About

Customer experience
champion

Hello, I’m Shebs, a UX Leader with over 20 years of experience in UX and Design, including 14 years in the Online Retail sector. I’ve worked with well-known brands such as Currys, House of Fraser, John Lewis, and Ogilvy & Mather.

I thrive on mentoring and coaching teams, guiding them in leveraging various UX techniques to create best-in-class experiences. Crafting development plans, I find joy in witnessing their growth and enhanced performance.

Outside of work, I embrace a variety of sports – completing two London Marathons with a personal best time of 04:24:15, participating in cycling events like London to Brighton and London to Essex, and relishing hiking adventures with friends across different parts of the UK.

Questions and Answers

I read the technology section on the Sky News and BBC apps and like listening to the Tech Tent podcast about the latest technology news. Currently, I’m listening to an audiobook called ‘The Making of a Manager’ by Julie Zhuo. I also enjoy doing experimental work outside of my job, which helps me to be creative without boundaries or restrictions.

During the ideation and design phase, when I have detailed designs and prototypes ready, I test early assumptions using a tool called UserZoom or User Testing to validate my ideas. I also take prototypes into user testing labs to observe how customers interact with my product and iterate based on their feedback.

In my role at Currys, I manage Product Designers who report to me. I hold their annual appraisals and help them set their career objectives. I coach and mentor them to ensure they deliver their projects in line with business values.

For the apps and checkout projects, I created various design systems using Sketch and Axure. In these documents, I showed the different states and styles of the components and their business rules. This helped developers build consistent components.

I use a UXD process when I start a project, which includes six phases – discovery, research, ideation, design, implementation, and evaluation. Throughout each phase, I am transparent with all my stakeholders so they know exactly what will be delivered at the end of the project.

I use the various options available on a tool called Contentsquare and Adobe Analytics to measure and track elements on the page, which helps me determine if the design is working or if I need to make adjustments.

I enjoy running and have completed the London Marathon twice, with a record finishing time of 04:24:15. I also enjoy cycling and participate in the London to Brighton cycling event every year. Additionally, I like gardening, which helps me to relax.