Raw.Studio | Strategy, UX UI & Branding Agency

Branding, design systems, product design, you name it! At Raw.Studio, I bring my experience and skills in all three areas to lead and create a holistic design direction and strategy for digital products and brands who seek to disrupt their industry.

My responsibilities include:
• Plan and facilitate workshops to align and unpack client needs, translating them into clear requirements, business objectives, and actionable design briefs.
• Lead a team of product designers and UX researchers, mentoring best practices in UX, UI, design systems, and design craft — raising the bar for quality and consistency.
• Define and lead design strategy and direction, ensuring alignment with project goals, client needs, user expectations, and business objectives.
• Facilitate & translate user research into insights, concepts, user flows, designs, and prototypes.
• Design seamless, end-to-end UX journeys with a focus on customer needs and business impact.
• Deliver end-to-end projects efficiently, balancing speed with exceptional quality and attention to detail.
• Adapt across industries, covering all types of projects — from brand design to marketing websites to mobile-first app experiences.
• Build interactive prototypes to support sales pitch for fund raising and UX research (such as A/B testing).
• Establish and evolve scalable design systems for clients, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and brand alignment.
• Present work confidently to clients and internal teams, clearly communicating rationale and design decisions.
• Build trust and strong rapport with clients as a design partner and consultant.
• Collaborate closely with developers to ensure designs are feasible, accessible, and implemented to a high standard.
• Maintain high proficiency in Figma and design systems, applying design thinking methodologies throughout.

Design Lead

Self-Employed

On the side, I design brand identities and strategies for small local businesses and creatives. My process includes:
• understanding the needs and wants of the client
• conducting research and analysis on the brand’s position in the competitive industry and market
• identifying the brand’s vision and values
• developing and presenting concepts for logo and other brand elements
• applying brand on print and digital collaterals
• providing ready-to-print files

Freelance Brand Designer

Lendi

I was the design lead for the newly established design system team. Our team’s focus was building a design system that was accessible and usable for our customers, but also would improve the efficiency and productivity of our consumer’s work and process (designers and developers).

A few of my key responsibilities included:
• leading and establishing a collaborative design process for the team
• creating a backlog of components that was relevant and driven by real use cases in our platform experience
• leading and prioritising our backlog and getting buy-in from our stakeholders
• leading design decisions and ensuring team is focused on meeting OKR
• leading the end-to-end design process of design foundations and components
• collaborating with developers on build solutions, such as API sparring 
• managing design tools and governance
• leading visual design of design team and ensuring the right components and patterns are used for consistency

Lendi and Aussie was going through a merge in this time, so our team’s focus was also making sure our platform experience was brand-aware. This meant we had to establish and build a theming mechanism that our components would use. This would enable our platform experience to be seamlessly themed with a simple flick of a switch. Few key responsibilities included:
• informing developers of desired outcome that would inform their solution approach on theming
• establishing semantic layer for our design foundations (typography, colour and border radii)
• supporting developers in build

Design Lead in Design Systems

I was the dedicated product designer for a cross-functional team that focused on collecting information about our customer’s financial situation, needs and wants, so that we can provide the best home loan recommendations that suits them. 

Few key responsibilities included:
• leading and managing the end-to-end design process (from discovery to design handoff)
• managing and aligning stakeholders on design vision and objectives
• collaborating with designers, PM, BA & developers to produce a minimal viable product that is desirable, viable and feasible
• presenting recommended design solutions to product team and execs for review and approval
• storytelling to take team on the journey of the design process and thinking behind design solution.
• documenting design decisions and feedback

Outside of this role, I also worked on:
• design components for CMS
• establishing design foundations and components for Lendi’s new design system 
• pitched and led the buy-in of transitioning from sketch to figma
• established new design process on figma, including creating a component library, file management and more.

Senior Product Designer

THERE

I was part of the environmental branding team that specialises in wayfinding strategy and design. We created user experience in the physical space using visual and digital cues to ensure that they get from point A to B without feeling lost. I was in charge of managing and designing the end-to-end process of translating this into a digital experience.

Few key responsibilities include:
• assisting in developing a wayfinding strategy
• conducting competitive analysis,
• creating user-friendly and interactive maps
• developing and presenting wireframes and prototypes
• constructing tender documentations for final artwork and more

UX/UI designer

Westpac Group

I was part of the customer experience team of St.George Bank Group Internet and Mobile Banking. The team works in a fast-paced environment and we are constantly collaborating with researchers, scrum teams and key stakeholders to deliver an experience that is desirable for our customers, feasible and beneficial for the business.  

