Derek Hendry Portfolio

DEREK HENDRY PASSIONATE ABOUT UX

DH UX PORTFOLIO WORKFLOW

“UX can be broken in down into 3 simple areas - Research & Strategy, Design and Evaluation....”

A little about me...

I am driven and motivated to succeed in industry following my graduation from Edinburgh Napier University in 2015 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Web Design & Development. Throughout my academic studies I have gained my skills - both technical and professional and look forward to putting them into practice. I have also benefitted through gaining voluntary opportunities during my time at University.

This portfolio is aimed at providing a detailed look at the broad range of skills I have developed and the methods I adopt when undertaking tasks - my methodology.

My website, www.derekhendry.com provides a useful accompaniment to this portfolio by providing a wider look of the projects I have completed.

My interest in UX?

In addition to web design, I am passionate about all things UX. User Experience is an ever growing and fascinating sector. The key point I have learned, (which almost appears obvious) is that by following a User Centred Model for the design and development of products and services, the overall process and completed project benefits enormously. By focusing on the user at all stages it ensures that the best possible outcome is achieved in the most efficient and effective manner.

At University I studied both the theoretical background of UX and its practical benefits within industry.

I was immediately drawn by the enormous potential UX has in shaping design and development and the overall user experience.

I feel that, in simple terms, UX can be broken down into 3 key areas: Research & strategy, Design and Evaluation. Within each area there are a range of methods which can be applied to differing scenarios which are touched upon in the skills section of this portfolio.

Anyway....

I hope you enjoy my portfolio and I would be happy to provide answers to any questions you may have.

"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly" - Dalai Lama

DH UX

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE User Experience • • • • •

Research methods Agile & Lean Usability Testing Persona Creation User Journeys

Software Packages

Knowledge

• • • •

• • • •

•

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Dreamweaver Adobe Fireworks

•

Web Design Web Development User Experience Digital Publishing HTML, CCS, JQuery

Tesco Bank Digital

Presentations and mock-up designs for a new mobile tablet version banking application.

This included lo-fi prototypes and research based work for the digital services team. The research was based on how users experience differs from smart phone to tablet applications and how users expect to bank online.

For this I created prototypes which displayed banking information in the form of a timeline. Building on current experiences through social media, users could simply scroll through their banking activities in a seamless manner and the bank could provide contextual information within this timeline. Other options included a savings bucket where users could easily save for important events and track their saving activities.

Edinburgh City Council – Digital Services

Week long UX ‘Fast Hack’ which centred around a feasibility study for a new web application. This involved ‘Blue printing’, paper prototyping, user research and analysis for the digital services team. The overall experience involved open collaboration between designers, developers, stakeholders and users which ensured a user centred approach. Adopting such a highly visible process ensured that feedback and input to and from the team maximised the effectiveness and efficiency of the process.

Web Design & Development - Edinburgh Napier University

Complete re-design and development of the e-Placement Scotland student recruitment website. This role also included content updating of the website. The existing website was in need of updating and modernisation. The navigation and site structure was complicated and contributed to a high bounce rate where users would simply avoid using the site further than the home page. The new design now brings an attractive and welcoming introduction for visitors.

Project Assistant - Edinburgh Napier University

Worked as part of the University’s Associate Student Project. Roles include producing a quarterly digital/print magazine, assisting HNC/HND college students with their transition to University, conducting interviews and promoting the project through visits to colleges. This project allowed me to improve my graphic and digital design skills using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign.

DH UX

DESIGN PROCESS My approach?

I approach my projects through the adoption of Agile/Lean UX development. I’m sure I’ll mention this point a lot, but this iteractive and collaborative way of working brings a natural flow to projects, allowing for a more effective end-result.

Research

It's vital to understand the aims of a project and what user’s expectations are. Observational techniques can be used at this stage to establish how a product or service is used. Ethnographic studies, task analysis and surveys allow the collection of qualitative and quantitative data for such a purpose.

Elevator pitches

Along with research, these allow business and user goals to be established and create a clear vision for the project.

Information Architecture

It’s important to structure the order of content in a logical sequence. Card sorting (online or using post-it-notes) is an effective method of gaining input from user groups.

Personas

These are developed through the initial research and forms a picture of the user’s background, capabilities and motivations.

DH UX

User Journeys

It’s useful to establish users touch points, pain points and how they interact with a product or service.

Prototyping & Design

Lo-Fi wireframes and paper prototypes allow users and stakeholders understand how a product will function. Hi-Fi rapid prototyping can also be used to provide greater functionality incurring high development costs.

Usability testing

Determine the usability of a design. There are various methods which can be adopted for this.

These range from eye-tracking, questionnaires and observational techniques.

Evaluation

Crucial at the end of a project to identify if project aims have been achieved. A comparison through benchmarking from start to finish provides data for evaluation.

PROJECT REVIEW Jiu Jitsu Scotland

The project scope was to create a new identity and brand for Jiu Jitsu clubs in Scotland, centred on a new website.

Keeping the client and users at the forefront of all stages ensured the completed project met and ultimately exceeded the brief.

The website had to provide appropriate functionality for administration, core information relating to the sport and options for new and existing users gain information about Jiu Jitsu.

Development of the site was achieved using Squarespace CMS which allowed for appropriate functionality, hosting and data collection.

I focused on the overall User Experience which included the research, design, development and evaluation.

www.jiujitsu-scotland.org

The webite can be viewed at:

Home Page

One key aim of the project was to encourage new participants to join Jiu Jitsu. In an effort to eradicate any ‘bounce rate’ issues I designed a clean, fresh and attractive home page to welcome visitors to the website.

DH UX

PROJECT REVIEW Jiu Jitsu Scotland - Club Page

An informative and detailed club page was created for each club.

Jiu Jitsu Scotland - Social Media

Re-designed social media pages bring consistency to the new branding across all digital channels.

DH UX

METHODS USED Based on the development process discussed earlier, I used various techniques for the Jiu Jitsu project.

This section provides some examples of those techniques.

Elevator Pitches

Personas

Card Sorting

User Workow

Wireframing

DH UX

CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION

Web:

www.derekhendry.com

Email:

hendrydj@gmail.com

Mobile: LinkedIn:

07825 271 229 www.goo.gl/wIlzRl

DH UX