines and frameworks for conducting effective design critiques, emphasising the importance of empathy, clarity, and actionable insights.
Implemented design critique processes within large teams, facilitating cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Design Histories:
Championed the practice of documenting and sharing design histories, creating a repository of past design decisions, learnings, and best practices.
Leveraged design histories to drive continuity and learning within teams, enabling designers to build upon existing knowledge and avoid repeating past mistakes.
Promoted the integration of design histories with project management systems, ensuring easy accessibility and utilisation by team members.
Pair Programming:
Actively practiced and advocated for pair programming, pairing designers with diverse skill sets to enhance collaboration, improve code quality, and accelerate problem-solving.
Implemented pair programming techniques within large teams, fostering an environment of shared knowledge, mutual learning, and collective ownership of design solutions.
Organised pair programming sessions, providing opportunities for designers to exchange ideas, provide real-time feedback, and increase overall team cohesion.
Education:
- BSc Psychology Degree (2nd Year, part-time study) - Open University, United Kingdom
- QCF Level 3 in Web Design and Development
- NVQ Level 3 in Customer Service (Telford College 2014)
- Photography Diploma - Focus College, Athens, Greece (2001 – 2004)
- 8th General Lyceum of Athens - Equivalent to 9 GCSEs and 5 A levels
References:
Available upon request