I’m Ash, an English product designer based in Melbourne, Australia. I’ve spent the last 7+ years designing for a wide variety of different organisations, brands and people.
I’m a strong believer in the power of beautiful visual design and human-centred problem solving. During my career I have developed a skillset that covers various facets of design, including branding, print, web and app design and user research. Recently, I've been developing my skills in motion design.
Outside of tech, I am an avid guitarist and can occasionally be found gigging around Melbourne. I also enjoy snowboarding, taking photographs and exploring the world!
Listening to –
The Paper Kites
Watching –
Yellowstone
Reading –
The Design of Everyday Things
Values and methods
People focused
This sounds pretty obvious as a designer, but it’s not just users I care about. It’s the people I work with too. I thrive in cross-functional, diverse and inclusive teams where I'm able to collaborate, share knowledge, learn from the best and have fun along the way.
Plan for the unknown
I used to fear ambiguity, but over the years I've learned to embrace it. Going with the flow in the face of the unknown allows me to keep an open mind and explore different ideas. Instead of asking "what should be?", I try to ask "what could be?".
Just make something
As a tinkerer of pixels, I have a bias towards action. That means I try to get out of my own head and into the hands of the people being designing for – as soon as possible. The faster an idea is conveyed and shared, the faster it can be made better.
Have a laugh
I love what I do for a living, but I also love living. For me, that doesn't start at home and end when I get to the office. Life is short, but it's pretty damn great. We're all going to die soon so we should have a laugh while we can.
Skills and Capabilities
Interaction Design
Wireframes, prototypes, information architecture, user flows and journey mapping.
Visual Design
Polished screens, UI style guides, brand identities and graphic design.
Agile Business Analysis
Requirements analysis, stakeholder interviews, workshops, user story writing and prioritisation.
User Research
User interviews, personas, surveys, card sorting, contextual inquiry and usability testing.
Experience
Senior Experience Designer
ThoughtWorks
May 2019 – today
Experience Designer
ThoughtWorks
May 2017 – May 2019
Digital Designer
Digital360
Jan 2013 – Mar 2017
Graphic Designer
Greybox Creative
Aug 2011 – Jan 2012