Dickon Kent
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Palm Springs, CA, United States
Toptal member since February 28, 2018
With 23+ years of remote experience, Dickon is a senior digital leader in UX, product design, digital strategy, and team management. He has conceived, planned, managed, designed, and built digital products for Disney, OPI, Paramount Pictures, and the Television Academy, servicing over 50 million users. Dickon's award-winning work has been twice nominated for a Webby as well as having been a Webby honoree.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Senior Product Designer
ChangeUp, Inc.
- Designed and prototyped a donation management system tailored for micro-donations, leveraging ChangeUp's existing APIs. With a comprehensive analytics suite, users easily create, configure, and deploy intelligent "donate-at-checkout" widgets.
- Crafted high-impact presentation materials, including decks and websites, securing interest from industry giants like Mastercard, Apple, Visa, Popsockets, and Square.
- Took the lead in designing Mastercard's Donate mobile app, launched amidst the global pandemic, and optimized with ChangeUp's technology for charitable giving.
- Pioneered the client onboarding process by designing a comprehensive deck and protocol, streamlining the integration of ChangeUp's Salesforce Commerce Cloud cartridge into new clients' eCommerce ecosystems.
Digital Creative Director | Product Manager
STX Entertainment
- Crafted a custom CMS for STX Entertainment's film catalog, now operational in the US and UK. The system leverages 15 years of Hollywood digital marketing expertise, offering an integrated solution for content management across multiple markets.
- Led the design team in developing the front-end interface, executing designs based on wireframes I created for the admin panel and user interface.
- Offered continuous app management support to marketing teams in the US and UK.
- Provided creative direction and leadership support for site updates tied to new film releases.
Chief Product Officer & Co-founder
MedReportGuard
- Spearheaded UX and design for MRG Suite, a multi-tenant, multi-user platform aiding forensic examiners in California. Collaborated closely with the technical PM and lead architect to bring the vision to life.
- Streamlined forensic and mandatory reporting by implementing a platform scalable from two to three-person medical teams to large county hospitals in California. Enhanced communication with law enforcement, DA's offices, and advocacy groups.
- Designed and executed California's 923 Sexual Assault form's UX and UI. Orchestrated a skilled design and dev team, managing an ongoing budget and UX improvements. Led client pitches and internal team direction.
- Directed the UI/UX design for DVRR, a specialized SaaS platform, resulting in a 175% surge in admissions of domestic violence survivors to Alameda County's Family Justice Center.
- Co-founded MedReportGuard and spearheaded design and branding. Actively pitched and strategized with state-level government organizations to secure partnerships and drive platform adoption. The business has since been acquired.
Founder & Head of Design and Development
dsire Digital Design & Web Development
- Founded dsire and oversaw all operational facets from budgeting and team-building to client consultations for business and online strategy. Excelled in technology recommendations, UX, branding, and multimedia design.
- Elevated brand stories for Hollywood studios like Fox, Disney, Warner Brothers, and NBC Universal by conceptualizing and delivering compelling design projects and marketing pitches. Clients also included Starz, Miramax, and The Hallmark Channel.
- Enhanced CreativeStartups.org's global operations by designing a web application platform that streamlined workflow for startup accelerator programs, unifying multiple teams worldwide.
- Designed and implemented eCommerce solutions for natural foods brands Rebbl and Eat the Change using Shopify, including custom development. Managed ongoing maintenance and frequent updates, optimizing user experience and sales performance.
- Crafted captivating, immersive websites for Quentin Tarantino's iconic films 'Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2' and 'Inglourious Basterds,' as well as the A Band Apart production company website.
Lead Product Designer
Kohmee
- Headed UX and design for Kohmee, a chef-crafted, cloud-based recipe and menu management platform tailored for food service professionals. Optimized workflow efficiencies and user engagement in professional kitchens.