A few of my key responsibilities includes:
• developing and presenting wireframes, prototypes and multi-brand visual designs (St.George, Bank of SA and Bank of Melbourne)
• auditing all visual designs produced by the team prior handover to scrum teams to ensure consistency of patterns
• conducting customer research (including but not limited to competitive analysis, usability testing, customer data analysis, NPS)
• regularly presenting ideas and updates in workshops, meetings, presentations, ranging from 1 to over 50+ attendees.

Experience Designer

In this year, Westpac gave me the opportunity to work in multiple teams (research, strategy and delivery) to understand and gain experience in their end-to-end design process.

A few of my responsibilities involved assisting in customer testing, applying qualitative and quantitative research methods to gather customer data, applying design and data analysis methods to identify patterns and insights of this collected data, followed by applying this analysed data to drive decisions and deliver wireframes and prototypes for a multi-brand company (Westpac, St.George, Bank of SA and Bank of Melbourne)

Junior Experience Designer

Worked closely with senior designers and creative director on branded property development and environment projects for clients such as Rabobank, Ovolo Hotel and more. Projects involve understanding and identifying the client's needs; and efficiently developing the best strategy in response to this with design.

Junior Graphic Designer

Understanding the creative process of THERE studio and adapting to assist senior designers in projects. Had the opportunity to lead a project and develop a creative response for the brief.

Graphic Design Intern

Hi, I’m Akina — a designer who’s happiest in crafting beautiful and effortless experiences from  business challenges.

My expertise spans brand strategy, brand identity design, product design (UX/UI), design strategy, leadership, and building design systems — from creating new systems from scratch to translating legacy frameworks into modern, scalable platforms.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked across 10+ industries — from health to fintech, education to travel — adapting to diverse teams, clients, and environments including start-ups, creative agencies, corporates, and small design studios.

Akina Lam

frog

🏫 Education Sector - Website Uplift - Aug 2024 -  Sept 2024
• Lead the visual design of the clickable prototype.
• Successfully incorporated the client’s expectations and exceeded their expectations of the prototype, by making it visually striking whilst ensuring that the design met industry brand guidelines.
• Successful collaboration with members of the team, and much appreciation from them in bringing ideas to life.
• Directed assignment tasks with junior designers and provided feedback, ran meetings, clarified areas of confusion, and shared creative freedom with key components.
• Worked through ambiguity with a strict deadline.

🏥 Public Sector - Salesforce CRM Implementation - Mar 2024 - Aug 2024
• Owned the experience and UI design for the Member cohort, delivering approx. 30 wireframes and a clickable prototype..
• Proactive and led several tech review sessions, explaining context and rationale of UX designs, asking for targeted feedback in order to progress the work.
• Ensured all my work is clear and concise, including annotations and comments when provided to internal and external stakeholders.
• Presented and organising work, consulting and worked with others by arranging regular sync-ups and contacting teams on clarification points.

UX/UI Designer

Acoustic Dynamics Pty Ltd

Project Consultant/Engineer

Factory AI

I took ownership in developing Factory AI's main dashboard and was pivotal in bridging the gap between users in the manufacturing space and the product. Additioanlly, I also contributed to the business and product vision by participating in regular brainstorming sessions on Friday as the sole UX/UI designer.
I also had the privilege of running several user interviews and testing sessions for three months.

ℹ️ Context - Predictive maintenance for manufacturers
Factory AI helps manufacturers reduce their unplanned downtime with AI predictive maintenance. With rising costs and increased focus on OPEX efficiency, 80% of manufacturing leaders we speak with say that reducing unplanned downtime is a priority. I worked with the two co-founders.

🤝🏽 Design Leader
I was the go-to design expert on the team where I collated Figma designs and variations to improve the current dashboard before going live.

🔧 Tools - Figma, FigJam, Teams, MS Office, Google Meets, AWS Amplify, Heroicons

Equus Partners

Key Responsibilites:
•  Led a team of 17 as lead through the design process by understanding visual design foundations.
• Coordinated experimental user research studies including guerilla interviews by assigning a task board for the team which led to richer data to synth about painpoints.
•  Delivered a service design solution that conveyed an end-to-end experience for a business owner becoming a client and a referral system that exceeded the client's expectations in the final presentation.

