Creators & Innovators

Michelle is an Associate Art Director at an Architectural Visualisation company called Visualhouse in New York. She has been working as a CGI artist for the past 9 years, and was an Environment Artist at Rockstar Games, the developer of video games like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne for 6 years before that.Michelle loves to make things, especially pictures and illustrations. From comics to music videos, architectural renders to Virtual Reality experiences, she wants to bring worlds and ideas to life.

Filippo is a designer, artist and researcher based in London. His work focuses on developing practices that connect life-centred design, responsible innovation and futures thinking. He is a visiting lecturer at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, LUISS Roma University, and Service Design Campus Barcelona, among others. Previously he spearheaded ethical design strategy and policy at the BBC in his role of UX Principal for Ethical Experiences and is now an independent consultant, advising clients such as Edinburgh University and the UK Health Security Agency. He’s a co-founding member of art group IOCOSE, which explores the social, cultural, political and economic implications of technology. Their work has been exhibited in institutions such as The Photographers Gallery and Venice Art Biennale, and has achieved recognition with multiple awards, including Talent Prize (2017), and Fondazione Modena Arti Visive’s Level 0 (2021).

Alan is a web developer with product management experience who is focused on architecting and developing digital solutions for industrial problems.His experience is informed by working with some of the bigger heavy engineering companies in the world and tech for good projects on identity, fair access to education, economic wellbeing prediction, and AI-driven policy making.Currently he's working on an autonomous drone inspection system for the energy sector https://www.perceptual-robotics.com, and they are hiring here https://apply.workable.com/perceptual-robotics/"

Ibrahim is a senior environment artist currently working at Firesprite, a videogame studio in Liverpool. He has been working in the videogames industry for 12 years, starting out as a QA tester for Sony Playstation and Ubisoft Reflections before making the jump to environment art at Splash Damage. He was worked on a number of titles, including Dirty Bomb and the Gears of War franchise. ArtStation:https://www.artstation.com/artwahab

​Margaret Lee is a Leadership Coach helping executives and practitioners to lead with authenticity. Prior to coaching with Design Dept., Margaret was a veteran User Experience leader at Google, where she held roles building and leading teams in Chrome, Search, and Maps, and most recently was Director of UX Community + Culture at Google, a program she founded to serve and empower the company’s global User Experience organisation. Over twenty-five years in the tech industry has shaped her current commitment: creating conditions where teams can flourish and individuals can uncover their unique potential and leadership style. Margaret speaks and writes about her personal journey as a leader, and our collective responsibility ​to advance​ diversity and inclusion in the workplace.Follow and connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretlee/

Jane is Design Director at Reason Digital, a social enterprise that makes digital things for good causes, with clients like Refuge, Age UK and The Trussell Trust. Before that, she spent 18 years in the BBC UX&D team, on a whole bunch of different products like iPlayer, BBC Sport, CBeebies and CBBC, Red Button and Bitesize. She’s interested in building ethical experiences, trauma-informed research and design practices, knitting and karate. You can check out Reason Digital here: https://reasondigital.com/

Tom is a UX Lead at cinch, the fastest-funded tech unicorn in UK history. Aiming to radically change the way we shop for cars, he was part of the team that relaunched the platform during the pandemic, and has helped build the UX team to the 40-strong group of superstars it is today.Starting out as an illustrator/animator, he worked on TV projects with clients like the BBC, Channel 4 and Virgin. He squirrelled away at London agencies and worked his way up to Jr Director, before realising it wasn’t for him (and having a momentary career crisis).He packed it all in to embrace his analytical side and pursue proper problem-centred design.Today we talk about the difference between creative and UX disciplines, design as a team sport, and peoples’ misunderstanding of UX.

