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-centered design processes to help organizations 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:
Allen Lane : January 2024 - August 2024
Lead Interaction Designer (Home Office contract)
I lead a team of 12 Interaction designers and User researchers, facilitating workshops, design critiques and pair programming session. Guide the team to create custom components and put everything through a11 accessibility assessment to deliver the highest possible standard for the client and the department. Grown the discipline and succeeded in creating a thriving community of user centred design professionals in a short time and through effective support.
Jumar via Understairs Ltd: February 2023 - January 2024
Lead Interaction Designer ( CCS contract)
I founded and currently lead Understairs.Ltd, a limited company
aimed at empowering individuals and organizations to design
effectively for government departments. Our range of resources
and services includes courses, one-to-one coaching, and group
training to help clients develop design projects that adhere to the
highest standards of usability, accessibility, and effectiveness. At
Understairs.Ltd, we utilize GDS Standards, Design System,
Design critiques, Design histories, and a prototyping kit to provide
clients with the necessary tools for success. Most recently I have
been contracted to work via Jumar for CCS, providing interaction
design support to a team.
SmartSourcing: September 2022 - Present
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-Centered 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 utilized 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 utilization 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.
Organized 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