Overview
With over 10 years of industry experience, I’ve grown to specialise in delivering high-quality digital products and tools, enabling clients to build their ideas into real things that other people can use. I’ve worked for some of the biggest tech brands in the world, from blockchain technology to sports, from e-commerce to e-learning.
My recent work spans over a year at IOHK working on native DApps and web products for a decentralised future. Before that, a year at The International Tennis Federation, bringing tennis to fans and players everywhere on any device, and then a 2-year contract at Dyson, designing multiple websites for The James Dyson Foundation and leading a team of designers to deliver a complete overhaul of dyson.co.uk in Canada.
I also run a YouTube channel and travel blog called The Trail Hunter with over 25,000 subscribers, aimed at aspiring and experienced long-distance hikers who want to lighten their load and hike in different countries around the world.
Lastly, I started my own company designing and developing waterproof, tearproof, recyclable notebooks for human-powered travel and decided to call Thrunotes.
Download CV .pdfThe right stuff
Tool kit
Skill set
Roles
UX/UI Designer - Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK)
September 2020 - Present
With the rise of technology and the internet, we're living in a world where trust, identity, security, finance, data, and power are at the top of our list when it comes to misuse and exploitation. The people of the world will ultimately seek out solutions to these personal, economic and political challenges. Blockchain technology is stepping up to the challenges we face in all aspects of our lives and is rapidly providing us with solutions. At IOHK, I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work on these solutions.
Financial agreements without banks, decentralised finance wallets, DApp stores, and smart contract development playgrounds are just some of the things I've been designing with the aim of putting them into the hands of millions, if not billions around the world.
Recent roles
Freelance Senior UX/UI Designer - The International Tennis Federation
April 2019 - January 2020
In 2019, the ITF went through their biggest digital transformation in over 15 years. The ITF already had a website, but it wasn’t accessible on mobile devices. Fans and players wanted their tennis everywhere. The brief: To create a complete end to end solution which enables fans, players and coaches to enjoy tennis everywhere, as well as to tell the story of the ITF and explain who they are and what they do.
My key tasks were to work closely with key stakeholders in the business to deliver a user experience and UI style guide that would meet the requirements of the ITF 2024 strategy, the ITF brand guidelines and incorporate all data into components that would scale across multiple devices and platforms. As the only designer, it was my responsibility to deliver finalised designs from concept to build and ensure the built pages met the level of quality and attention to detail required.
Working in 2-week sprints, my duties spanned across the entire work flow of the project. Beginning with meetings with stakeholders of the business to discuss the requirements for each section of the website. I’d then feed back on the requirements based on analytics reports and UX principles in the form of schematics and wireframes, ensuring the proposed layouts and components could be delivered in the time given.
I’d then work with 2 front-end and 2 back-end developers in an agile environment to build my designed pages to tight deadlines by collaborating with them, giving extensive feedback on all components and pages, and signing off the build before sending to the release environments for senior stakeholder review. Between May and December, we successfully delivered the new ITF website you see today.
Key achievements:
Freelance Senior UI/UX Designer - L’Oréal
February - March 2019
Hands-on role in delivering new user-centred end to end design for the Vichy sub-brand. My responsibilities included understanding their audience to deliver a UX strategy based on user needs to implement a new UI and content design structure from site map to wireframe and mobile-first designs, integrating articles and products across the e-commerce and editorial areas of vichy.co.uk.
Freelance Senior UX/Ui Designer - Dyson Canada
August 2017 - August 2018
After redesigning The James Dyson Foundation websites, my contract was extended to lead the design team for market rollout of the new dyson.co.uk website to dysoncanada.ca
. My role involved planning and sign-off of our junior designer’s work, nurturing the new talent in the team and ensuring a high-quality output of pages. As a team we achieved the fastest rollout of any market in Digital Leap.
Freelance Lead UX/UI Designer - The James Dyson Foundation
December 2016 - August 2017
In 2017, Dyson went through their largest digital transformation in over a decade, Digital Leap. My initial role there was to completely redesign two websites for both of Dyson’s charitable arms, The James Dyson Foundation as well as the James Dyson Award.
As the only designer, it was my responsibility to deliver high quality, responsive page designs to tight deadlines, as well as work closely with the developers, producers and content administrators to ensure Dyson’s Digital UX and Design Principles were implemented throughout the creative and across multiple markets.
Freelance Senior Digital Designer - Google Squared
September 2014 - July 2016
Google already had a face-to-face programme called Squared, my job was to create the same collaborative approach in the form of a virtual learning campus called Squared Online.
Other key tasks at Squared Online included a complete re-design of their marketing website, all of their print-based brochures and live class presentations. As well as winning a silver at the e-learning awards, we also won a pitch at Google enabling the business to expand to Asia Pacific and North America due to the success of the new product and business opportunities that it opened up.
Other roles
Digital Designer - The Body Shop
May - September 2013
Visiting Tutor - Arts University Bournemouth
May 2013
Digital Design Intern - Interbrand Cologne
April - May 2013
Design Intern - Interbrand London
March - April 2013
Freelance Digital Designer - John Lewis
November 2012 - February 2013
Digital Design Intern - LBi
September - October 2012
Freelance Digital Designer - Zack Media
August 2012
Digital Design Intern - Uber Digital
July 2012
Design Intern - Moving Brands
June 2012
Design Intern - MTV
May 2012
Awards and contributions
Nomination for Digital Design
D&AD - 2012
Student of the year
BA (Hons) Visual Communication - 2012
Course representative
BA (Hons) Visual Communication - 2012
Head of Art Award
Queen Mary's College - 2007
Testimonials
"Russ worked at AVADO for a couple of years, mostly on our Google partnership Squared Online – as a graphic designer he’s a rare combination of vision and attention to detail – and his output invariably produces the response – 'that just works…'. He spent late hours beyond the call of duty on a couple of big deadline driven pieces – remaining good humoured and positive throughout. I highly recommend Mr Hepton."
Mark Mark O’Donohhue
CEO, Avado
"I worked with Russell during his time at LBi and it was a pleasure to meet such a positive, honest, passionate and talented person. Russell was such an enthusiastic designer, extremely keen throughout the projects he worked on. I was very impressed with his portfolio work – not to be missed! He not only gets stuck in with design work, but is also a hugely imaginative thinker – and confident in his approach. I wish him all the best in his exciting creative career. He is a breath of fresh air and a great pleasure to work with."
Juliette Alliban
Senior Designer, LBi
"Russ is a pleasure to work with – he’s hard working, a great communicator, flexible and is always willing to go the extra mile to get a great result."
Ralph La Fontaine
Head of Learning Operations, CIPD
"Russell graduated from our BA (Hons) Visual Communication course at Arts University College Bournemouth in 2012 with a First class Honours degree. He was an outstanding student; a strong conceptual thinker who showed flare and imagination in the execution of his ideas. Importantly he was one of those students who 'added to the course' through his charming personality and committed approach to his study. Following graduation he has enhanced his CV and experience further with successful placements at a number of top design consultancies through the D&AD Graduate Academy."
Amanda Jackson
Owner and Creative Director, Jackdaw Design
