Nicola is available for hire
Hire NicolaNicola Rushton
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Location
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Toptal Member Since
June 14, 2019
Nicola is a lead end-to-end product designer specializing in UI/UX, user research, and graphic design. During her 12-year career, she was the head of design at a property management startup founded by the ex-head of product at Uber and designed for software and startups, including real estate, fintech, enterprise SaaS, and NFTs. Nicola is an expert in design sprints, workshops, SaaS, prototyping, web, and Android and iOS apps.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Product Designer, UI/UX Designer, and User Researcher
2017 - PRESENT
Freelance
- Worked as a UI/UX designer in Agile teams with enterprise and startup clients.
- Led UI/UX design on mobile apps and web products with various clients, including startups.
- Consulted with enterprise design teams advising on Agile design and research.
- Spearheaded design and user research by running design sprints and workshops and driving product decisions.
- Collaborated with non-researchers to teach product research.
- Designed for all stages of a product's development, from early validation to shipping post MVP.
- Created MVPs and proof of concept designs for early-stage startups and new products.
- Made prototypes and early designs for testing using Figma, Invision, Zeplin, and Sketch.
Technologies: Prototyping, User Research, Sketch, Figma, Miro, Web, Web UX, Web UI, Web App UX, iOS, iOS UX Design, iOS API, Wireframing, Wireframe to Product, Annotated Wireframes, User Journeys, User Journey Maps, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Mobile Apps, Mobile, Responsive, Responsive UI, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Layout, Dashboard Design, Mobile App UI, Mobile App Design, Mobile Applications, B2C, B2B, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Branding, High-fidelity Mockups, Web App Testing, User Testing, Remote User Testing, User Validation Testing, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Mobile First, Mobile Web, Mobile Design, Mobile Banking, Mobile Web Design, Tailwind CSS, Material UI, Design Systems, Foundation CSS, High-tech Startups, High-fidelity Prototypes, Typography, Human Interface Design, Ideation, Dashboards, SaaS, SaaS Design, Enterprise SaaS, SaaS Product Management, Software as a Service (SaaS), React, React Native, eCommerce UX, eCommerce UI, eCommerce, Atomic Design, Iconography, Interaction Design (IxD), Human-centered Design (HCD), Human-computer Interaction (HCI), Design Thinking, Usability Testing, Accessibility, Heuristic Analysis, Brand Guidelines, Lifestyle, Logo Design, Data Visualization, Web Applications, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Mockups, Web Portals, Pitch Deck Consultant, Pitch Decks, Pitch Presentations, Websites, Software Design, Design Workshops
Senior Product Designer
2022 - 2023
GameChanger
- Designed the UX and UI for a video streaming app for a youth sports platform.
- Created management features for a web platform used mainly by coaches and parents involved in youth sports.
- Redesigned elements of an outdated web UI, which had received negative feedback from users, resulting in improved user experiences.
Technologies: Sketch, Zeplin, Videos, Maze, Accessibility, Youth, Ethical Design, United States, Web Usability, Web, Web UI, Web UX, New Product Development, MVP Design, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Google Drive, Desktop App Design, Software Design
Lead Designer
2022 - 2022
Patron of Art by Veritic
- Designed the MVP version of an NFT marketplace, including dozens of screens and flows.
- Built a high-end "Art world" brand and brand identity for the entire product, from scratch, based on feedback and competitor research.
- Designed landing pages for the site's early release.
- Created styling and brand identity for the NFTs used on the platform.
Technologies: Figma, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Museums & Exhibits, Design, UI Design, UX Design, Web Design, Product Design, New Products, Lean UX, Agile UX, User Interface (UI), Branding, UX Branding, Startups, Lean Startups, High-tech Startups, Early-stage Startups, Startup Consulting, Brand Identity, Brand Building, Brand Design, Marketplace Design, Marketplaces, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Mockups, Websites, Software Design, Design Workshops
Lead Product Designer | Product Owner
2021 - 2022
RCRDSHP
- Built a startup NFTs for RCRDSHP in the electronic music industry and led design and product for their internal employee tool and their creator suite for DJs.
- Managed the engineering backlog in Pivotal Tracker.
- Ran roadmap workshops and "next two years" vision workshops to identify product features and priorities.
- Designed a greenfield platform for electronic musicians to create their own NFTs.
- Led lean user research with electronic musicians and DJs.
- Managed iterative design on a platform built on Tailwind CSS.
