You know those little dogs that hang on to your trouser leg and just won't let go?
That's me!
I hate being beaten by a problem so I'll work relentlessly until I solve it.
During the first day working with Woolworths, I solved a problem they had been struggling with for months, and solved two more problems by the end of the week!
All of this while working in a custom CMS that I was previously unfamiliar with.
How much do I love what I do? On average, I spend over 8 hours a week just keeping up with all the latest trends in UI/UX design and web/app development.
Truth be told, I'm a little OCD when it comes to design. Hardly a week goes by where I don't email some company with tips for improving the UX on their website/app.
I even find myself trying to apply UX principles in my everyday physical life - I really can't stand it when things don't function the way they should. I'm the sort of person that will ask where a friend's toolbox is so I can fix their broken door latch before I go home.
It's true, I sometimes forget to eat when working on a project, but is it really working when you love what you do?
Design, of any kind, has always been a passion with me. I started doing paid graphic design work while still in school, later spending over seven years as a freelance Graphic Designer before moving to Web Design.
I've always been involved in some sort of design, even making little forays into interior, architectural and furniture design.
So, to me, UX is the ultimate job. I get to continually solve problems, and make things look good in the process!
Use contextual interviews, workshops, online and email surveys, and analytics to discover user needs and cleary define, and prioritise, business requirements.
Use Agile, HCD and Lean UX methods to design user-centred websites and applications that address user needs and create business value.
Use Visio, Excel, Powerpoint and various video editing tools to create Service blueprints, Business value/User pain point matrices to present research findings to Business and help guide the development roadmap.
Use Sketch, InVision, Axure to create wireframes and prototypes that clearly guide development.
Use Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign to create posters, brochures and other print collateral.
Use effective SEO tactics to get client websites to the top of the first page in Google.
After all, what's the point of building a great looking website if no-one will ever get to see it?
OK - I can't do everything . . . yet.
But my love for problem solving and learning new things means I will learn whatever I need to, in order to get the job done.
