Danae Botha
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Toptal member since June 24, 2019
Danae (pronounced DUN-ay) has over 19 years of design experience, producing unmatched digital products for startups, scale-ups, and smaller businesses to international clients, such as Cambridge Dictionary and Subway. She's an experienced digital designer, passionate about developing the disparate threads of branding, user research, strategy, information architecture, UX strategy, prototyping, UI design, development, and testing into elegant, effective products for her clients.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Senior UI/UX Consultant
Freelance
- Served as the lead UX designer for multiple successful startups and established companies in various industries, including social, fitness and nutrition, healthcare, career management, professional services, fintech, insurtech, and supply chain sectors.
- Redesigned the online Cambridge Dictionary to appeal to a mobile-first market, improve overall UX, and be AMP compliant.
- Crafted the UI/UX design for an innovative construction, snagging mobile app for iOS and Android.
- Consulted on a target customer experience analysis for the Leeds Building Society.
- Re-designed the UI/UX of a portal for an international road and rail logistics company, G&W (owner of Pentalver and Freightliner).
- Contributed to the branding and UI/UX for various companies in the technology and entertainment sectors.
Web App Designer | Automation Data Protection SaaS
Elastio Software, Inc
- Designed a web app to provide online data protection services.
- Refined the information architecture and data structure of the app.
- Streamlined the design system and worked with developers to implement it.
UX/UI Designer
Chariot Software Inc.
- Designed a web app for a shipping logistics company.
- Developed the overarching information architecture and app structure.
- Refined the existing design system and created new components as needed.
Product Designer
Jauntr Group, Inc.
- Designed an AI-powered travel app that helps users find the ideal itinerary for their dream trips.
- Devised and designed the app architecture and data structure, ensuring efficient user navigation.
- Created a comprehensive design system and prepared it for development handover.
Website Designer (Freelance)
Hamilton Rock Ltd
- Designed the MVP for a banking and accounting app for a startup in Ireland.
- Helped plan and map the app architecture, including the overarching data structure.
- Created a comprehensive design system and branding, including logo, colors, and component styles.
UX/UI Designer
Prabhu Palanisamy
- Designed the information architecture and structure of various Atlassian apps.
- Created various features for an Atlassian marketplace tool, including onboarding, rewards, and 3rd-party integrations.
- Designed the public-facing marketing website to help promote the Atlassian app.
UI Designer
SalesPath SAS
- Improved the UI and design system to be more modern and streamlined.
- Performed a UX audit and implemented UX improvements.
- Prepared files and design library for development handover.
Product Designer
Alfii Software Services DMCC
- Designed an online HR platform including various features, including onboarding, data management, time scheduling, payroll, and more.
- Created a comprehensive information architecture and site structure.
- Created a full design system and worked with developers in sprints for handover.
UI/UX Designer
Benga Inc.
- Conceptualized and designed complex features involving data capture, API integration, and workflow automation.
- Built a fully responsive and customizable design system in Figma, including font and color styles, as well as a large library of components.
- Demonstrated design patterns using fully interactive prototypes that were used to get stakeholder buy-in and user feedback.
- Liaised regularly with devs and other design team members to ensure alignment across the entire product.
UX/UI Lead
ProFinda
- Designed a resourcing and talent management app for a London startup, targeting the big four consultancies that provide an unrivaled resourcing experience for clients across the UK, US, and Australia.
- Built a brand identity guide, including colors, typography, and logo design. Worked with management and stakeholders to create a refreshed vision for the brand.
- Collaborated with client service and sales to create a UX strategy and audited the legacy tool to suggest and implement improvements, resulting in landing a further three major firms and branches.
- Spearheaded UX thinking and worked closely and successfully with remote development teams across Europe to successfully implement the new UX strategy and direction, using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
- Interpreted user data to test and iterate design patterns and user flows—completely reformed and reskinned a legacy cloud SaaS to become modern and professional.
Head of Design and User Experience
Isle Interactive
- Utilized user research and design techniques to improve the overall user experience for a world-leading scheduling and timetabling application and redesigned the entire suite of products to be cloud-based, thereby relieving user pain points.
- Defined interaction models, user personas and flows, and UI specifications.
- Ran discovery workshops and stakeholder interviews.
- Defined and implemented functional information architecture.
- Produced wireframes and prototyping of mobile and responsive applications.
- Communicated scenarios, end-to-end experiences, interaction models, and screen designs to stakeholders and development.
- Implemented the UI/UX for the large online real estate portal Cheffins.
Creative Director
Creative Monarchy
- Iterated and launched an online flight booking system enabling South African customers to book flights online easier and faster than before. As the lead UX designer, I infused user-centered methodologies into the entire development process.
- Provided UX consulting for clients in the education and technology sectors, focusing on user-centered design.
- Ran discovery workshops and stakeholder and user interviews.
- Produced wireframes and prototyping of mobile and responsive applications.
- Was awarded the CSS Awards Site of The Day in 2015.
Senior UX/UI Designer
Aqua Online
- Conceptualized and devised through-the-line campaigns and applications for clients such as Coca-cola, Microsoft, and Nokia.
- Provided UX direction focusing on user-centered, strategy-led design.
- Conducted research using a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Worked on user interviews, surveys, task analysis, and competitive analysis.
- Produced user personas, investigative user studies, and interviews.
- Conducted product testing such as A/B, remote user, and usability testing.
- Conceptualized and designed various successful digital campaigns for international brand names. Through user-centered design, I helped increase revenue, user engagement, and brand love across my entire client base.
Web and New Media Designer
Freelance
- Developed and defined CRM practices for an international catering equipment supplier.