Lead UX/UI Designer

Macquarie University

Key Responsibilites:
• Synthesised data from desktop research on innovative learning practices and interview scripts from Macquarie University staff and managers which led to insights that defined the new problem statement.
• Improved the prototype after user testing through backed iterations by data-driven insights which made the design more usable and accessible.
• Facilitated several ideation workshops with users on Miro using a 'train station' concept that provided engagement and conceptualisation of 3 core MVP features in the prototype.
• Crafted the 'Infographic' module on Figma using the set MQ design system through mid-fidelity to high-fidelity prototype, adapting the situations.

JHA Consulting Engineers

• Designed noise performance for wall partitions in primary and high school buildings.
• Performed on-site noise measurements through data logging and calibrating equipment for use such as sound level meters and microphones.
• Wrote reports for the development approval of projects through defining the project scope, analysis of measurements, and assessment of results.
• Currently one of the founding members of the JHA Young Engineers Committee.
• Led the presentation design for JHA's first ever Young Engineers Night.

Junior Acoustics Engineer

• Designed utilities and HVAC systems for facilities including learning spaces, recreational centres, commercial, and high-rise residential buildings.
• Led two successful site inspections, noting faulty and defective equipment and structures, and designed mechanical/HVAC system solutions for a maintenance centre refurbishment and a train station.
•	Wrote several summaries of findings and recommendations to external stakeholders from non-engineering backgrounds, with 100% on-time completion of markup submittals.
•Managed interactions with engineers across several disciplines, encouraged active co-ordination, and made modifications to mechanical based on continuous feedback.

Graduate Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical Engineer Intern

UNSW

• Contributed as a key writer to the Moodle student platform documentation, which was officially published for academic use by the Educational Team to efficiently perform tasks design assignment components.
•	Adapted 14 online Smart Sparrow tutorials for the MECH9720 Solar Thermal Energy Design course through creating new source code.
• Conducted assessment mapping of 80 Term 3 2019 core courses for determining which course deadlines clash in the Faculty of Engineering. This was vital for academics in the implementation of the new third-trimester schedule on campus.

Student Assistant

• Led an investigation that allowed more than 800 Panadol Suspension products to be shipped out on time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Maintained the inventory disposal system that allowed for data retention in the factory; this led to an increase of 20% warehouse space so that more products can be stored to keep up with Panadol supply.
• Award the winning logo design for Team Sydney placed on nationwide marketing material, including the newsletter, bottles, bags, and work equipment.

Operational Quality IBL

Robogals Global

• Led the partnerships and sponsorships team for the Robogals Asia Pacific Region.
• Provided Robogals chapters and their respective partnership managers with an opportunity to access our regional partners.
• Transformed the Partnerships portfolio from only myself to 4 team players that liaised with industry leaders and acquired sponsors with a shared mission to empower young women in STEM through diversity. 
• This was accomplished through negotiations about the contract revisions, which led to an outstanding outcome in securing a critical $20,000 sponsorship for funding and school resources to this day.
• Additionally, I won the national T-shirt design competition for the annual Seminar Inducting New Executives event held in Brisbane. This was worn by 80 new team members.

Partnership Lead

Arc @ UNSW

• Work within the store, serving customers and organise closing time procedures.
• Assist with graduation gown sales throughout the year and to the 9 faculties art UNSW.

The UNSW Grad Shop

📅 A quick timeline of what I've accomplished
At uni
• Studied engineering → enjoyed problem-solving.
• Got involved in student societies → enjoyed fostering experiences.
At work
• Worked in HVAC design → enjoyed cross-collaboration.
• Worked in acoustics → enjoyed client-facing and custom solutions.
And now
• I’m a UX/UI designer and it is everything I have enjoyed and more!

✨ I am
• A team player and culture builder.
• A curious thinker that always asks questions.
• A data-driven researcher - digging for gold is key!
These are what I do and do well; I also DJ *record scratch* 

❓What else makes me ABE
Active listener! to users and my team.
Brainstormer! which comes in handy in approaching challenges differently.
Ex-engineer! equipped with technical prowess and a problem-solving skillset.

🏆 A couple of achievements
• Successfully presented the final product/services twice to clients through emotional storytelling.
• Led 3 ideation workshops directly with users identifying their pain points and clearly communicating goals.

🧑🏽‍💻 I wish to join a company 
• That has a supportive culture to learn.
• Values and shows diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• With a dynamic team structure that allows continuous learning and collaboration.

☕ Please feel free to reach out for a chat or coffee! 

I can best be contacted via email: abraham.irhia@gmail.com

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The Battle

Akina Lam

Abraham Irhia

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