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Yuko Sugimoto

Senior Principal Designer at FARFETCH
Portfolio website
About

I am a multidisciplinary designer with over 10 years of experience working in-house and with an agency. Working closely and collaboratively with clients and the team to create an intelligent and innovative user experience from Creative Direction and Strategy, Digital Product Design - UX & UI, Branding to Marketing Design in URL and IRL for the world’s biggest brands - FARFETCH, Reebok, Apple to Dyson, fascinating start-ups, to local artisans. Skills: - Inspiring and leading a team of designers, creative technologists, and UX researchers, sharing expertise, and providing design guidance to shape and evolve the team. - Extensive experience in planning and managing projects within the required budget and timeline. - Excellent ability to coordinate and lead projects with stakeholders across different departments and external agencies. - Proficient in leading multiple projects and owning the entire design solution. - Proficient in guiding the experience strategy, and creative direction, and providing UX and UI design solutions across multiple channels. - Leadership and facilitation of focus groups, workshops, and ideation sessions. - Exceptional knowledge and experience in design applications.

Previous Brands
Adelphoi Ltd, Soundmouse, Airstate, Valentine Music, Adelphoi Music Ltd
Black Truffle
Couverture & The Garbstore
Curio
Digital Colour
Dyson
Farfetch
Jake Dyson Products
Taniemedia® Taniespace® Taniemusic®
Williams Lea Tag
Work Experience
Senior Principal Designer
Jan ‘21 - Now
Farfetch

- Articulated creative strategy and user experience to facilitate new branding, assets creation and Web 3 initiative - Orchestrated multi-functional teams to ensure digital campaigns achieved highest level of innovation, customer satisfaction and success - Established vision to define digital strategy for marketing and web projects to drive business growth

Head Of Design
Oct ‘18 - Jan ‘21
Curio

- Provided leadership, direction and strategy to develop innovative design solutions for Curio's audio journalism platform. - Guided a small team to transform the brand and product, resulting in successful $9m Series A investment from top tier investors and featured by Apple. - Oversee all creative elements including UX/UI of iOS, Android, and Web; branding, research, design strategy, marketing assets, email and social media campaigns.

Lead Creative Designer
Apr ‘16 - Oct ‘18
Couverture & The Garbstore

- Elevated Couverture & The Garbstore's design output across a wide range of platforms from print to window display. - Conceptualised, developed and implemented new design directions for marketing and branding initiatives. - Utilised illustration, digital and packaging to create a unified brand imagery.

Senior Creative
Jan ‘15 - Apr ‘16
Dyson

- Developed global launch strategy for new product category, comprising online campaigns, search engine optimisation, PR initiatives and CRM activities - Oversaw product naming (CSYS and Cu-Beam), proposition development, visual identity creation, marketing materials, advertising, and in-store presence - Deployed consumer activity in key markets: GB&I, Japan and Australia, with support tier nations US, Canada, Nordic, France and Germany

Lead Graphic Designer
Mar ‘11 - Dec ‘12
Adelphoi Ltd, Soundmouse, Airstate, Valentine Music, Adelphoi Music Ltd

- Designed and implemented full product range of audio interfaces, from concept to completion. - Created responsive UI/UX designs for websites and apps, resulting in improved user experience and engagement. - Developed brand guidelines across all digital assets and platforms. - Collaborated with business managers, account managers, software developers, and other stakeholders to deliver successful projects.

Lead Creative
Aug ‘10 - Dec ‘14
Jake Dyson Products

- Developed and executed visual communication strategies for print, digital, events and retail. - Coordinated design projects from concept to completion. - Delivered impactful visuals that achieved business objectives.

Assistant Visual Merchandiser
Dec ‘09 - Mar ‘11
Black Truffle

Window Display and Visual Marchandising

Freelance Creative Artworker
Sep ‘09 - Feb ‘11
Williams Lea Tag

Creative Artworker in both English and Japanese for H&M, Landlover, Vertue, DHL to Reebok.

Junior Graphic Designer
Sep ‘08 - Aug ‘09
Taniemedia® Taniespace® Taniemusic®

Graphic Designer (intern)
Jul ‘07 - Aug ‘07
Digital Colour

Degital Colour is multi Media and Design company where they work for Art direction to the Production for TV Channels based in Osaka, Japan. I worked on visual identites Logo design (Welcome Deco), flyers, DM for summer intern.

Languages
Japanese - Fluent
English - Fluent
Recommendations
Arthur Tindsley
Senior colleague - Senior Creative Technologist, Farfetch
Jan 2021 -

Yuko is hard-working, fast and highly talented. She has a fantastic blend of raw design talent, strategic thinking and storytelling. It’s rare to get such a strong combination.

Richard Sullivan
Direct manager - Director of Creative Technology , Farfetch
Jan 2021 -

Yuko is a talented designer both with craft and thinking. She constantly challenges concepts through the lens of the end-user and has the skills to add delight to the final product or service. Yuko also brings positive and enthusiastic energy to any team she works with makes her a joy to be around.

Paul Brine
Senior colleague - Director of Client Service , Farfetch
Jan 2021 -

Yuko is a very diligent, motivated and creative contributor to the business and I have enjoyed working with her on various projects. She has a natural flair for design, but is also very dedicated to fully understanding the audience for a particular piece of work or project before any design work commences. Yuko thinks outside the box, communicates well with stakeholders and has a likeable disposition which means she is able to bring people with her on her design journey. Yuko has many talents across the fields of design and marketing, so as such I would recommend Yuko for a wide variety or roles or projects.

Govind Balakrishnan
Direct manager - CEO, Curio
Oct 2018 - Jan 2021

Yuko is a phenomenal designer and any company would be fortunate to have her. She was the sole designer who joined us at the Seed stage and helped build a fantastic relationship with Apple (got us featured at the Keynote), and raise a successful $9m Series A from top tier investors. We could not have done it without Yuko.

Education & Training
University of the Arts London
‘05 - ‘08
BA
Graphic Design
London, UK