James Gillen
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Bristol, United Kingdom
Toptal member since March 5, 2020
James has been in the industry since 2012, working with clients from around the globe creating bespoke websites, brands, and apps. Experienced with both large international clients and startups alike, he takes the time to truly get to know his clients, allowing him to create brands and websites that tell their story in an authentic, compelling way. This gives businesses a unique experience and provides them with an edge over the competition.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Senior UI/UX Designer
Freelance
- Worked with startups, as well as established brands such as The Wave and LK Bennett.
- Created app designs for various companies, including Col8, a new way to view action sports footage.
- Developed wireframes and user flows and worked with other designers and developers.
- Designed unique concepts for both brands and websites.
- Took concepts through to completion, creating multiple templates.
- Designed brands, brand guides, and explanations of brand use.
- Built the front-end of websites in HTML5 and CSS, SASS.
- Worked with clients worldwide, including the United States and Europe.
- Became a Merit-awarded member of The International Society of Typographic Designers. Received a four-time CSS design award, special kudos WMA for outstanding achievement. Was also a four-time Awwwards honorable mention.
- Featured on For Print Only. Became a CSS winner site of the day.
Freelance UI/UX Designer
Fffunction
- Designed the direction for multiple clients, including The Wave.
- Spearheaded the concept design in the early stages of the project.
- Worked with the UX designers to create wireframes.
- Demonstrated and presented working prototypes of concepts and ideas to clients.
- Developed the front end using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Lead Designer
Gen Up Digital
- Oversaw the branding, UX, and UI design for multiple clients, including Lucy Mountain—a fitness Instagram influencer.
- Designed a recipe website and platform that allows users to choose their preferred diet, calorie intake, and other essentials and then shows them a meal plan for the following week.
- Designed multiple online course websites in the sports category.
- Designed various membership websites that allow like-minded users to connect.
- Led the branding, UX, and UI design of multiple projects.
Lead Designer
Digital Yacht America
- Developed the look at feel of the brand and worked to create assets that could be used across the web and print.
- Designed promotional material, including a multi-language catalog.
- Developed extensive portions of the website and designed and sourced the point-of-sale.
Web Designer
Torchbox
- Worked with the in-house team to create wireframes and concept designs.
- Participated in client meetings to present UI designs and UX thinking.
- Developed the HTML prototyping and took the UI designs through to production-ready code.
- Supported younger team members and helped them develop.
- Led the design team on projects such as the British Swimming website redesign and The British Heart Foundation no smoking day campaign site.
Education
First Class Bachelor's Degree (Honors) in Graphic Design
University of the West of England - Bristol, England
Foundation Degree of Arts (FdA) in Digital Design and Interactive Media
Bath Spa University - Bath, England
Certifications
Member of the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD)
International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD)
Skills
Tools
Adobe, Adobe CC, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign
Languages
Charity, HTML, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript
Platforms
Adobe Suite, Figma, Software Design Patterns, Mobile
Industry Expertise
Sports, Sports & Recreation, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Real Estate, Fashion
Other
Web Design, Asset Preparation, Print Design, Agency Websites, Layout Design, Design Direction, Typography, Responsive, Responsive Design, Graphic Design, Art Direction, Web UI, Web UX, Visual Design, Branding, Logo Design, UI Design, UX Design, Creative Direction, User-centered Design (UCD), Prototyping, Wireframing, Interaction Design (IxD), Responsive Web Design (RWD), User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Nonprofits, Mobile App Design, Web App Design, Product Design, Design Thinking, eCommerce, Business Card Design, Brand Guidelines, Brand Design, System UI, Conversion, Tablet UX, Mobile UX, UI Style Guides, UI Patterns, Pattern Design, Fintech, Landing Page Design, Front-end Development, Development, Dashboard Design, Online Banking, Finance, Cryptocurrency, Cryptocurrency Payments, Cryptocurrency Exchanges, Commercial Real Estate, Affordable Housing, Surfer, Attractions, Icon Design, Social Media Design, Packaging, App Design, Tablet UI, Online Shopping, Shopping, Maps, Time Tracking, Location Tracking, Front-end, 3D, Illustration, Europe, Governance, Mobile UI, Mobile Design, Editorial Design, Print, Mobile eCommerce, eCommerce UI, eCommerce UX, eCommerce Design, eCommence Templates, Data Visualization, Data-informed Visual Design, UI Maps, Infographics, Graphics
Experience
- Responsive Web Design (RWD) - 8 years
- User Interface (UI) - 8 years
- User-centered Design (UCD) - 8 years
- Interaction Design (IxD) - 8 years
- Web UI - 8 years
- Creative Direction - 6 years
- User Experience (UX) - 6 years
- Figma - 4 years
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