About Me
My journey
My career has taken me from designing mobile and consumer experiences with Nokia and Microsoft to working on complex enterprise products and leading UX across multiple product areas.
I've worked across the full design process, including product discovery, UX strategy, user research, interaction design, prototyping, usability testing, accessibility and design systems. I enjoy working on complex problems where understanding the user and bringing clarity to ambiguity can make a real difference.
I'm naturally curious about how people think, what frustrates them and what makes an experience feel effortless. I enjoy taking complicated problems, understanding what's really happening beneath the surface, and turning that insight into something simpler and more useful.
More recently, I've been particularly interested in the possibilities — and responsibilities — that come with AI. I've been designing AI-powered experiences, intelligent workflows and human-AI interactions, exploring how emerging technology can support people without taking away their sense of understanding or control.
Accessibility and inclusive design are also important parts of how I think about products. I believe good design should work for as many people as possible, not just the easiest or most obvious user.
I've also led and mentored design teams, collaborated closely with Product, Engineering and stakeholders, and helped shape UX strategy across multiple products. Whether I'm working at a strategic level or getting into the detail of a particular interaction, I always come back to the same question:
How can we make this genuinely better for the person using it?
Core skills
UX and Product Design: Product Discovery, UX Strategy, Service Design, User-Centred Design, Design Systems, Component Libraries, Pattern Libraries, Journey Mapping, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Wireframing, Prototyping, Mobile-First Design, Responsive Design.
AI and Emerging Technology: AI Product Design, Human-AI Interaction Design, AI-Assisted Experience Design, Conversational Interfaces, ChatGPT, Claude AI, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Figma Make.
Research and Validation: User Interviews, Usability Testing, Heuristic Evaluation, Persona Development, Jobs To Be Done (JTBD), Accessibility Testing, Research Synthesis, Stakeholder Workshops.
Tools and Methodologies: Figma, FigJam, Figma Make, Claude, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Balsamiq, Visio, Agile, Scrum, Design Thinking, WCAG 2.1 AA.
Product Strategy and Leadership: Product Vision, Product Roadmaps, Outcome-Driven Design, Product Thinking, Design Leadership & Mentoring, Stakeholder Management, UX Mentoring, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Strategic Planning.
Professional Philosophy
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Question the brief - I don't assume the requested feature is necessarily the right solution
Successful products begin with understanding people. I believe in investing time in discovery—working closely with users, stakeholders and cross-functional teams to uncover genuine needs, validate assumptions and ensure we're solving the right problems before moving into delivery.
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Research before committing - I use research to test assumptions and establish what users actually need. I enjoy shaping products from concept through to launch and continuous improvement. From strategy, research and workshops to journey mapping, interaction design, prototyping, usability testing and delivery, I believe great products are created through iterative collaboration rather than isolated design activities.
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Bring stakeholders in early - Product and Engineering shouldn't first see a design when it is ready for specification.
The best outcomes come from involving the right people at every stage. I work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, Business Stakeholders and users throughout the design process, building shared understanding, aligning priorities and ensuring design decisions balance user needs with business objectives and technical feasibility.
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Design for the real world - The best solution balances user needs, technical constraints and business priorities.
Design is never truly finished. I champion evidence-based, iterative design, using research, analytics and customer feedback to continually refine experiences. I also embrace emerging technologies, including AI-powered design tools, where they genuinely improve creativity, efficiency and user outcomes while maintaining transparency, accessibility and ethical design principles.
Professional experience
Senior Product Designer, OneAdvanced
September 2024 – Present | Legal, Finance, Spend and Governance
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Led product design across enterprise SaaS products spanning Finance, Spend, Risk and Governance portfolios.
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Coordinated design direction and priorities across four Senior UX Designers, providing leadership through influence rather than formal people management.
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Designed AI-powered experiences, intelligent workflows and human-AI interactions to improve productivity, decision-making and user outcomes.
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Acted as an AI Workflow Strategist, identifying opportunities to embed AI within products and design processes using ChatGPT, Claude AI, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and Figma Make.
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Led end-to-end product design through discovery, user research, journey mapping, JTBD analysis, usability testing, accessibility validation and research synthesis.