Technologies: Startups, Lean Startups, High-tech Startups, Early-stage Startups, Design, UI Design, UX Design, Web Design, MVP Design, Web UI Design, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Blockchain Platforms, Lean, Lean UX, Tailwind CSS, Product Design, New Products, Product Management, Agile Product Management, Pivotal Tracker, Figma, Agile, Branding, Web App Design, Empathy Mapping, Project Management, User Stories, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Mockups, Websites, Software Design, Design Workshops
Senior UX Designer
2020 - 2022
Backbase
- Worked with banks across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
- Helped clients to implement a white-label product, producing visual designs aligned to their style guides.
- Collaborated extensively with design systems, implementing components and styles to match the client's brand.
- Managed difficult consulting situations, ensuring client satisfaction and managing the needs of the business alongside the needs of the users.
Technologies: Figma, Sketch, InVision, Zeplin, Google Slides, Miro, Sketch 2, Android, Android UI Design, Android App Design, Android Design Guidelines, Android Design Library, Android Material Design, iOS UX Design, iOS UI Design, iOS App Design, iOS Design Trends, iOS Design Guidelines, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Landing Page Design, Mobile Banking, Online Banking, Digital Banking, Consumer Banking, Private Banking, Bank Transactions, Commercial Banking, Multinational Banking, Core Banking Solutions (CBS), Investment Banking Technology, Africa, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, Usability, User Experience (UX), Mockups, Mobile UX Design, Fintech Design, Mobile UI Design, Software Design, Design Workshops
Senior Product Designer
2021 - 2021
- Introduced a "feature kickoff" process to the team, designed a kickoff workshop adopted by the team, and enormously improved our process.
- Designed UX for guest management features for a complex events management tool.
- Created visual designs aligning with Google design standards.
- Ran user research and user testing with internal, sales, and marketing users.
- Designed the UX and UI for an online events platform.
Technologies: Figma, Material UI, Google, Google Design Sprints, Google Design, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Material Design, Design Thinking, User Experience (UX), Mockups, Software Design, Design Workshops
Product Designer (Freelance)
2020 - 2020
Aboriginal Legal Service NSW
- Designed a web app from scratch used by solicitors to record important time-sensitive data gathered during phone calls.
- Designed an MVP design that would be built within three months—minimizing design effort to allow engineering to happen as fast as possible and get the final product in the hands of users quickly.
- Performed extensive desktop research into the issues faced by solicitors and clients of the Aboriginal Legal Service and designed features aiming to improve their legal outcomes.
Technologies: Figma, Design, UI Design, UX Design, Web Design, MVP Design, SaaS Design, Law, Legal Technology (Legaltech), Software Design, Design Workshops
Head of Design
2019 - 2020
:Different
- :Different is a property management startup founded by the first Head of Product at Uber. I was hired as the first designer.
- Designed the MVP of our mobile app shipped in three months.
- Created a design hiring process and hired a design team of three across Australia and Sri Lanka.
- Planned and kicked off a functioning design system in collaboration with the head of engineering.
- Started a redesign of our complex internal enterprise system and shipped the first steps.
- Worked with the head of product and head of engineering to restructure the organization into product teams.
- Introduced user research to the entire company's process.
Technologies: Figma, Agile, Agile UX, Design, Design Sprints, User Flows, User Research, Lean UX, Startups, Lean Startups, Branding, Research Synthesis, Design Leadership, B2B, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Mockups, Websites, Software Design, Design Workshops
Freelance UI/UX Designer
2018 - 2019
Qualie
- Designed the UI/UX for this user research startup. They came to me with rough sketches, turning them into something ready for development.
- Planned a platform where users create projects for a research-as-a-service product.
- Created the final presentation templates for Google Slides.
- Developed a style guide for the platform developers to work from.
Technologies: InVision, Zeplin, Sketch, B2B, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Mockups, Websites, Software Design, Design Workshops
UX Researcher: GDPR (Contract)
2018 - 2019
Atlassian
- Implemented and designed GDPR features in a way that not only complied with regulations but improved the UX.
- Advocated for the human element of GDPR: Why should we care about data privacy?
- Interviewed European users to understand their online privacy needs.
- Planned and ran custom stakeholder workshops to gather information, plan research, and bring stakeholders along on the journey with the team.
- Led research on the project about the right to be forgotten.