- Collaborated closely with the owners to conceptualize and design the inaugural version of Kohmee's responsive application, ensuring it met the unique needs of food service professionals.
- Acted as a product consultant and strategized and designed workflow solutions that standardized professional menu creation in an industry lacking such norms. Contributed to setting a new industry standard through meticulous UX and design approach.
Lead Product Designer
CarAdvise
- Contributed to building a responsive web app that obtains trusted, reliable, and cost-effective car repairs at the user's convenience.
- Served as a product designer to expand CarAdvise's existing responsive web application, enhancing functionality and user experience while maintaining and updating brand consistency.
- Juggled multiple roles in the CarAdvise project, executing user research, conducting stakeholder interviews, undertaking industry analysis, and leading application and experience testing to optimize the platform.
- Crafted user personas and scenarios to guide project planning. Rapidly transitioned from paper prototypes to Sketch wireframes, spearheading UI design.
- Utilized Sketch and InVision for prototyping and iterated in collaboration with leadership to meet business objectives.
Digital Creative Director
OPI Products
- Led the redesign of OPI.com twice throughout a multi-year relationship with the client. Modified the User Experience of a Drupal content site in preparation for a major Amazon integration.
- Conceived and designed multiple digital marketing campaigns for the client, from social media to standalone applications, and developed concepts for extending the utilization and engagement of OPI.com.
- Worked on budgets and project management for ongoing client projects during the relationship.
- Achieved an increase in OPIs "Digital IQ" by 54% in 2015 as ranked by L2, Inc.
Digital Creative Director | Lead UX Designer
Paramount Pictures
- Orchestrated digital marketing for Paramount Pictures: led creative teams on 50+ film campaigns, including The Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo, Selma, and Mission Impossible and Star Trek franchises. Managed concept to execution, including A/V production.
- Contributed to Paramount campaigns for films, amassing 1,047 award nominations and 418 wins, including ten Oscars over a decade. My work aided in elevating these movies' profiles during award seasons.
- Developed multifaceted digital campaigns for Paramount, incorporating immersive online experiences, social activations, and contests to support brand partnerships with giants like Xbox, BestBuy, Nissan, and Apple, amplifying marketing impact.
- Designed media analytics and asset management tools tailored for Paramount's digital marketing departments, streamlining workflow and enhancing data-driven decision-making.
- Crafted several digital streaming pilot platforms and apps integral to the Paramount ecosystem, elevating user experience and streamlining content delivery across multiple web channels.
- Spearheaded time-sensitive digital ad campaigns for awards seasons, deftly updating creative assets in real-time for Oscar and Golden Globe nominations or wins. Managed rapid development cycles for theatrical releases, ensuring seamless updates.
Digital Creative Director | Lead UX Designer
Television Academy | Primetime Emmys
- Steered the 2014 Webby Award-honored overhaul of Emmys.com, assembling a talented team to migrate to the latest Drupal version. Delivered a responsive design and fresh features ahead of the Primetime Emmys.
- Spearheaded UX and visual design for the Television Academy's Nominations platform, a robust web-based system handling thousands of Emmy-hopeful applications across 100 categories. Both public and internal facing UX for admin, billing, and reporting.
- Unified branding across multiple Television Academy online platforms, enhancing the user experience by creating a cohesive visual identity for Academy members.
- Revamped the Academy Archives, a repository spanning 60 years of television, modernizing the UX of its 3,000+ video interviews for enhanced user engagement and accessibility.
Digital Creative Director
IBM eBusiness Innovation Center
- Designed and built the first B2B sales platform for Nestlé—automating orders with their smaller retail partners.
- Created a winning multimedia presentation for IBM to in their bid to get Boeing to purchase their in-flight internet (2000).
- Built—in six weeks, by myself and two other designers—a 3D fully animated Flash website for an office-sharing startup which netted IBM $300,000.
- Worked closely with development team to ensure the smooth transition of creative assets into the technical development.
