I’m an interaction designer and GDS trained design assessor. I have good knowledge of the GOV.UK Design System, Service Manual and Style Guide. SC cleared.

Here’s my story:

When I was 16 years old, I wanted to design logos and websites.

I had an eye for design, but lacked the practical skill to do it. So I ended up going into frontend development which was more technical.

But most of the designers I worked with gave me complicated and inaccessible designs to implement.

Sometimes I’d suggest changes to simplify the design and improve accessibility. But no matter how solid my rationale or how simple my solution, I couldn’t convince the designers to make changes.

I felt frustrated having to go back to my desk to implement designs which were harder to build, inaccessible and slow to load.

As a result, I started to believe that designers only cared about aesthetics.

In 2014, my wife and I had our home renovated just in time for the arrival of our first baby. But three weeks into a new six-month contract, I was let go. I’d never had so much responsibility and so little money.

But I got a new contract as a UX prototyper at Just Eat, the UK’s leading takeaway delivery service.

Prior to this role I wasn’t part of the design process. So by the time designs were given to me to implement, it always felt too late to give feedback and suggest changes.

But at Just Eat I was embedded in the design team where I could influence solutions from the start.

To my surprise, the designers there weren’t just focused on aesthetics; they cared about UX. We did user research, ran A/B tests and tracked performance.

I worked closely with Mark Jenkins, the lead designer. But he wasn’t like the other designers I had worked with before. He listened to what I had to say and valued it. He advocated for doing the most basic thing, doing it quickly and learning. He didn’t fuss over pixels.

Most importantly, he showed me that, not only was it possible to be a designer like this but that it was better to be a designer like this.

For example, we redesigned the checkout journey by using the most basic and accessible solution. The result was an increased conversion of 5% – 37,000 orders a week.

Mark also encouraged me to start a blog. And 2 of my early posts went viral on Hacker News (multiple times over).

I realised I wasn’t alone and that others resonated with my design philosophy.

Now I’m trying to be the designer I wish I got to work with when I was a dev.

You can find links to my newsletter and courses below ↓

Adam Silver

Spabilaty

• Oversaw the entire UX lifecycle of the SaaS product from initial concept, to wireframe, to prototype development.
• Initiated and directed all aspects of user research, orchestrating extensive user interviews and usability testing to identify crucial pain points and user preferences.
• Translated research findings into actionable insights, shaping significant modifications to the product roadmap to better align with user needs.
• Led iterative design processes, integrating insights from user research to evolve the product based on genuine user experiences and preferences.
• Played a pivotal role in product strategy discussions, contributing valuable insights from my background in the beauty industry, as well as insights derived from user research and competitive analysis.

UX Research and Design

FanFindr

• Developed a mobile app prototype by integrating the latest features of Figma, including the implementation of variables.
• Utilized competitive analysis and usability testing for iterative design enhancements, resulting in a refined user experience.
• Collaborated with industry mentor Becca Walsh, Senior Product Designer at Mailchimp, to ensure the prototype adhered to industry best practices.

*This contract position was secured through an immersive project-based learning course centered on  prototyping skills and was facilitated by Harness Projects.

UX Designer

People over Plastic

• Orchestrated and conducted a range of user research activities, including, but not limited to, user interviews, content testing, user preference testing, usability testing, and heuristic analysis.
• Transformed user research insights into actionable design enhancements, addressing usability, accessibility, and aligning with the distinctive preferences and expectations of the target audience.
• Presented research conclusions to stakeholders, advocating for informed strategies to bridge awareness gaps and promote meaningful engagement within their target demographic.

*This contract position was secured through an immersive project-based learning course centered on the nuances of UX research and facilitated by Harness Projects.

UX Researcher

ChurchSpace

• Strategically navigated budget constraints and participant scarcity, devising and executing an insightful survey to unearth pivotal pain points and industry insights.
• Conducted comprehensive competitor analyses and rigorous desk research, leveraging academic papers and industry studies to contextualize identified pain points.
• Crafted a web-based prototype from concept to execution, addressing the unique needs of the target demographic.
• Delivered a project presentation to stakeholders and distinguished performance led to an invitation to present the project and findings to the entire company, showcasing the project's value to team members.

*This contract position was secured through an immersive project-based learning course centered on building up UX design proficiencies and was facilitated by Harness Projects.

Lana BStar Studio

• Founded and managed a successful six-figure solo enterprise.
• Crafted an exceptional, seamless customer journey and service design that led to significant positive word-of-mouth exposure and a large and devoted clientele.
• Managed and maintained a consistently full schedule, leading to a three-month waitlist.

Blonding and Extensions Specialist

Gold + Arrow Salon 

• Devised and executed a salon-wide new policy and customer journey for incoming color clients.
• Collaborated on the development of the salon's continuous color education program and individual stylist learning pathways.
• Oversaw the monitoring, procurement, and inventory management of all supplies.

Color Director, Dimensional Blonding and Extensions Specialist

The Business of Balayage

• Conducted engaging presentations and hands-on instruction in small, group classes nationwide, specializing in blonding and balayage techniques, for a prominent independent education company in the beauty industry.
• Delivered comprehensive and interactive instruction to hairstylists, effectively communicating intricate color concepts, application methods, and industry best practices.

Blonding and Balayage Techniques Educator

Vidal Sassoon Academy

• Instructed diverse audiences, including aspiring cosmetologists and seasoned professionals, through comprehensive training sessions as a full-time hair color educator at the prestigious Vidal Sassoon Academy.
• Collaborated closely with instructional teams to refine and enhance course content, ensuring alignment with the Academy's rigorous standards and staying current with evolving industry trends.
• Mentored and guided students in honing their technical skills, creative vision, and understanding of color theory, nurturing a new generation of skilled and inspired hair colorists.

Color Educator

Sassoon Salon

Worked on the floor as a colorist for Sassoon Salon

Colorist

Vidal Sassoon

Trained as a colorist under the Color Director at this salon location in one of the most difficult and most renowned color programs in the world.

Color Assistant

I'm evolving like a Pokémon and pivoting from a career in beauty to a new arena: Content design and research. Got catch 'em all! And by all, I mean business and user needs?

I'm lucky that I get to bring many applicable skills forward from my previous work, such as: 
- problem-solving
- communicating clearly and effectively (and sometimes humorously?)
- balancing business needs with user needs 
- constantly evaluating the product and iterating based on feedback from users and how the product performed in the wild

In other news, I started learning how to surf. If you want your ego kicked in the shins repeatedly (with a few extra dashes of full-on humiliation in the form of wriggling in and out of wetsuits in public places), then you should really try taking up surfing as an adult! Any surf buddies, surf tips, or general morale boosting will be accepted at this time.

taplio

The Battle

Adam Silver

Lana Burke

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