Nirmal Dhiman

I worked on a range of different projects, covering research, service and design and research for international Design Transformation projects. This entailed working in cross-functional and internationally distributed teams in an Agile environment. For 11 months, I was placed as the UX design lead for Enabler Squad, working directly for a global Telco provider in Germany along with their well-known subsidiary brands. Responsible for a global team working on UX/UI for a multi-channel digital transformation project across web, app, in-store, and agent. The squad works on cross-tribe Epics that span across the individual Tribes and their work streams. With the Project Directors, Product Owners, Business Analysts, and Scrum Masters, I also define Squad process flows and, work directly with the client departments and other agencies to help define and improve the complete end-to-end delivery processes.

I am the lead designer, responsible for UX / UI / Service and Visual Design iSalon suite of retail and software products. In 2015, after bringing innovation to the company's software range I was voted as the company's first ‘Most Valued Player'. I went to Montego Bay, Jamaica, where I received my award from the global CEO. Consultant UX / UI designer for sister companies within Jonas Software's UK group. I work in a collaborative fashion across Product, Development, Professional Services, Support, and Marketing departments. Using customer needs, user research, business requirements and the latest technologies, I have designed both intuitive task-based business software and customer apps that convert. UX/UI and development: — Overhauls of existing software — Design of all-new software — Minor task flow improvements and A/B testing — Upskill staff — Manage design tasks and asset production — Agile and Lean methodologies — Strategic and competitive analysis — Specification writing — Product research and strategy — Product ideation — Product roadmap — Feature set design — Jira tasks — User research and observation — Discovery workshops — Extensive user-flow schematics — Personas and users — Customer/service mapping — Touchscreen and optimisation analysis — Wireframe and prototypes — Visual and creative research and design — Mobile, web and cloud platform design — Installed application software design — Work closely with developers — Responsive front-end coding and testing — Custom icon design and production — Mobile commerce — Rewards systems — Transactional HTML emails — In-product and marketing copy-writing — Instructional writing and documentation — Internal training and peer reviews Client work: — iOS / Android app design, set-up — Developer accounts admin — App theming, updates, and publishing — Client website design Marketing: — Corporate/software identity — Marketing website/social content — Stationery, adverts, video, exhibitions

Integrity had several software divisions based in the UK. With an established client-base these operated in different verticals since the 1990s. I was hired to be the company's first designer, in what was a technology-based and developer-led software environment. As part of my remit, I established a visual design and user experience mindset for the company. Being based within the Research and Development team I formed a tight working relationship with the developers. I was tasked with improving existing products. This allowed me to apply user research and best practice approaches to transform older software applications, some of which used older codebases. And creating in new greenfield products, I looked at the paper-based workflows and helped usher in digital transformation via the use of newer web-based technologies. These recommendations and positive steps allowed the company to start offering mobile-friendly products - Which immediately helped the company's offerings become more competitive again. The company was based on three sites around the UK. Working constantly with different departments I helped to work across the physical distance divide. I remotely upskilled staff to help with design tasks and asset production. I also worked with Marketing on materials and webinar productions. UX/UI and development: — User research and observation — Software feature set audit — Competitive research and analysis — Strategic planning — Software UI design — Proof of concept and rapid prototyping — Front-end design and IDE based .NET development — In-browser and staging-server testing — Facebook App design and development — Icon design and production — Online/retail/social media research — Analytics analysis — Copywriting for new customer-facing collateral — Design, production of collateral — Internal technical documentation Marketing: — Motion graphics design/animation — Webinar production — Marketing work was brought in-house

Not long after The Unit was started, I was asked to join as the first employee. I was integral to establishing it as a leading digital and user-centered design studio. I enjoyed helping to run the studio, assessing what team resources were needed, building the team over time, working with our clients, and account management for the various projects. We had a mix of direct and indirect clients. We worked with larger, incumbent agencies who needed digital expertise. Clients became long-term partners, some of whom were on retainer. This let me work on an enviable list of international clients, corporations, and well-known artists and entertainers. Clients ranged from financial services, insurance, travel, accommodation, property, music, entertainment, the arts, charities - some of which became retained clients. The studio now has locations in London and Brighton. Team: — Team, project management — CV and portfolio reviews — Intern/work experience staff Client management: — Project spec writing and research — Job quotation and breakdowns — New business and pitch work Visual Design: — Brand development and identity — Visual design, image retouching — Digital and free-hand illustration — Icon and typeface production — Print design and art-working Websites: — User experience and service design — HTML, CSS front-end UI design, and development — Website design, build, and production — Design for desktop and mobile — Browser testing and optimisation — Bespoke CMS systems — Web server FTP and administration — Social media content and assets Email comms: — Email strategy, flows and landing pages — Email template design, build and test — List set-up, segmentation and campaigns Advertising: — Digital online advertising creative — Flash, gif banner design and production — Video/audio rich media and page overlays — 2D Flash/motion graphics Audio/Video/Streaming: — Media player design and interface — Audio/video editing and encoding — Green screen and compositing