Sue has been working in design for the past 30 years, with the first part of her design career in a traditional graphic design role, where she happily freelanced for over 15 years.After craving the opportunity to work in digital design, she decided to transition into UX in 2015 after feeling disillusioned with her role as a Design Manager for a high street retailer.Her first UX design role was at the BBC working on Children’s Games. She moved into Voice & AI where she worked on many conversational design projects including the BBC Alexa Kids Skill and Beeb.Sue co-founded Ladies that UX Liverpool back in 2018 and is now a Senior UX Designer at The Very Group. She is also a past InnovateHer mentor and a passionate accessibility advocate.She enjoys the whole process from discovery through to delivery and utilising both data and research, whether it be a user problem or a strategic business opportunity.For Sue, it’s very much a team game. A huge part of her job satisfaction lies in choosing which activities or methodologies are needed to uncover what the key issues are, to be able to solve them and lead to successful outcomes.---Ladies that UX Event---We're now into our 4th year of meet-ups at Ladies that UX Liverpool. Thanks to everyone who has supported us during that time as we've grown, especially in the last few years as we've moved online.To celebrate, we've got an amazing line up of Speakers for our next event on 9th March 6pm around #contentdesignGrab your tickets https://lnkd.in/d92xcCn2

Jake is part of Co-op’s newly formed Customer Experience team, working across both design and strategy. Previously, Jake worked on BBC iPlayer as a UX designer. Jake has a background in human-centred product and service design, having studied at Glasgow School of Art and University of the Arts in Philadelphia.Welcome to never let wonder go to waste.🎙 A podcast where we delve into the minds of master designers, product innovators and problem solvers where we uncover their journeys in finding joy and fulfilment in life and career.🎧 LISTEN Search "never let wonder go to waste" on your podcast app, or click these links:Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-let-wonder-go-to-waste/id1596451441?uo=4Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kls3poKAG6KzrPYUMa28pYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hN3CMdReNDH_jnhkVR6ug🔗 CONNECT:🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/NLWGTWpodcast?t=JuxQ2B1aIK0aBZDcdOc9hw&s=09📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neverletwondergotowaste🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Support by liking, sharing, subscribing and leaving a 5* review on iTunes / Apple Podcasts so we can beat the all powerful algorithm 😬

Patricia Fragoso has had a varied career over the past 15 years, working in management consulting, media, design and tech. She's worked in amazing companies such as Salesforce, Google and the BBC. She's a mechanical engineer at heart, and loves to take on problems, break them down, figure out the root causes, and solve them. In her current role as Experience Design Lead for Salesforce's International Professional Services department, she is responsible for building the Experience Design team outside of the United States, and work with her US counterpart to create a global design function. It's a challenge that combines all of Patricia's past experience, and she's looking for brilliant designers and consultants to join her, so get in touch with her if you're interested!She is Spanish, but grew up in the US, France, Switzerland, Japan and the UK. If only they made international passports, she'd probably have one.Welcome to never let wonder go to waste.🎙 A podcast where we delve into the minds of master designers, product innovators and problem solvers where we uncover their journeys in finding joy and fulfilment in life and career.🎧 LISTEN Search "never let wonder go to waste" on your podcast app, or click these links:Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-let-wonder-go-to-waste/id1596451441?uo=4Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kls3poKAG6KzrPYUMa28pYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hN3CMdReNDH_jnhkVR6ug🔗 CONNECT:🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/NLWGTWpodcast?t=JuxQ2B1aIK0aBZDcdOc9hw&s=09📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neverletwondergotowaste🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Support by liking, sharing, subscribing and leaving a 5* review on iTunes / Apple Podcasts so we can beat the all powerful algorithm 😬

Bruno Maag is a typeface designer and typographer with over 40 years of experience. He trained in metal typesetting, and in typographic design and visual communications at Basel School of Design, Switzerland. Bruno founded the world renowned typeface design studio Dalton Maag and oversaw the design of many of today’s most recognised brand typefaces.Bruno has taken great interest in the neuroscience of typography and has become an advocate for sensible and accessible type and typography based on scientific fact, not fiction.Welcome to never let wonder go to waste.🎙 A podcast where we delve into the minds of master designers, product innovators and problem solvers where we uncover their journeys in finding joy and fulfilment in life and career.🎧 LISTEN Search "never let wonder go to waste" on your podcast app, or click these links:Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-let-wonder-go-to-waste/id1596451441?uo=4Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kls3poKAG6KzrPYUMa28pYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hN3CMdReNDH_jnhkVR6ug🔗 CONNECT:🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/NLWGTWpodcast?t=JuxQ2B1aIK0aBZDcdOc9hw&s=09📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neverletwondergotowaste🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Support by liking, sharing, subscribing and leaving a 5* review on iTunes / Apple Podcasts so we can beat the all powerful algorithm 😬

