James is available for hire
Hire JamesJames Davie
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
London, United Kingdom
Toptal member since April 30, 2020
Bio
London-based product designer with 20+ years' experience, specialising in complex, data-heavy products. I've led design for Lloyds commercial banking, built the design system behind MUFG Investor Services' client portals, designed for Meta's work products and led UI on the selfridges.com redesign. I work end to end, from wireframes to polished UI and design systems, alongside developers. I put the hard work in so difficult things feel simple for users.
Portfolio
Selfridges & Co. | Full Responsive Site Design
User Interface (UI)User Experience (UX)Retail & WholesaleFashionResponsive Web Design (RWD)eCommerce+ 2 more
Virgin Sport | Full site design
User Interface (UI)User Experience (UX)Sports WebsitesResponsive Web Design (RWD)InVisionSports+ 4 more
Amnesty International UK | Responsive Website
Responsive UICharityUser Experience (UX)User Interface (UI)Photoshop DesignNon-governmental Organizations (NGOs)+ 3 more
Experience
- Adobe Creative Suite - 15 years
- Web UI - 15 years
- User Interface (UI) - 10 years
- Responsive Design - 8 years
- InVision - 5 years
- Product Design - 5 years
- Sketch - 5 years
- Mobile App UI - 5 years
Tools
- Sketch
- InVision
- Adobe Creative Suite
Work Experience
Investment Management Client Portal UI Designer
2020 - 2026
MUFG
- Reviewed the UX of an investment application as a consultant, then expanded the role to Lead Product Designer overseeing UX and UI across client SaaS portals.
- Built a full design system from scratch, creating reusable components and patterns now used across multiple MUFG applications.
- Translated complex fund administration requirements into wireframes, prototypes and production-ready UI for alternative investment clients.
- Turned dense data from multiple internal systems into clear visual summaries, client profiles and SLA views that non-specialist users could read at a glance.
- Evolved the portals over several years based on client feedback, adding features while keeping design and behaviour consistent through the design system.
- Oversaw design across multiple areas of the business as Senior Associate Director, setting standards and improving the quality of work across teams.
Technologies: UI Design, Visual Design, Fintech, UI Design Standards & Best Practices, Financial UX, UI Patterns, Dashboard Design, Investment Banking, Dashboards, Atomic Design, Product Design, Figma, UX Design, Data Visualization, Design Systems, High-fidelity Mockups, High-fidelity Prototypes, High-fidelity Wireframes, Prototyping, UI Components
Lead UI Designer
2022 - 2023
Meta
- Helped develop a brand style guide and component library for a work-specific product of Meta. Worked closely with developers and external branding agencies to create a long-term branding strategy.
- Worked with the core design team to integrate Meta for Work into the core Meta.com online presence. This was achieved with a very demanding deadline of a global announcement. It was a collaborative effort between multiple teams in multiple countries.
- Worked closely with the lead UX designer to further refine and develop the product design strategy between our department and the global design team within Meta.
Technologies: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, UI Design, Design Systems, High-fidelity Mockups, High-fidelity Prototypes, Prototyping, UI Components
Lead UI Designer
2018 - 2020
Lloyds Banking Group
- Led the UI design for a complex fully responsive support website for commercial banking users.
- Developed a style guide and pattern library for a commercial banking application.
- Designed new functionality as required by regulators in rapid sprint cycles.
- Managed the design roadmap and individual team members scheduling.
- Oversaw the UI components for a commercial banking platform looking to replatform.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, InVision, Sketch, Product Design, UI Design, Dashboards, Data Visualization, Design Systems, High-fidelity Mockups, High-fidelity Prototypes, High-fidelity Wireframes, Prototyping, UI Components
Senior UX and UI Designer
2017 - 2018
Deutsche Bank
- Produced the full product design of a fully responsive website for Wealth Management clients, adapting a monthly digital magazine for mobile, tablet and desktop.
- Created a new component library and style guide, defining design patterns from scratch where none existed and giving the marketing team a flexible set of templates.
- Designed complex investment portfolio management apps for Deutsche Bank’s Asset and Wealth Management divisions in the EMEA region, using rapid prototyping to test ideas.
