I help businesses define themselves, tell their story in a way that resonates with customers, understand what their customers want, develop products and services that meet those needs, and build effective customer experiences, sales journeys, and onboarding journeys.
About James
My journey to becoming a strategist/UX designer started in graphic and website design. Here, my background in product design meant that I was forever attempting to extend the brief to provide great usability and a great user experience, which led to my becoming a UX designer.
Working as a UX designer enabled an increased focus on delivering websites that provide both a great experience and meet the business objectives, more so than had been the case when working as a designer. However, the problem-solving path led ever further back down the process of conceiving, designing, and developing apps and websites.
So often, the roots of a poor user experience, or the underperformance of an app or website, are the result of a series of decisions and their consequences, made earlier in a project, often at the business and digital strategy stage.
This is why I now work to help businesses deliver the results that they had hoped for, preferably from the outset, by working holistically to connect business strategy to digital strategy, and strategy to web presence and customer interactions, be that in an app, SaaS product, website, or social media campaigns.
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Speaking and mentoring
Speaking
I speak and run workshops on the subjects of creating successful websites and the principles of design thinking.
- South Thames College – visiting speaker: principles of successful websites, and using WordPress (for IT students).
- Queen Mary’s University London – visiting speaker/workshop facilitator: the principles of design thinking (for MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management students).
Mentoring
I mentor entrepreneurs who would like support with filling in the gaps between idea and launch; mission/vision/values, understanding their market and audience, shaping their product/service, and setting priorities.
Available via Digital Boost and Grow Local, and by booking a call.
Surviving The Gap
For the last year or so, I have been collaborating on Surviving The Gap.
For the last couple of years, Surviving The Gap has been running free workshops that are designed to help people handle the emotional stresses associated with job hunting. The longer-term aims are to help people during their job search, both from an emotional point of view and with practical training and upskilling.
My role covers strategy and experience, as well as handling the digital operational logistics.
Small Business Network, Board of Directors
I am a director of a local business networking group for small businesses.
How I can work with you
We will help you create an app, website, or SaaS product that meets your business goals and the needs of your users or customers:
- Put you on the path to success with vision, goals, & strategy workshops
- Help you create & deliver a successful outcome via business-focused, evidence-based, sprints & workshops
- Diagnose, & fix when results are not as you’d hope for
Where I have worked
We have over 10 years of delivering strategy, UX and CX both directly with B2B & B2C businesses, and via agencies:
- Startups & small businesses
- Large businesses & organisations
- In-house teams
- Digital, PR, & marketing agency teams