Blaze Design was a successful design and print studio. I was hired to bring digital creativity to the new digital design department. Blaze worked closely with SMP marketing agency, a multi-award winning sales and direct marketing agency based in Tunbridge Wells and then London. Blaze eventually became the integrated studio for SMP. I became the Senior Web Designer in this position and was responsible for all the digital work that ran through the studio. I was also responsible for briefing and working with a network of freelance designers, 3D, programmers, printers, and a fulfillment house. Overall, I worked on UX / UI design and web site production for a range of projects including: — Consumer-facing websites — Children's web portals — Online games, offline activities, — eCommerce websites — Multi-tenant international admin systems. — Intranets and extranets Within the design studio I was responsible for: — All digital projects. — Digital department quotes and pitches. — Client-facing account management of digital projects. — Working with, briefing, and managing external designers and developers. Design responsibilities included: — Visual design, concepts, and screen design. — HTML/CSS web design, build, and deployment. — Image creation, photo retouching, artwork illustration. — Flash front-end design, animation, and development. — Online games concepts, design, production, play-testing, and delivery. — Design and authoring of interactive sales tools. — CD-ROM / DVD design and production. — 2D and video-based animation and editing. — Online advertising and rich media. — Pitch work, presentation design, and maquette build. — HTML email design, marketing, set-up, and deployment. Achievements: — Multiple industry awards and recognition won in digital categories. — I increased website traffic usage on long term web projects.

I started as a client-facing designer that went to visit clients to take briefs and give walkthroughs about delivered web sites. I then became studio-based, concentrating on the client liaison, design, and build of websites and digital elements. In time I became the Studio Manager, managing the studio workflow, and overseeing the work of 5 designers. — Client-facing to take briefs and deliver walk-throughs of finished websites. — Domain and web hosting administration — HTML web site front-end design and development. — Creating new websites as well as updating existing ones. — Working with Developers to make dynamic websites with admin areas. — Flash design, animation, and website production. — Email design, marketing, and set-up.

This was my first design role, which initially covered a maternity position. In time I was asked to extend my tenure there. I worked in the design and artwork department, liaising with the in-house printer and screenprint departments. I then branched across and aided in the end-delivery of projects, where I worked hands-on in the design, application, and installation of graphic and signage elements. — Brand, design, and artwork for paper-based print. — Electronic product panel interface design. — Typography, design, and illustration — Vinyl design and cutting, and Edge machine output. — Design and artwork for screen print output. — Design and application of shop fascias, external, and internal signage. — Vehicle specific livery design and application.

I am a visual artist, illustrator, and designer, who likes to make a variety of colourful and multi-faceted narrative drawings and paintings using a combination of watercolour, gouache, inks, collage, Letraset, found elements, verse or prose. VISUAL DIARY In 1996, I happened to find an unused diary from 1969. In which I found that I had started to make a drawing a day, a daily process which evolved into a drawing about that day’s experiences. It has ended up a Visual Diary artist book project which I have been working on ever since. BODY OF WORK Now that I have twenty-five years worth of individual artworks (almost 9,000 entries), using a variety of different styles and formats, I am looking to explore what else I can do with this project, eg, make derivative art pieces, exhibitions and installations, wall designs, (miniature) theatre sets, artist films and animations, interactive experiences etc. DIGITAL As well as with traditional drawing and painterly techniques, I like to work with various computer, photographic and video-based means. As a reflection of my day-to-day skills, I like to involve interactive and digital media too. AR would be a natural avenue to pursue. EXHIBITIONS Artworks/commissions have been exhibited in nationaly and internationally, within art galleries, arts festivals, theatres, and touring exhibitions. Artworks and commissions have been permanantly installed in hospitals and commercial businesses. ANIMATIONS Animations have been exhibited within an international festival, and on a gallery/educational tour around England as well as places in America, the Middle East and India. My animation was often used as the opening animation. TALKS/SEMINARS Talks on drawing and animation have been given in schools, art galleries, Arts Council England national events and animation talks in the British Film Institute, London.