- Contributed to the team development of an SDK and style guides used across the business, helping keep design and build consistent across Deutsche Bank products.
- Designed charts and data visualisation graphics that turned complex market and portfolio data into clear, readable visuals for wealth management clients.
- Stress tested every component in both English and German, so layouts held up when translated text ran significantly longer.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, InVision, Sketch, Product Design, UI Design, UX Design, Dashboards, Data Visualization, High-fidelity Wireframes
Senior UI Designer
2016 - 2017
Spark44 London
- Led discovery sessions, conducted UX research, and held design review workshops.
- Developed prototypes and carried out small scale user testing on new designs.
- Contributed to and maintained the digital brand guidelines.
- Translated 'above the line' advertising into rich interactive digital experiences.
- Collaborated with the client to rapidly design and turnaround new model pages.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, InVision, Sketch, Product Design, UI Design
Senior UI Designer
2015 - 2016
AKQA
- Developed an innovative booking and management website for a leading sports event company.
- Designed a specialist vehicle directory and locator in the US for a global car company.
- Created several campaign micro sites and seasonal pages for a global sportswear brand.
- Designed and maintained multiple rich media ads for a large booking website.
- Participated in the rapid design and collaborative development of a fundraising app for a global charity.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, InVision, Sketch, UI Design, UX Design
Lead UI Designer
2013 - 2015
Selfridges & Co.
- Designed a full end-to-end eCommerce website experience.
- Created a digital brand identity, style guide, and library of components.
- Collaborated with UX teams on user testing, research, and personas.
- Translated responsive web design into an iOS mobile app.
- Worked closely with the external development team to ensure a pixel-perfect build.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Microsoft Office, InVision, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, UI Design, High-fidelity Prototypes
Senior Designer
2011 - 2013
Razorfish London
- Designed and managed regular digital content updates and digital campaign asset creation for a global car brand.
- Generated social media content, games, and interactive apps for a global fast food company.
- Designed the website, digital pattern library, and style guide for an international charity.
- Translated complex mobile phone tariff tables into accessible, user friendly calculation tools for a leading UK mobile phone operator.
- Designed a digital advertising campaign for a leading home coffee company.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, UI Design
Senior Graphic Designer
2007 - 2011
ASOS
- Researched and designed new digital platforms and technologies.
- Developed and managed the main eCommerce platform UI design.
- Conceptualized and art directed seasonal photo shoots.
- Completed the end-to-end redesign of the website.
- Managed a small team of visual designers.
Technologies: Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, UI Design
Graphic Designer
2005 - 2007
Complete London
- Designed and maintained a large corporate website for a global mobile phone provider.
- Created digital content for a large construction materials company.
- Designed a large eCommerce website for an arts and homeware department store.
- Designed an experiential website for a large London club.
- Updated an existing website for a UK train regulator to ensure it was fully AAA accessible.
Technologies: Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop
Education
2002 - 2005
Bachelor's Degree with Honors in Multimedia Design
Northumbria University - Newcastle, United Kingdom
2001 - 2002
BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art & Design
Newcastle College - Newcastle, United Kingdom
Skills
Tools
Sketch, InVision, Zeplin, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe CC, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Office, Final Cut Pro, Apple Keynote, Photoshop Design, Apple Motion, Adobe Experience Design (XD)
Platforms
Web, iOS, Figma, MacOS, Android
Languages
Charity
Industry Expertise
Retail & Wholesale, Fashion, Sports, Health & Wellness, Banking & Finance, Automotive
Other
Web Design, UI Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), eCommerce, User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Responsive Design, Web UI, Graphic Design, Product Design, Visual Design, Websites, UX Design, Dashboards, Data Visualization, Design Systems, High-fidelity Mockups, High-fidelity Prototypes, High-fidelity Wireframes, Prototyping, UI Components, Mobile App UI, Responsive UI, Creative Thinking, eCommerce Design, eCommerce Web Design, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Sports Websites, Digital Magazines, Wireframing, Responsive, Fintech, Finance, eCommerce UI, UI Design Standards & Best Practices, Financial UX, UI Patterns, Dashboard Design, Investment Banking, Atomic Design
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