Alice G Herbison
User experience developer in Edinburgh seeking a front-end web development or UX prototyping role in 2019. Background in user-centred interaction design of accessible, responsive and friendly interfaces that meet both user and client needs. Highly detailed-oriented, empathetic and passionate about learning new skills and web technologies.
Skills
Languages & tools
- HTML5 & CSS3
- JavaScript
- Bootstrap
- static site generators (Hugo)
- BEM
- Sass
- Git
Processes
- usability testing
- scoping user flows & mapping journeys
- defining information architecture & content strategy
- templating & wireframing responsive interfaces
- W3C guidelines & semantic accessibility requirements
- agile & SCRUM methodologies
Software
- VS Code
- Sketch
- Balsamiq
- Hotjar
- Google Analytics, Tag Manager & Data Studio
- JIRA
Experience
User Experience Designer, Signal (formally Blonde)
January 2015 - January 2019 | Edinburgh
Responsibilities
- building and interating prototypes in code
- defining information architecture and site structures
- content strategy and CMS / content type planning (Drupal)
- planning and running usability tests
- conducting and analysing primary user research and interviews
- translating requirements into acceptance criteria
Led the user research, site planning, information architecture and template layouts for Street Soccer Scotland, Drinkaware, Robertson, National Galleries of Scotland, City of Glasgow College, and Powderbeds website redesigns, and a power-generator monitoring iPhone application for Aggreko. Clients for smaller pieces of work included RBS, Scottish Friendly, Nando's, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and My World of Work (Skills Development Scotland).
Key achievements
- Proposed and led interactive prototyping methods for new online medical research platform, building and maintaining three separate prototype instances running Hugo to illustrate and iterate desired functionality / requirements for each client. Increased ease of remote feedback and testing by providing valuable proof-of-concepts for ideas.
- Conducted user research and acted on findings to redesign online course finder for City of Glasgow College, streamlining search process and filter options to those most valuable to prospective students.
- Championed user research inclusion in projects with small budgets, working within tight timeframes to produce ideas from as much research as possible.
- Used behavioural economic and psychological principles to encourage greater initial investment per ISA account opening for Scottish Friendly which increased average order value by £10 per customer.
- Established a framework for integrating and acting on research findings depending on stage of agile project.
Digital Communications Intern, University of St Andrews
January 2014 | St Andrews
Internship with the Digital Communications team working on the new university website. Content delivery and management in an agile development process.
Marketing & Experience Design Intern, ThoughtWorks
June - August 2012 | London
Responsibilities
- conducted research interviews for persona validation
- designed graduate recruitment marketing materials & copy
- project-managed promotional videos
- created visuals and storyboards to explain brand evolution & current positioning
Education
MSc Human Computer Interaction, University of St Andrews
2014 | Distinction | Carnegie-Cameron Trust Post-Graduate Scholar
Key modules
- User-centred Interaction Design
- Web Technologies (HTML/CSS/PHP)
- Research Design & Analysis
- Software Engineering Principles
- Object-Oriented Modelling, Design & Programming (Java)
Dissertation
Followed a user-centred design process to design and implement the front-end user interface for the iPhone application DentAnx in Phonegap (HTML/CSS/JS) to help people with dental anxiety track the emotional strength of their anxiety and log pain levels throughout dental treatment as a method of psychological intervention. The work has been published in scholarly journals and has since been fully implemented for iOS and Android.
MA(Hons) Psychology with Film Studies, University of St Andrews
2013 | 2:1 | Accredited by the British Psychological Society
Key modules
- Cognitive Psychology & Emotional Disorders
- Perception
- Quantitative and Qualitative Statistics
- World Cinema
- Documentary Film-Making
- Multimedia
- Web Technologies
- Internet Programming
- Human Computer Interaction
Dissertation
Received a First for ‘Perceiving depth with one eye: The effects of reducing cues to picture surface visibility on the qualitative impression of stereopsis in two-dimensional images’.
Independent learning & projects
Currently
Focusing on React and JavaScript, particularly ES6, using online learning courses to support a full transition into front-end development. Current personal projects:
- exploring RESTful APIs by building a small site to search & pull in cinema listings from an API - view GitHub repo
Recently completed
- Wes Bos' JavaScript30 - view demo site
- freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design Certification - view portfolio
- rebuilt personal site using Hugo - learn about site principles
Upcoming
- adapt cinema project to use React front-end
- create a responsive family tree interface