Varun is available for hire
Hire VarunVarun Phull
Verified Expert in Design
Digital Product Designer
Location
London, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
September 8, 2021
Varun is a senior product designer who has worked with the world's leading digital agencies and has over a decade of experience. His expertise covers product discovery, strategy, and UX, where he excels in crafting end-to-end product visions grounded in real-world application. He skillfully maintains a balance between user needs, tech feasibility, and business goals. Additional strengths include analytical thinking, problem-solving, and outstanding communication, making Varun a valuable partner.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Senior Digital Product and UX Designer
2020 - PRESENT
Freelance
- Delivered projects including a rideshare mobile app, AI-powered healthcare SaaS, automotive insurance CRM, extreme sports cross-platform app, executive talent search platform, multimedia CMS for neuroscientists, and hybrid events management platform.
- Conducted product discoveries to surface customer and product insights while bringing stakeholders together toward a unified product vision by defining a desirable, feasible, and viable MVP.
- Led and delivered UX and UI design initiatives working in parallel with the development teams to clearly see what's next and provide product oversight.
- Ran Lean and cost-effective prototyping methods to validate business cases, ideas, and features directly with end users and customers before investing in the build phase.
- Enhanced and improved existing solutions that were functional, but the initial experience and associated interactions were not aligned with user needs and expectations.
- Used methods and outputs that led to valuable outcomes: wireframes, prototypes, user flows, user tests, information architecture, experience maps, service blueprints, jobs-to-be-done, personas, design sprints, storyboards, and workshop facilitation.
- Testimonial: "His willingness to listen, think, and innovate enables the team to incorporate Varun's strategic vision into actionable tasks. The improvements introduced by him in the UX[,] along with brilliant designs[,] set the project for success."
- Testimonial: "He's a very strong business strategist who looks at product development through all the right angles to get to the best solution possible for the end user."
- Testimonial: "He combines technical knowledge with creativity to deliver impact[,] but he also demonstrated leadership, collaboration[,] and problem solving to help us achieve a tight deadline without the sacrifice of an exceptional product experience."
- Testimonial: "You can rely on Varun for enthusiasm, positivity, and a unique perspective on design strategy. His desire for learning and trying new methods is [unrivaled] and means he's always at the forefront of new thinking."
Technologies: Service Design, Product Strategy, Product Design, User Research, Product Discovery, MVP Design, UX Design, UI Design, Prototyping, Wireframing, User Flows, User Testing, Information Architecture (IA), Experience Maps, Service Blueprints, Personas, Design Sprints, Storyboarding, Workshop Facilitation, User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Workshops
Service Design and UX Lead
2017 - 2021
Worth Internet Systems
- Delivered a customer-led service redesign of a global education assessment for teachers, students, and parents.
- Defined the MVP and designed the UX for a dashboard that reports exam results.
- Led the development of a self-help product to help staff improve UK Census completion rates while reducing recruitment and training costs.
- Validated the need for interactive store experiences for a historic high street retailer.
- Digitized and connected the outpatient experience for care receivers and care providers.
- Harnessed user-centered design and technology to innovate citizen handovers between paramedics and emergency department staff.
- Redesigned the multi-layered digital presence for a historic university.
- Applied a human-centered approach to making wealth management more personal.
- Embedded service design and UX capabilities into the agency's proposition and delivery model.
- Facilitated multiple discovery workshops to win and onboard new clients and transformed the agency's business development approach from selling solutions to solving problems.
Technologies: Service Design, User Experience (UX), Product Design, User Research, Product Strategy, MVP Design, UX Design, User-centered Design (UCD), Product Discovery, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, Innovation, Internet of Things (IoT)
UX Designer
2016 - 2017
Codehouse
- Delivered end-to-end user research and UX design for multiple client-facing enterprise websites, focusing on increased user engagement.
- Designed a solution that was deemed so desirable that it was evolved into a white-label solution.
- Embedded user research practices into the design and build process.
Technologies: User Experience (UX), User Research, Product Design, UX Design, Web Design, White Labeling
Web Designer (Freelance)
2014 - 2016
Web Designer
- Delivered web design and development for multiple small businesses.
- Designed brand identities and other graphics for clients' business collateral.
- Developed content strategies and content for clients' websites and social media.
Technologies: Web Design
Insight Analyst
2011 - 2015
Bissell Homecare
- Improved the user experience in the UK eCommerce site.
- Captured and analyzed customer analytics using sales, product, and web data.
- Collaborated with sales and marketing on campaign generation.
Technologies: User Experience (UX)
Education
2008 - 2011
Bachelor of Arts Degree (Hons) in Business Economics
University of Hertfordshire - Hertfordshire, England, UK
Certifications
FEBRUARY 2020 - PRESENT
d.MBA Business Design
Beyond Users
FEBRUARY 2014 - PRESENT
UI/UX Design
Shillington Education
Experience
Collaboration That Works
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