BIOGRAPHY

About me

I'm a seasoned design leader with two decades of expertise in crafting globally resonant products. I successfully steer diverse teams through the entire product lifecycle – from initial discovery and strategic envisioning to meticulous execution and successful delivery. I maintain a professional ethos anchored in experimentation, fueled by curiosity, and dedicated to fostering collaborative environments.

EXPERIENCE

Resume

Berlin

2020 - present

Ableton

Head of UX Design (Web)

Design Leadership and Management: Led design team in defining its purpose, culture, and values. Collaborated with HR to implement a progression scheme for career advancement.

Design Operations: Optimized design practices, processes, and tools for efficiency. Instigated the establishment of the Composer Design System, for enhancing the consistency and efficiency of Ableton's web products.

Strategic Design Vision: Worked with executives and cross-functional leaders to craft and execute UX strategy for Ableton's web products. Defined milestones, roadmaps, and project plans.

Amsterdam

2013 - 2020

Booking.com

Lead Designer - Pulse 

Orchestrated the unification of user experience for the Pulse B2B native apps by fostering alignment among a diverse team of designers, copywriters, researchers, developers, and product managers. Oversaw 10 teams across various business units with distinct goals, creating a cohesive platform-based strategy to elevate the overall user experience.

 

Senior Designer and Team Lead - Booking Home Apps

Servant leader to a 10-member team in the design and development of homes and apartments offerings for Android and iOS native apps. Conducted user testing and international research, incorporating real customer feedback. Collaborated with product owners and developers, conducting experiments for design validation and iteration.

 

App Designer - Search and Search Results

Transitioned from an 18-month tenure on the Booking.com desktop website into the newly formed native apps team. Specialized in enhancing and designing features for both Android and iOS platforms, collaborating closely with product owners and developers. Utilizing A/B tests, validated and iterated on designs to optimize user experiences.

 

UX Designer - Deals

Worked within the renowned design team at Booking.com, focusing on iterative improvements to the desktop website. Instigated and led the design and implementation of a high-converting global deals feature, that was integrated into Booking.com's native apps.

London

2012 - 2013

Barclays Wealth

Design Manager

Redesigned the Barclays Wealth website, collaborating seamlessly with designers, developers, copywriters, and user researchers. Led the design process to ensure the final product precisely met customer needs.

Glasgow

2011 - 2012

Kiltr

Senior Product Designer

Contributed to the creation of a social networking site, Kiltr, dedicated to connecting the Scottish diaspora. Designed and co-developed the native app in collaboration with a small, agile team of designers and developers.

Glasgow

2010 - 2011

Barclays Stockbrokers

Product Designer

Redesigned the Stockbrokers website and share-dealing app, collaborating in a large, agile team spanning Glasgow and Singapore. Conducted usability studies to validate the design of the new platform.

Glasgow

2009 - 2010

Aridhia

Product Designer

Directly collaborated with clinicians and NHS staff to design user-centric apps and digital dashboards.

Edinburgh

2007 - 2009

Sumerian

Product Designer

Designed and implemented .NET-based applications and dashboards for IT Analytics clients, including RBS, HBOS, Lloyds, and Tesco.

Glasgow

2006 - 2007

JP Morgan

UX Designer

Designed and developed EU regional websites within the web team, collaborating with product owners to address local requirements.

Edinburgh

2004 - 2006

Forestry Commission

Product Designer

Designed the grants and licenses application product within the development team at the government's Forestry Commission.

Inverness

2002 - 2004

Dynam

Web Designer

Designed and developed content-managed websites and digital media for clients including Northern Constabulary, Coca-Cola, and Tulloch Homes.

Stirling

2001 - 2002

University of Stirling

MSc Information Technology

Melbourne

2000 - 2001

Rhythm & Soul

Record store assistant

Rhythm & Soul was a small independent record store specialising in electronic music. I worked in the store and helped set up the database for the online web store.

London

1998 - 2000

Greyhound Records

Label Manager

Greyhound Records was a record distribution company that specialised in dance music. I worked with UK based labels helping them export their releases globally. I also ran the in-house record labels where I was responsible for sourcing material and managing artist relations.

Glasgow

1996 - 1998

Bomba Records

Record store assistant

Bomba records was a small independent record store specialising in dance music. I worked in the store and was responsible for sourcing and buying the records

London

1992 - 1996

London College of Fashion

BA hons Product Development for the Fashion Industries

WHEN I'M NOT WORKING

When I’m not working, I enjoy collecting music, making music, and sharing music on my radio show Watching Like Nobody’s Dancing. Did I mention that I quite like music?

white-squiggle

Hello!

You can reach me at:
hi@deniseross.com?