Yoshiko is available for hire
Hire YoshikoYoshiko Ford-Okimoto
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Location
Berlin, Germany
Toptal Member Since
April 28, 2017
Yoshi is a senior UX/UI designer with a solid hands-on visual design background and two decades of experience under her belt. Throughout her career, she has designed a wealth of products, from personal finance to mobile payment and accounting for a few SaaS products across cloud accounting and customer loyalty. Yoshi worked for many Fortune 500 and Euronext 100 brands, SMEs, and startups.
Work Experience
Senior Product Designer | Global OPI, Enterprise Product Design
2019 - 2021
Wayfair
- Worked for Wayfair's supplier operations team to design a visionary CX Cloud platform.
- Solved a complex set of problems associated with eCommerce lead time management and designed an actionable dashboard to increase a profit margin for both Wayfair and partners.
- Created user stories for Wayfair suppliers' personas based on partner data gathered from the platform.
Technologies: InVision, Adobe, Sketch
UX Manager, EMEA Region
2018 - 2019
Weber.com | Weber-Stephen Products (EMEA) GmbH
- Played a UX manager role at a US B2C consumer brand called Weber.com's Digital Lab in Germany (full-time employment).
- Championed the user and customer’s needs using UX empathy concerning the design of Weber products and user needs across the EMEA region (up to 23 countries).
- Defined quick-win and/or MVP recommendations that can be promptly implemented for an optimal UX experience for digital channels across Weber.com websites and eCommerce in the EMEA.
- Iterated the solutions with data-driven validations and sprint cycles.
Technologies: Sketch, InVision, Adobe Suite
Senior Product Designer
2017 - 2018
Various Clients (via Toptal)
- Designed a revolutionary healthcare digital product/platform for the US market.
- Created an online platform design for a Gmail plug-in. Collaborated directly with the senior executives concerning the product design revamp (UI and branding).
- Acted as the lead user interface and experience designer for the Gmail plug-in and designed the account setup process and dashboard.
- Worked on all design processes: UX/UI, visual design, and branding.
- Managed the design assets and created brand standards along with a UI pattern library.
- Delivered high-quality design documents: desktop research (benchmarking), screen mockups, and graphic asset package, by adapting both the user and customer-centered design methodology.
Technologies: InVision, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch
Senior UX/UI Designer
2017 - 2017
Leverton (Strictly Confidential)
- Designed a niche B2B product for corporate clients to efficiently manage legal documents with artificial intelligence.
- Collaborated in design workflow using the Agile methodology in conjunction with the front-end developers to ensure quick development cycles, validating assumptions, and creating a high-quality experience.
- Was actively involved in Agile sprint planning and retrospective meetings.
- Collaborated in the innovative and forthcoming product's squad (a fully autonomous, cross-functional team comprising of product owners, front- and back-end developers, designers, and testers) to release rapid prototypes and beta versions. (Strictly NDA materials.).
Technologies: InVision, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch
Senior UX/UI and Visual Designer (Contract)
2016 - 2017
Startup | NPS and Customer Loyalty SaaS (Prelaunch and Confidential)
- Established the UX and visual design as the first stage of the online application for a Berlin-based SaaS startup which redefined the market landscape for NPS and the loyalty sector.
- Worked, as a senior designer, on all design processes: UX/UI, visual design, and branding.
- Collaborated directly with two founders and CTO on various design projects.
- Produced the first UI pattern library and introduced the Atomic Design process.
- Designed their responsive website in three screen sizes and a responsive navigation in Bootstrap.
- Produced over 2,000 mock-up screens for a core product in three months.
- Volunteered for the review of UX process and Kaizen presentation for a zero sprint for UX.
Technologies: InVision, Sketch, Adobe Suite
Senior Visual Designer (UX/UI)
2015 - 2016
Crunch.co.uk
- Designed a visually compelling web application and their sales site for a SaaS B2B2C crowd-accounting product.
- Worked closely, as a senior designer on the design and UX team, with the product team and directly reported to the design lead.
- Created and maintained UI sticker sheets for the product team using Atomic Design methodology.
- Developed user personas and user journeys in order to enhance the functionality and UX.
- Worked for several design-revamping projects in line with the user-centered design with the design lead.
- Interacted with Agile teams on a daily basis.
- Was actively involved with scrum planning and retrospective meetings.
- Designed for an award-winning and the fastest growing online accounting firm in the UK in 2016.
- Designed work for projects which can be seen at the following link: Gooseinteractive.co.uk/folio-crunch-2016.html.
Technologies: Hotjar, Confluence, Jira, InVision, Sketch, Adobe Suite
Senior GUI Designer (UX) Native App
2013 - 2015
Orange, France Telecom Group
- Acted as the lead user interface and experience design for Orange’s mobile banking and payment applications for Android, Windows, and mobile web.
- Worked, as a senior in-house designer, on the GUI on B2C fintech products, NFC, and payment mobile applications.
- Closely collaborated with software developers in an Agile workflow for multiple products that were targeting Europe and MEA markets.
- Delivered high-quality design documents: desktop research, screen mockups, and specifications.
- Ensured that the design mockups met both visual and textual branding standards.
- Defined and documented design standards when needed on ad hoc basis.
- Worked for the first micro-payment mobile application for the West African market which impacted thousands positively at Orange.com/en/Innovation/Orange-Mobile-Financial-Services/Folder/Orange-Money.
- Worked for the first NFC mobile payment product in France at Orange.com/en/Innovation/Orange-Mobile-Financial-Services/Folder/Orange-Cash.
Technologies: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Senior GUI Designer (UX) Proprietary App
2006 - 2012
Orange, France Telecom Group
- Worked on the graphical user interface for Orange Signature and Hero devices targeting various consumer segments.
- Handled and was responsible for both the design and implementation of the Orange-branded UI to partners' proprietary software.
- Directly collaborated with more than 8 vendors’ UX design teams, e.g. Sony, Ericsson, Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and more.
- Adapted both the user and customer-centered design methodology.
- Managed and was responsible for the design stakeholder communication and management.
- Ensured that the graphic assets met both visual and textual branding standards.
- Attended many business meetings with both internal and external stakeholders.
Technologies: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Digital Designer (Freelance)
2005 - 2006
Aquent, Inc.
- Worked in various contract and freelance positions at leading agencies in central London, U.K. as a freelancer representative of Aquent Inc.
- Designed for Freescale Semiconductor's website, and banner ad campaigns for AT&T at Banner Corporation Plc/WPP Group & Young and Rubicam Group.
- Crafted designs for the Hotels.com website as Ogilvy's primary contact.
- Was hired by the UK government (Department of Trade and Industry at CTN).
- Designed email campaign for Telewest, Blue Yonder, and Flextech Television.
Technologies: Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Education
2016 - 2016
Certificate in User Experience: Research and Prototyping
Design Lab | University of California, San Diego - Online
1989 - 1991
Bachelor's Degree in English Literature with a minor in advertising
Komazawa University - Tokyo, Japan
1986 - 1989
Bachelor's Degree (Equivalent) in Materials Science and Chemistry
National Institute of Technology | Yonago National College of Technology - Japan