Art Director
DNA Studio
- Designed and built motion-picture marketing websites for Tim Burton's film Sleepy Hollow, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Anna and the King, and many others for studios such as Paramount Pictures and Miramax.
Skills
Tools
Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Slack, Sketch, Illustrator 2018, InVision, Photoshop 2018, Figma, Figma Prototyping, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Office, Adobe After Effects, Usertesting.com, Adobe Media Encoder, Framer X, OmniGraffle, Flash, Subversion (SVN), Workamajig, ScreenFlow, Git, Jira, Xero, Asana
Industry Expertise
Consumer Products, Entertainment & Leisure, Film & Television, Marketing, Professional Services, Information Technology, Healthcare, Advertising, Fashion, Automotive
Platforms
WordPress, Adobe Suite, MacOS, iOS, Android, Web, Mobile, cPanel, Salesforce, Drupal, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Windows
Languages
HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, HTML
Other
App UX, Web Applications, Visual Design, eCommerce, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Responsive UI, User Scenarios, Brand Design, Marketing Design, Web Design, Web App UX, Web UX Design, Strategy, Web App Design, Web App UI, Teamwork, Scheduling, Digital Design, Pitch Decks, Business, Digital Marketing, Digital Creative Direction, Entrepreneurship, UX Flows, Creative Briefs, Proposal Design, Logo Design, Storytelling, Business Strategy, Branding, Dynamic Websites, Web UI, Web UX, User Experience (UX), UX Design, Dashboards, Dashboard Design, Product Design, Prototyping, SaaS Design, Wireframing, UI Design, User Interface (UI), Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Software as a Service (SaaS), Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), UX Wireframes, User Flows, Layout Design, B2B, SaaS, User Experience Design, User Experience Strategy, User Interviews, Creative Direction, Art Direction, Design Systems, User Personas, User Stories, Enterprise SaaS, Enterprise, User Journeys, Mobile App Design, Complex Web Systems, Leadership, Design Leadership, iOS App Design, Stakeholder Management, Responsive Web Apps, App Design, Layout, User Workflows, Mobile UX Design, Mobile UI Design, System Design, Data Visualization, Admin Panels, Form Design, Design Strategy, User Research, Journey Mapping, Mockups, Typography, Immersive Experiences, Presentation Design, WordPress Design, Conceptual Design, Low-fidelity Mockups, High-fidelity Mockups, UX Principles, Concepting, Demos, Graphic Design, Marketing Materials, Executive Presentations, UX Strategy, Design Documentation, MVP Design, eCommerce Design, Website Design, Web UI Design, Squarespace, Web Dashboards, Compliance, Interactive Prototypes, UX Prototyping, Lead Generation, Landing Page Design, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Landing Page Optimization, Mobile Prototypes, UI Prototyping, Product Strategy, Style Guides, Project Management, FTP, Budgeting, Copywriting, UX Research, Stripe API, Stripe, User Testing, Fintech, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Workshops, HandBrake, Laravel, Videos, Audio, Design, Software QA, Nonprofits, Finance Reports, Award-winning, Motion Graphics, Sound Design, Team Scheduling, Social Media Marketing (SMM), Movie Studios, Celebrities & Influencers, Client Relations, Law Enforcement, Hospitals, HIPAA Compliance, Website CMS, Rich Media, Beauty Products, Google Maps, Image Processing, Customer Support, Team Building, Personas, Consumer Applications, DoubleClick for Publishers, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Apps, Unbounce, Typeform, OpenAI, Midjourney, A/V Production
Experience
- User Experience (UX) - 20 years
- Digital Design - 20 years
- User Interface (UI) - 20 years
- Digital Creative Direction - 18 years
- Prototyping - 16 years
- Product Design - 16 years
- SaaS Design - 13 years
- Figma - 5 years
Tools
- Figma
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
Share your needs
Choose your talent
Start your risk-free talent trial
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring