Aeon Timeline, a desktop application for writers

I took the beta version of Aeon Timeline and fundamentally redefined the user interface, consolidating two modes into a unified view. Considerable usability enhancements were made including item editing, selection and improvements to the behaviour of the interface where events are associated with entities, such as people or places.

I specified a ground-up redesign of the UI, tweaking or re-defining pretty much all of it. I looked at the entire timeline including the calendar and navigation tools, the dialogs and selection controls plus application and toolbar icons. Design choices conform to the Apple HIG and Aeon Timeline is now a best-of-class Mac application.

Spark, a pan-government application

Spark is pitched as the UK Government's central repository for showcasing projects in the innovation space. It provides a place to build partnerships across the public and private sectors and civil society to deliver more for less. It is an open community where people can collaborate on projects, share ideas, share costs and re-use what's already there to create efficiencies, avoid duplication and save money.

Full system architecture was produced and then developed in a semi-agile environment. Spark is an open and collaborative project and will include in its design a semantic metadata standard for the definition of government projects which will be implemented in RDFa. Iterative system architecture and visual design work was developed for the project and is available on request.

Spark is part of a pan-government project called the Key Programme and is built with support of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Directgov (Cabinet Office) and the Department of Work and Pensions.

Travelex full redesign

Travelex sell foreign currency. Most people will have seen them at the airport, but by visiting their site customers can also pre-order money and have it delivered or counted and ready when they get to the departure gate.

This project was an end-to-end job from winning the pitch and then through all stages of the project:

• A completely documented IA process which included a re-modeling of the Travelex online sales tools.
• Scripting and running a series of user tests on a protptype.
• Art direction and design othe complete site.
• Presentation to all levels at all project stages.
• Management of the production work and developement.

The result was a highly usable sales platform based on tested online tools that Travelex rolled‑out worldwide.

Lloyds TSB account applications

One of a number of projects Art Directed and designed for Lloyds TSB, this was perhaps the most effective project: Revisiting the online tools customers used to apply for bank accounts.

I realised that there’s more to applying for a bank account than filling in the form. In a way there is a huge chore to be overcome which nobody wants to do. So, to be successful the process has to be as painless as possible. The project therefore revolved around two main issues:

• Make the form-filling process as easy and painless as possible.
• Don't allow the customer to feel they're on their own.

So the process is as simple as possible and the applicant has helpful tools along the way: Their expectations are set before they begin – it will take ten minutes; There is online help available at all stages; Customers can choose to 'pause' the process and return later when they have time.

The redesign of this system was so successful it turned an 80% drop-off in applications started before the re-design to an 80% rate of completion afterwards.

Scottish Widows

Scottish Widows rebranded and redeployed their online offer for pensions, investments and life insurance.

As art director I was responsible for the entire redesign of the site. Designed to Level 2 DDA compliance I supervised and heavily contributed to the Information Architecture phase of the project. In all Scottish Widows now has a modern, open and accessible face.

Later I returned to complete a second phase of the project – Scottish Widows provide an extranet for the Financial Adviser community. I redesigned that to sympathetically fit-in with the corporate site.