Sara is a Junior UX Designer, currently working in the iPlayer team at The BBC. Only 6 months into her first UX role, she describes herself as ‘fresh out of the UX womb’. Upon graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2018 with a BSc in Psychology, she felt lost and anxiously unsure on what she wanted to do with her career and her life. She jumped from soul crushing, unpaid internships to well paid, mind numbingly boring jobs, desperately trying to find a role that felt meaningful. Until on a mundane Tuesday afternoon Sara’s friend mentioned User Experience Design and unknowingly changed the course of her life forever. Quitting a secure job in the middle of a pandemic would be described as risky and somewhat stupid by many but that is what she did. A year down the line, that risk seems to have paid off!

Ella is currently working as a service design consultant as part of Infinity Works for NHSD. She is part of a team looking to improve how clinical trials run in the UK. She started her design career as an apprentice in a large media company, then moved into service design at the BBC working on internal systems.

Chanelle has been obsessed with design and innovation from a very young age, rooted in family generations. From watching her grandma sewing dresses as a child, hearing stories of her grandad building car parts or observing her mum decorating the house every year, Chanelle has always been surrounded by people who make things. Her love for making things only increased when studying fashion and textiles at GCSE and A-Level, which boosted her to go on and study International Fashion Promotion at university. She spent 3 years developing skills within art direction, graphic design, photography, styling, visual merchandising and more, firing her even further into the creative industry.After university, Chanelle explored various areas of design working as a digital, graphic and social media designer for start-ups and fashion players, before undertaking a Masters in Digital Design. It was at this point where Chanelle discovered the world of UX, falling in love with the human-centred approach, which then led her to kick-start a career as a UX + Service designer for the BBC.3 years on, Chanelle now works for dxw — a leading employee-owned digital agency that works with the public and third sectors. Since her time at dxw, she has collaborated on large government projects at Homes England and Ofsted as well as charity organisations like Mind.Chanelle is a big believer in ‘energy’ – particularly sharing this energy to form meaningful connections – so will often be seen leading design communities, mentoring future designers, talking at universities on the power of mindset or writing about her week on Medium. One of her goals for 2022 is to continue to develop her personal brand through powerful storytelling so that others are also empowered to tell their own stories.- “When you learn, teach + when you get, give” - Maya AngelouConnect with Chanelle:Instagram | Medium | LinkedIn: @chanellepal

Dave has been working as a Designer for the past 7 years. He originally studied Industrial Design at University and spent 4 years after graduating designing physical products. In his time as an Industrial Designer he worked on everything from parking machines to guitars, indulging in his passion for making.After a few side projects that involved building digital experiences Dave stumbled across the term 'UX' and he was immediately intrigued. In 2018 he decided to take the plunge and transition into UX full time joining the BBC UX trainee scheme for a full year of learning and reconfiguring. A couple of years later he's now a fully fledged UXer currently working in the Co-op Digital Funeral care team building internal tools used every day by thousands of colleagues.Dave is driven by the belief that design is a powerful tool for change. He believes that It can be used to tackle the smallest of problems like a button on a page, through to the biggest, like a huge societal issue. He loves that he has found this outlook in design and can't wait to see where the journey will take him.

