Experience
Senior Designer
I started my career at AKQA and have been there since 2008. I've worked my way up from intern to junior, from designer to senior. I have now been a lead designer on Yell, Sainsbury's, and for the past year, the Volkswagen Global account.
My main responsibilities for Volkswagen involve leading a design team on the global car configurator project, which is designed on a flexible and fully HTML5 experience and platform. I've also had the chance to shape the future vision of Volkswagen and AKQA's digital strategy; planning improvements to the full life cycle of a VW customer.
I have had the benefit of an experimental creative and UX partnership working hand in hand with a talented User Experience Architect as my partner for the last year. This has improved my digital concepting and expanded my creative thought process by providing a keen insight into the way good UX is planned and implemented.
Previously I worked full time on Sainsbury's and then Yell accounts. For Sainsbury's I was lead designer on several large site builds and campaign sites, I played a part in creating their new online ecommerce platform, and I helped define email design and strategy.
My main responsibilities for Volkswagen involve leading a design team on the global car configurator project, which is designed on a flexible and fully HTML5 experience and platform. I've also had the chance to shape the future vision of Volkswagen and AKQA's digital strategy; planning improvements to the full life cycle of a VW customer.
I have had the benefit of an experimental creative and UX partnership working hand in hand with a talented User Experience Architect as my partner for the last year. This has improved my digital concepting and expanded my creative thought process by providing a keen insight into the way good UX is planned and implemented.
Previously I worked full time on Sainsbury's and then Yell accounts. For Sainsbury's I was lead designer on several large site builds and campaign sites, I played a part in creating their new online ecommerce platform, and I helped define email design and strategy.
Education
Bucks
Graphic Design & Advertising
My course ran a split-stream-system in which students specialised in design or advertising at the end of the first year. I chose to focus on design as I realised that the advertising route would not allow me the opportunity to nurture my design skills.
Although I went down the design route I was never fully able to give up my interest in the other side of the course, spending a large amount of my free time with advertising students. I found concepting a challenge that was too enticing to resist and often chipped in on their projects providing ideas and design expertise.
I enjoyed this way of working on design and concept so much that I continued these relationships into my professional career, deciding to take my first job as a designer at an advertising agency.
Although I went down the design route I was never fully able to give up my interest in the other side of the course, spending a large amount of my free time with advertising students. I found concepting a challenge that was too enticing to resist and often chipped in on their projects providing ideas and design expertise.
I enjoyed this way of working on design and concept so much that I continued these relationships into my professional career, deciding to take my first job as a designer at an advertising agency.