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Managed and evolved design systems, component libraries and pattern libraries to ensure scalable, consistent and WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant experiences.
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Mentored designers and promoted best practice across product design, accessibility, research and AI-assisted design.
Senior UX Designer, OneAdvanced
March 2023 – September 2024 | Risk, Finance, Performance and Talent
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Led UX delivery across multiple enterprise products from discovery through implementation in collaboration with Product, Engineering and Data teams.
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Conducted user interviews, usability testing, quantitative research, persona development and service design activities.
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Facilitated stakeholder workshops and aligned UX roadmaps with business strategy.
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Improved UX consistency through design system adoption and scalable design patterns.
UX Specialist, Head of Design and Freelance Consultant, Zellebrate, Actus and Creeyate
July 2015 – March 2023
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Led UX and UI strategy across web and mobile-first digital products.
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Delivered end-to-end design including discovery, user research, journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing and implementation support.
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Conducted stakeholder workshops, user interviews, persona development and requirements gathering activities.
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Worked closely with development, marketing and commercial teams to improve customer engagement and product usability.
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Managed freelance consultancy projects across multiple sectors while operating a small business at Creeyate.
Senior Specialist User Experience/Senior User Experience Project Manager, Microsoft / Nokia
April 2009 – July 2015
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Led UX design delivery across native and third-party platforms including Nokia Browser, Lumia, Asha, S40, Windows Phone and web applications.
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Managed multidisciplinary design teams responsible for product experiences and Lumia packaging assets.
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Facilitated product discovery, user research, requirements definition and stakeholder engagement activities.
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Collaborated with global teams to align user needs, business objectives and technical constraints.
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Drove stakeholder discussions on product strategy based on design outcomes to support aligned, user-first product vision and roadmaps.
Requirements Manager / User Interaction Designer, Nokia UK Ltd
December 2004 – April 2009
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Led end-to-end UX design for Phonebook, Presence, Voice Messaging and communication services across mobile platforms including S40, Android and Java.
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Conducted user research, usability testing, heuristic evaluation, persona creation, journey mapping and requirements analysis.
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Defined and prioritised product backlogs, features and user requirements for S40 Phonebook and communication products.
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Owned UX strategy, roadmap development and Person-Centric UI initiatives.
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Worked closely with operators including Deutsche Telekom to deliver customer-focused mobile experiences.
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Established scalable UX patterns and interaction standards across multiple products using Agile methodologies.
Education & certifications
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MSc IT Usability, London Metropolitan University, 2003
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BSc Computer Science with Management, Royal Holloway University of London, 2001
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PRINCE2 Foundation
Beyond Design
When I'm not thinking about user journeys, prototypes or the latest possibilities in AI, I'm usually making something completely different.
Creativity has always been a big part of my life, and it doesn't stop when I close Figma.
Baking something special
I love baking and run a small creative side hustle, Creeyate Cakes, where I've turned that passion into creating bespoke cakes and bakes.
There's actually more crossover with product design than you might expect — understanding what someone wants, developing an idea, experimenting, solving unexpected problems and obsessing over the little details before finally seeing someone's reaction to the finished result.
And, unlike digital products, you can eat the prototype.
Usually making something...
If I'm not baking, there's a good chance another creative project has taken over the table.
I enjoy most things that involve making, experimenting and getting slightly too absorbed in the details — including polymer clay sculpting and other crafts.
I think that curiosity carries into my design work too. I like learning new tools, trying unfamiliar approaches and seeing what happens when technology and creativity come together.
Family life
I'm also a mum to three teenagers, which means life outside work is rarely quiet — and has probably taught me more about negotiation, changing user requirements and stakeholder management than any professional course ever could.
Family keeps me grounded and gives me a perspective on technology that goes beyond designing products. I'm interested in how the things we create actually fit into busy, complicated, real lives.
Exploring somewhere new
When I'm not working, parenting or surrounded by craft materials, I love travelling with my partner.
Whether it's exploring a new city, discovering somewhere completely different or simply finding somewhere great to eat, I love the change of perspective that comes from experiencing new places and cultures.
For me, creativity isn't really something I switch on for work. It's simply how I approach the world — curious, hands-on and always interested in what I might discover or make next.
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