Amy Thornley has been working in the digital industry for almost 10 years. Amy trained in Interaction Design but originally began her career working (somewhat unexpectedly) as a Front End Developer before transitioning into design and learning much of her UX craft at the BBC. Amy has continued her UX career at User Centred Design Agency - Nexer Digital; using her expertise in public sector, education and healthcare environments.For Amy, the purpose of design has always been to make stuff better. She is particularly passionate about inclusive design having spearheaded several accessibility projects in her time at the BBC. She loves to collaborate with others, experimenting, playing and learning to find the most impactful solutions. As a child, Amy was told she asked why too much. Amy continues to ask why today; endlessly fascinated by people and trying to understand the problems they're having to make stuff better!

A seasoned UX designer with a focus on UX strategy. Josh has worked with some huge global healthcare brands, Fintech and sports footwear.🔗 CONNECT:🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/NLWGTWpodcast?t=JuxQ2B1aIK0aBZDcdOc9hw&s=09📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neverletwondergotowaste

Gareth has so far had a 36 year career path that has made no sense whatsoever, and has included being a sound engineer, artist, business development manager, design manager, product manager, joining BBC Marketing and Audiences in 2003, finally landing in the UX team in 2010 where he was a ‘Head of…’ for 12 years.He has dyslexia and ADHD which are not super powers and has a penchant for both cake and beer, although he rarely mixes the two.2005 Gareth founded the BBC’s Digital Accessibility Team. Over the course of the first 3 years the Accessibility Team was an integral part of iPlayer’s core product team and ensured the BBC iPlayer V1.0 launched as a fully accessible product. Gareth also established the Design Research Team in 2010 and subsequently became a Head of UX Design. Whilst at the BBC some of his achievements included:2009 he wrote and delivered the accessibility requirements for the YouView.com platform, including firsts for single switch access, cognitive UI design and a built-in magnifier2010 he returned from attachment to the YouView product team to reboot the Accessibility Team and founded the Design Research Team in UX.2011 his team pioneered the world's first Mobile Accessibility Guidelines, BBC MAG2012 he established the world’s first Accessibility Champions Network and in the same year was a key contributor to GamesAccessibilityGuidelines.com2014 he co-wrote the first physical workplace neurodiversity guidelines for BBC CAPE 2016 he co-managed the development of the BBC’s accessible typeface, BBC Reith and has gone on to become a specialist in accessible font design2017 he launched the BBC GEL Tech Docs project to make accessibility easier to deliver using Documentation Driven DevelopmentIn 2021 after working on the BBC’s rebrand and policies, Gareth left the BBC to work as a co-director of AB11y.com, to focus his efforts on developing the world's first ethical accessibility quantitative inclusive UX data platform.Gareth is also a prolific public speaker and regularly writes articles on accessibility in its broadest sense.https://garethfordwilliams.medium.com/🎧 LISTEN Search "never let wonder go to waste" on your podcast app, or click these links:Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/never-let-wonder-go-to-waste/id1596451441?uo=4Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kls3poKAG6KzrPYUMa28pYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hN3CMdReNDH_jnhkVR6ug🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Show some love by liking, sharing, subscribing and leaving a 5* review on iTunes / Apple Podcasts because I really want to beat the all powerful algorithm 😬🔗 CONNECT:🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/NLWGTWpodcast?t=JuxQ2B1aIK0aBZDcdOc9hw&s=09📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neverletwondergotowaste

Charles Burdett has been a film projectionist, animator, graphic designer and UX consultant. He has worked and consulted with the likes of BBC, Audi, ASDA, Co-op and the UK Government. His claim to fame is he once created an app that reached #1 in the App Store, only to be knocked off by Pokemon Go. He and his wife share their home in sunny Stockport (UK) with their extraordinary boy, needy dog and two grumpy rabbits.Throughout his career, Charles facilitated hundreds of workshops. To quell his Imposter Syndrome, he obsessively collected hundreds of workshop techniques that he turned into the Workshop Tactics card deck. From the success of this side-project, he founded Pip Decks, a publishing company producing “knowledge” card decks. The mission: to help experienced practitioners share their knowledge in a digestible format so anyone can leverage their brain to confidently lead their team.

A podcast where we delve into the minds of masters designers, product innovators and problem solvers. So with out further ado...lets never let wonder go to waste.