About me
Committed to excellence in design
User centered service and product UX designer.
Windahl Finnigan
Service Designer and UX Designer
15+ years of experience in designing and producing visually engaging prototypes for highly interactive and transactional online applications, I am an expert in UCD processes and applying them to agile ways of working across multiple industries. My broad portfolio includes greenfield and existing projects, start-ups, retail, dashboards, FCMG platforms, trading platforms, and procurement platforms for both business and consumer users.
My design ethos
My expertise lies in strategically aligning service and UX design with overarching business objectives and digital imperatives.
I possess a proven ability to articulate design rationale with clarity and conviction to a diverse range of stakeholders, including board-level decision-makers. My contributions extend to fostering a user-centred culture within organizations and actively supporting the development of internal design capabilities.
My background includes significant experience in designing and delivering public-facing services across multiple channels. Web, mobile, offline support channels, logistics.
My portfolio demonstrates a robust understanding and application of service design methodologies, encompassing comprehensive research, iterative prototyping, and successful project delivery. I operate with a deep understanding of user-centred design principles and inclusive & accessible design practices, consistently leveraging user research insights to inform strategic design decisions. This includes a strong focus on integrating AI tools and automation to enhance service delivery and efficiency.
I am confident in my ability to engage and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels, translating complex needs into practical and impactful service improvements.
Furthermore, I am well versed in GDS principles (or similar frameworks), design systems, and accessible design standards, ensuring the creation of user-friendly and compliant services. I am a firm advocate for GDS service design principles, ensuring accessibility and inclusion are embedded throughout the entire design lifecycle.
Skills, skills, skills…
I am a mad collector of skills. And I use them and develop them over long periods of time to deepen them. Never been a fan of quick boot camps, I love slow and deep life long learning. Taking specific courses that offer more depth.
In college I worked as an as an freelance illustrator & paid my tuition and living expenses. Still always have to draw.
Every year take a couple courses or workshops. Both personal
and professional. Last year it was AI, while at Mastek and started March 2023, a 3 year program in ceramics, one night a week. The previous year it was Advanced Accessibility and Service design while at Crown Commercial and jewellery design.
Skills
- Service & Product Design (Blueprinting & mapping)
- Accessibility and Usability standards
- Stakeholder management
- Requirements gathering
- Leading & planning workshops
- Strong conceptual skills
- User Research and Testing
- UX Design
- Information design and architecture
- Data flows
- Business process mapping
- User journey mapping
- Design Leadership
- GDS Design Guidelines and
- Prototyping
- Visual Design
- Sketching & Illustration
Technical Skills
- WordPress
- CSS
- HTML
- Figma & Sketch
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Video & Software Editing
- AI and AI tools
- 3D Software – Maya
- Zeplin
- Tobi Eye Tracking tools for user testing (I have a home research studio with observation window)
- Indepth knowledge and experience of lots of back end systems – Sap, SalesForce, Fiore, IM Management
Personal Notes
It’s hard for me to describe myself when it comes to design (and art). It’s in everything I do. I have strong visual and creative skills but I don’t describe myself as a visual and creative designer. Because I care most about how things work and the overall solution. I just happen to also care about how it is presented as well as usability and accessibility. Which I believe should be always a given and to a high standard.
Design is deeply imbedded in my everyday life. I care both about the functional and the aesthetic equally. Plus I am very technical. I code, I understand the underlying technologies and want to learn more.
For me it’s impossible to separate these. They are intertwined. Just like being a painter, one must master the materials. You cannot be ceramicist without understanding chemistry, science and bit of engineering.
For Service and UX I like to deeply understand how the underlying technology works as well as the interface in order to optimise for it and design with any constraints in mind.
Location
East Sussex – London
Hobbies
Recently I moved to a very “groovy’ 70’s house and have been stripping wallpaper plastering and painting as well as redecorating (myself) to bring it up to date with a 70’s Scandinavian flair. The heart of my home is my Design Office at left (a work in progress). I spent hours researching to find the right desk that is both aesthetically pleasing and fitting into my style of organic, natural and ergonomic. That looks good from all angles and facing into the room to avoid glare and take advantage of the views. A proper designer’s desk. When finished this will likely end the best room in the house and the place I spend the most amount of time by desire.
I am an oil painter, ceramicist and photographer in my spare time. I also design furniture, interior design and make jewellery.
You could say I obsessive about good design in everything and all things visual. I enjoy building up my skills. When I am not actually doing design or creating art, I read a lot about design and a collection of design and art books. Including the latest books on service design and building sites ‘platform as a service’.
My guilty please is reading Scandi Noir.
I have already transformed the garden and started to convert the shed into a pottery studio.
It’s an understatement that I love all things design. I am a foodie who loves creative cooking (watching Master Chef) and cannot help but present food in a similar way. Even some of my food comes from my garden as I am also passionate about decorating with plants for cleaner air and food,
