User Experience Designer
Ailsa Berkeley
www.ailsaberkeley.com | http://twitter.com/ailsaberkeley | http://ie.linkedin.com/in/ailsaberkeley |
AilsaBerkeley@gmail.com | 085 707 1077
A specialist user experience designer in agile software development, with a background in
designing for award winning creative agencies.
I Build and lead design teams, I train and day to day manage teams and work with them to ensure
the team and the individuals are growing, learning and developing.
I specialise in designing engaging, effective and elegant interactive experiences, across multiple
platforms. I introduce processes for ensuring the user experience remains at the forefront of agile
development, from regular usability testing in sprints, card sorting, opinion gathering to developing
mindsets and personas, while continually working with the Business Analyst to ensure the business
requirements are met.
SPECIALITIES
User-centred design, creative direction, team lead, user interface and information design, user
experience, strategic planning, project proposals and project plans, information architecture, site
mapping, wireframing, developing use-cases, usability test, scrum, Agile, technology,
Documentation, branding guidelines.
CLIENTS
I have worked with a variety of high profile brands in technology, finance , sport and entertainment /
TV. Including: GE, Intuit, Citigroup, Glaxo Smith Kline, Schwarzkoph, Ribena, Sage, Warbutons, Heinz,
DWP – Department of Work and Pensions, Man Utd FC, Man city FC, Open Golf, European Tour,
EXPERIENCE
UX design team lead
Globoforce
www.globoforce.com
Dublin [2010 – Present ]
Globoforce is an award winning software development company. My main responsibility was to turn
overhaul their current software and redesign a modern, exciting updated model with users at its
heart. I built a team around the skillsets required, incorporating designers, front enders, usability
testers, prototypers and implementers. I am currently creative directing, managing, scheduling,
training a team of 10 on a day a to day basis. I over see the work of 6 project scrum teams.
I work closely with the product owners and business analyst to ensure the project worked on will
meets the business and well as users requirements. I ensure that the architects and designers and
developers work close together to ensure all aspects of the user interface are fully considered. I am
involved from defining the vision statement stage right through to quality checking the
implementations and managing the clients change requests.
When not managing and strategic planning i get hands on in designing, prototyping, wire framing,
usability testing, creating mindsets, AB testing, opinion gathering, setting style guidelines and
implementation guidelines.
Another huge challenge of this role was to define and develop a process of incorporating user
focused design into an agile environment. After experiment I have now introduced a smooth process
that the projects follow to ensure that the users’ experience is considered at every step of the
development.
Digital designer
Swamp at Brahm
http://www.brassagency.com/
Leeds [ 2008 – 2010 ]
Swamp (rebranded Brass) is an award winning full service digital communications agency. My role
varied between Creative Director on swamp’s largest clients (yw persimmon) , lead designer on
other major projects and and line managing junior members of the team.
My responsibilities included creative brainstorms, storyboarding and designing concepts,
Implementing User Interface design by mapping user journey flows, wireframing screen content and
prototyping, Developing online identities and producing brand style guides, Designing for social
media campaigns, which incorporate Facebook, YouTube pages and My Space pages
Designing websites (from microsites to CMS), banners and emails, Video production, editing and
post-production audio
I also line managed, trained junior members of the team and encouraging career progression
I also had a key role to play in Implementing new department processes such as usability testing and
creating a central database to house swamp’s web standards and best practice documents.
Digital Designer
IMG
www.imgworld.com
London [2007-2008]
As a designer for the digital department of worlds largest independent sports producer my role
varied from website design, video production , front end coding and concept development.
Freelance designer
Freelance Designer
Broadcast designer
ITV, The Mint
London [2005 - 2007]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mint_%28game_show%29
London [2006]
The mint is a late night interactive quiz show, broadcasted late nights 2006 – 2007. I was part of the
start up team that designed the original graphics for the production.
Digital Designer
The Wheel
[2006]
I designed graphics and reworked images for the Laura Ashley website during my time at this London
based digital agency.
Branding and print designer
Uncle Pete’s Restaurant [2005 - present]
I developed the identity, logo and menu, for a new restaurant business in Cork . I continue to work
closely with the client to make seasonal updates to the menu .
Motion Graphic designer
Octagon
www.octagon-uk.com
London [2005]
Octagon is one of the world’s leading sport, music and entertainment marketing companies. I
worked in their digital branch; my responsibilities included; post production; creating title
sequences, building 3D elements, captioning footage, implementing and maintaining the Deko
system. I also supported and trained junior members of staff in after effects, basic 3D, general design
and Deko operation.
EDUCATION
H2.1 in B.A. in Multimedia, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland
I studied a wide variation of subjects; graphic and web design, Photography, business and marketing,
programming, Interaction, video technology.
REDERENCES
Available on request