- Created rich media ads for social media campaigns.
- Designed HTML websites for various brands in Johannesburg, SA.
- Created branding and design systems for various independent brands.
- Designed interactive Macromedia Flash websites for the hospitality and education sectors.
Skills
Tools
InVision, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Usertesting.com, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, Sketch, Atlassian, Atlassian Suite, Miro, InVision Studio, Marvel, Marvel App, Zeplin, Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Office, Adobe CC
Platforms
Mobile, iOS, Android, Web, Adobe Suite, Figma, Mobile (Tablet), Desktop, Axure, MacOS, WordPress
Industry Expertise
Consumer Products, Real Estate, Fitness, Healthcare, Logistics, Marketing, Professional Services, Education Technology (Edtech), Exercise & Fitness, Social Networking, Hospitality, Restaurants & Dining, Government, Human Resources (HR), Music
Languages
Flash ActionScript, CSS, CSS3, HTML
Other
UI Design, SaaS Design, Enterprise SaaS, B2B, B2C, UX Design, Web App UI, Mobile App Design, Mobile UX, Interactive Prototypes, Mobile UX Design, UX Audits, Dashboard Design, Data Visualization, Interface Design, SaaS, User Portal Design, Data-informed Visual Design, Web Design, Responsive, UX Leadership, Navigation, Web UX, Digital Creative Direction, Design Leadership, Mobile UI, Job Search Sites, Material UI, App UX, App UI, Dashboards, Tablet UI, Tablet UX, Agile UX, User Personas, User Flows, Web App UX, Data, Usability, Personas, Project Estimation, User Testing, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), UX Flows, User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Mobile Apps, Information Architecture (IA), WordPress Design, Visual Design, Prototyping, Product Design, Wireframing, Design Thinking, Ideation, Web App Design, High-fidelity Mockups, Enterprise Design, Workflow, User Interviews, WebApp, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), Internal Systems, Mobile Design, Mobile App UI, System Design, Design Strategy, MVP Design, UI Prototyping, Tables, UI Components, UX Strategy, New Product Development, UX Wireframes, Minimalism, Web UI, User Journeys, Intuitive UX Design, Design Systems, UX Research, Responsive UI, Mobile UI Design, Web Portals, User Research, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Journey Mapping, UX Documentation, Landing Page Design, Digital Product Design, Early-stage Startups, Material Design, Stakeholder Management, Mockups, UX Architecture, Cross-platform, Map-based Systems, User Stories, Lean UX, Team Leadership, UX Mentoring, Agile, Process Optimization, Usability Testing, App Design, Apps, Mobile Prototypes, Best Practices in Design, UI Audits, Websites, Interactive UX, Layout, UX Prototyping, Style Guides, Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Interactive Prototyping, Audits, Annotated Wireframes, Accessibility, Design Guidelines, iPad, Software as a Service (SaaS), Customer Journeys, Layout Design, Web Applications, Component Libraries, UX Testing, Customer Portals, Design Workshops, Design Production, Business to Business (B2B), High-fidelity Prototypes, Design, Responsive Design, Design Sprints, Email Template Design, Infographics, Funnel Optimization, Messaging, Heuristics, Usability Heuristics, Design Libraries, Startups, React, White Label Design, Workshops, User-centered Design (UCD), Big Data, Big Data UX Design, Big Data Architecture, Web UX Design, Interviews, Web UI Design, User Validation, Heuristic Analysis, User Journey Maps, Interactive UI, Google Material Design, Heuristic Evaluation, UX Review, Web Dashboards, Software Design, Low-fidelity Prototypes, Product Discovery, Customer Experience, Design Thinking Facilitation, Presentation Design, Presentations, Visual Storytelling, Storytelling, Brand Guidelines, Landing Pages, Color Palettes, Typography, Lean Startups, Product Ownership, User Experience Design, User Experience Strategy, CX Strategy, Interactive Design, Microinteraction Design, Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS), Stakeholder Interviews, Animated Prototypes, Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS), Checkout, Wizards, Sitemaps, Design Documentation, Product Owner, Remote User Testing, Branding, Logo Design, Digital Agencies, Portfolios, Recipes & Cooking, Consulting, Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), Community, Quiz Generation, Educational Games, Data Capture, Investing, Property Listings, In-app Messaging Systems, Interaction Design (IxD), Illustration, Graphic Design, Pure CSS, WordPress Themes, Analytics, Customer Research, Subscriptions, Brand Design, Feature Prioritization, eCommerce, Gamification, CRM Design, Marketplaces, Marketplace Design, Decision Support Systems, Fintech, Sustainability, White Labeling, API Integration, Notion, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Product Strategy, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), eCommerce UI, eCommerce Design, Conversational UI, Conversational Design, Conversational UX, WCAG 2, Google Design Sprints, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Food Ordering, Content Management Systems (CMS), Finance, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), AI Design, Social Media, Travel Design, Motion Design, Internet of Things (IoT), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Marketplace Platforms, Human-centered AI, Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Online Auctions, Fast Food, Maps, Farms, Animation, HTML UI, Exercise & Gyms, Nutrition & Supplements, Motion & Animation Design, Chatbots, Machine Learning, DataViz, Product Roadmaps, Architectural Design, Project Management, AI Content Creation, Product Management
Experience
- User Interface (UI) - 15 years
- UX Audits - 15 years
- User Experience (UX) - 12 years
- Wireframing - 10 years
- Information Architecture (IA) - 10 years
- Product Design - 10 years
- Interactive Prototypes - 8 years
- SaaS Design - 6 years
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