Ethically Focused Digital Experience Designer
Download my latest CV May 2020
- I’m a Muslim, South African, Ethically Focused, UX / Product Designer.
- I’m a Thinker, Sense Maker, Problem Solver, Connector, Bridge Builder.
- Enabling Experiences which Transform Individuals & Society.
- I’ve worked in 7 countries for organisations of all types and sizes.
- I focus on positive impact and no harm.
- I’ve been a Designer since 1998.
Recent Work Experience
Softhouse.io (Malaysia)
UX / UI Lead – Design Manager – Jan 2019 – Present
My role As UX / UI lead is to create transformational digital experiences, that help organizations leverage digital technologies to enhance the impact they can have in their sphere of influence.
ZADGroup (Saudi Arabia)
User Experience (UX) Design Manager Nov 2015 – Jan 2019
As UX lead at ZAD my focus is shaping digital experiences to meet the education & personal development needs of Muslim communities. I also contribute to organizational/product strategy & design management.
2beards.co
Co-Founder – User Experience (UX) Consultant – May 2015 – PRESENT
I co-founded establish an ethically focused agency which uses design & tech to serve initiatives that have a positive impact on society. I take care of Design, User Experience & Brand Strategy.
The-colab.com
Founder – User Experience (UX) Consultant Sep 2008 – Apr 2015
The-Colab.com was a “No Harm” Communications Agency which I founded in 2008 focused on digital communications. The Vision was to create healthy relationships and a positive society by only promoting no harm products, services and initiatives.
Summary of Additional Work History
Friends of Design Web Design/Dev Lecturer 2008 – 2011
Cape Peninsula University of Technology Freelance Lecturer 2009
Nomad-One.com Freelance Design & Web Consultant 2007 – 2008
Intermark-Corp (Cairo) Associate Creative Director 2006 – 2007
Liquid Thought Senior New Media Designer 2005 – 2006
Interactive LTD (Riyadh) Graphic Designer 2005
Ogilvy Interactive (London) New Media Designer 2004 – 2005
TBWA Digerati Cape Town New Media Designer 2002 – 2004
Ogilvy Interactive Cape Town New Media Designer 2000 – 2001
iafrica.com Graphic / Web Designer 2000 – 2001
Red Cat Design Junior Graphic Designer 1999
Admakers Junior Graphic Designer 1998 – 1999
I’ve worked in a wide variety of design and creative positions generating illustrations, animations, multimedia presentations and shows, games, logos, brands, posters, billboards, icons, banners, websites, software, online platforms, mobile applications and a whole host of other types of things. I have also build digital products, started businesses, launched events, taught and mentored, developed online courses and kept an ongoing blog for many years.
Skill Summary
UX for Web & Mobile
- Design Thinking
- Design Management
- Design Strategy
- Project Management & Planning
- User Interface Design
- Front End UI Development
- WordPress Development Digital/Brand Strategy
- Digital Product Development
- Visual/Graphic Design
- Illustration
Education
National Diploma: Graphic Design
Cape Technikon – 1996 – 1998
Ogilvy Africa Training Program
360 Degree Brand Development – 2001
VeloCITI Business Development Program
Business Incubation
2008 – 9 months
Competencies & Soft Skills
Varied Experience
As a designer, with technical experience as well as strategic experience I believe I am well placed to navigate the various areas of focus required to solve complex problems.
Interpersonal and Problem Solving Skills
I have good interpersonal skills, enhanced by experience as a facilitator and trainer over the years with a natural ability to clarify, explain and guide processes of discovery. I also experienced many change management scenarios and have first-hand knowledge of how to navigate organizational and team challenges and complexity.
Training/Teaching/Mentor
I’ve written a number of courses and taught many myself and on behalf of various teams and organizations. I also find myself in mentorship scenarios often both formally and informally and enjoy encouraging others to achieve their potential.
Fast Learner
As a Meta skill learning is something I have had to master due to the varied contexts I have found myself in. I don’t shy away from diving into quickly picking up new skills. I keep myself informed of trends, methodologies and other relevant developments within the digital design and innovation spaces, actively maintaining a collection of research on topics which impact the direction of the industry.
I follow developments with companies like IDEO, FROG Design, Artefact and other creative/techno hybrid companies and would love to bring this kind of thinking to new contexts.
I continue to develop my practical skills on a regular basis through online courses in Design, UX, Research, Business Development, Strategy, Agile, Product Management and a range of other related areas.
Speaker
I’m an effective public speaker and have spoken at various industry events. I find myself in the spokesman position often. I find it easy to articulate and explain my ideas and also to encourage others to do so.
Writer
Having kept a blog for many years and also being involved in many writing projects both formally and for personal endeavors I have developed the ability to quickly draft proposals and other lengthy or concise writing assignments with my own personal workflow for doing so.
Management
I currently manage a remote ux and design team on multiple complex projects and act as a product manager for these projects as well. My activities include developing product vision, ux research, engaging with stakeholders, developing product ux, guiding design teams through the design phases and supervising build process to ensure design and ux requirements are respected. I’ve been responsible for developing the design team’s workflows and helping designers up their level of ux involvement.