Technologies: Confluence, Jira, Zeplin, InVision, Sketch, Qualtrics, UX Research, Research, UI Research, Lean Research, User Research, Design Research, Research Methods, Field Research, Prototyping, Rapid Prototyping, UX Prototyping, Agile UX, B2B, User Experience (UX), Software Design, Design Workshops
Lead Product Designer (Contract)
2018 - 2018
Service NSW
- Led a team of myself and two junior designers to redesign the Service NSW app.
- Ran generative research to understand where the greatest value to users is.
- Created the UI/UX design for a React Native mobile app.
- Worked directly with engineers on the visual design.
Technologies: React Native, Pivotal Tracker, Zeplin, InVision, Prototyping, User Research, HTML, CSS, Sketch, Sprints, Design Sprints, Agile Sprints, Retro, Sprint Retrospectives, User Flows, User Roles, Personas, User Personas, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Software Design, Design Workshops
Senior Product Design Consultant
2016 - 2018
Pivotal
- Worked directly with client teams in enterprise companies to coach them in Agile design and Lean UX.
- Developed and researched brand new greenfield products while validating the user value and helping their owners be successful.
- Designed new products for the web, mobile, Android, and iOS.
- Created products in an Agile manner for education, real estate, sales enablement, and telecommunications.
- Ran weekly or fortnightly user research sprints focused on generative research, idea validation, and solution validation.
- Managed design sprints with teams of up to 10, generating new feature and product ideas and shipping MVPs within weeks or months.
Technologies: Pivotal Tracker, Zeplin, InVision, Prototyping, User Research, HTML, CSS, Sketch, Design, UI Design, UX Design, Web Design, App Design, iOS UI Design, Web UI Design, Print Design, iOS UX Design, User Flows, User Needs, User Paths, User Roles, Personas, User Personas, Consulting, IT Consulting, Startup Consulting, Software Consulting, Business Consulting, Technology Consulting, Agile UX, Agile, Agile Sprints, Agile Coaching, Agile Delivery, Lean, Lean UX, Lean Startups, Lean Research, Research, UI Research, UX Research, Design Research, Research Methods, Field Research, Web UX, App UX, Web App UX, IA Strategy, Information Architecture (IA), MVP Design, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Workshops, UX Workshops, Design Workshops, Ideation Workshops, User Workshops, Discovery Workshops, Facilitation, Workshop Facilitation, UX Prototyping, UI Prototyping, Rapid Prototyping, Paper Prototyping, Remote Prototyping, Interviews, User Interviews, User Interface (UI), Field Studies, Design Leadership, B2B, User Experience (UX), Design Consultation, Software Design
UI Designer
2015 - 2015
Valtech
- Worked with Telstra's brand guidelines to implement their small business site.
- Created visual designs across a responsive site for Telstra Business eCommerce.
- Designed a horse racing payments app for the Albert point of sale product.
Technologies: InVision, Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, Visual Design, User Interface (UI), Web UI, App UI, POS, Point of Sale, Agency, eCommerce UX, eCommerce UI, User Experience (UX), Websites, Software Design
Visual Designer
2014 - 2015
Bigcommerce
- Developed a large-scale style guideline for the platform UI.
- Created visual consistency across a legacy product with complex UI.
- Worked closely with engineers, testers, and product managers.
- Contributed as a part of the teams on the integrations with Square, Alibaba, and Endicia.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, User Interface (UI), Design, Design Systems, UI Design, UX Design, Web Design, Web UI Design, Marketplace Design, Marketplaces, User Experience (UX), Software Design
Lead Digital Designer
2012 - 2014
RODE Microphones
- Led the redesign of their website—wireframing, designing, and working with engineers to ship it.
- Wrote CSS to make the entire website responsive in 2012/2013.
- Worked on the marketing design, including apparel, posters, logos, microsites, banners, and print ads.
Technologies: Adobe Illustrator, HTML, CSS, Graphic Design, Marketing Design, Illustration, User Experience (UX), Websites, Software Design
Interactive Designer | Front-end Developer
2011 - 2012
Internetrix
- Designed and developed websites for clients, including government and local businesses.
- Hand-coded HTML and CSS responsive web pages from scratch.
- Worked with a legacy CMS based on PHP, updating copy and making design tweaks to pages.
Technologies: Content Management Systems (CMS), Adobe Photoshop, CSS, HTML, Adobe Illustrator, User Experience (UX), Software Design
Education
2009 - 2011
Bachelor of Creative Arts Degree in Graphic Design
University of Wollongong - Wollongong, Australia
Experience
Collaboration That Works
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