United Kingdom

UX Design

Product Design

UX Research

UX Engineering

AJ & Smith

University College London (UCL)

Human Factors International

Santhosh Ragalpavi Balasubramaniam

Design Leader

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Critical-thinking

Empathy

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Human computer interaction

Figma

Miro

Mural

Communication

Information architecture

User research

Usability Testing

Quantitative research

Prototyping

Product roadmap

Product strategy

Qualitative research

Understanding factors that lead to a motivated team - recognition, communication and more.

Keeping team members motivated

How to create a positive workplace culture that drives collaboration and productivity?

Fostering a good team culture

Steps to building and maintaining a strong, cohesive and effective team.

Building an effective team

Get actionable feedback on your resume or portfolio.

Resume and portfolio review

How to think about design career paths and what progression looks like for designers?

Design career path

Learn the career path and progression for product managers.

Product management career path

Ways to provide constructive feedback to team members.

Giving effective feedback

How to define an ambitious product vision and how to best communicate it to stakeholders?

Creating a product vision

How to conduct interviews, what to ask, and how to analyze your results? (eg. user interview)

Conducting effective customer interviews

Design Lead (BP - Wells and Subsurface Data and Insights Pod)
●	Responsible for leading the design efforts for the Wells and Subsurface Data and Insights Pod, comprising multiple products.
●	Conducted discovery workshops with various product team stakeholders to identify design opportunities.

●	Performed user research to understand and identify user needs.
●	Engaged with stakeholders to gather insights on user needs and preferences for data visualization, including data types and visual representations.
●	Created and presented design concepts and prototypes to stakeholders to showcase the future direction of the application.
●	Ensured design solutions met user needs and organizational goals through stakeholder collaboration and user research.

Lead Product Designer (Risk Management Applications)
●	Responsible for enhancing digital risk management through user research and product design practices across the Wells Risk management portfolio.
●	Led the design and implementation of a Salesforce-based risk management platform to reduce digital risks.
●	Facilitated multi-stakeholder discovery and collaboration to ensure solutions met user needs and organizational goals.
●	Introduced user-centred research methodologies, shifting away from stakeholder-led requests to insights-driven design and development.
●	Translated and validated user needs into design prototypes in line with Salesforce's Lightning Design System
●	Delivered user-centered requirements in iterative development sprints, from discovery through design to delivery.

•	As a Senior UX Designer for Supply Chain Management (SCM) platform, working across several applications within the SCM platform. 
•	Promoting Design Thinking and a user-centric design approach.
•	Responsible for implementing the design cycle, by generating a detailed understanding of user needs, creating conceptual and detailed designs, and validating them.
•	Working closely with a cross-disciplinary team of Product Owners, User researchers, UI designers, UI Developers, and Software Engineers
•	Responsible for the entire design process, but also playing a crucial part in challenging and refining the scope and functionality of the products and the platform.
•	Part of the central UX/UI team with fellow UX designers and UI designers working to ensure consistency across the applications in the platform and solicit feedback on the designs.

Own Design consulting company.  At UX Ahead, we deliver top-tier design consulting and outsourcing services, led by a team of seasoned experts with over 20 years of individual experience. We specialize in enhancing your product’s user experience and driving business success. Whether you need strategic design insights, comprehensive development support, or empowering workshops, our expert-led services are designed to help you achieve your goals.

•	Contracted as Lead CX Designer on Rebus, a large business transformation project
•	Created omnichannel user journeys to improve the flexibility of Three’s complete IT stack
•	Utilised Agile to map out UX flows, user journeys, wireframes & CX boards for My Account
•	Designed UX journeys using multiple user groups with a Mobile-First approach to self-service
•	Managed UX requirements gathering to enable the production of wireframes and prototypes
•	Documented UX and UI requirements to support Developers and Solution Architects
Achievements:
•	Created intuitive digital-first omnichannel user journey/ “Landing Pages” for all customer types enabling the business to become faster, digital, flexible, customer-centric, scalable, data-driven
•	Worked in an agile environment sketching out UX flows, essential user journeys, wireframes and CX boards for “My Account Home” (Customer Landing pages) for mobile, web and app

•	Responsible for designing elements & interactive UI components on the transformation project
•	Proposed & implemented pattern based UX design for a scalable customer experience
•	Designed UX deliverables & managed requirements gathering & design review workshops

•	Responsible for collaborating with stakeholders to ascertain requirements for UX design for a new website with an online quote and buy journey
•	Conducted user research & card sorting through the development of key stakeholder partnerships

•	Responsible for mapping out UX flows & essential user journeys of an insurance product
•	Designed UX journeys in close collaboration with SMEs, architects & design specialists 
•	Managed UX requirements gathering to enable the production of wireframes and prototypes
•	Documented UX and UI requirements to support Developers and Solution Architects

●	Worked in a large scale digital transformation project sketching out wireframes and user journey for Manage Delivery Order for the customer-facing portal application to manage shipment containers pickup and delivery.
●	Significantly enhanced the user journey, utilising expertise across business requirements, personas, customer feedback, insight and analysis
●	Maintained full control of UX requirements gathering to enable the production of wireframes and prototypes using Axure
●	Completed extensive liaison with Business analyst, Developers and Solution Architects to produce comprehensive UI specifications
●	Contributed to the review and full documentation of UI patterns and principles, providing support to the UX team

•	Responsible for reviewing designs to identify & address design challenges for a major project
•	Managed design principles, pattern library, content guide & user manual on the design system
•	Enabled EMEA countries to work efficiently to deliver the best content & customer experience

●	Worked in an agile environment sketching out UX flows and essential user journeys for the Aviva equity release & MTA (Mid Term Adjustment) journeys from MyAviva
●	Have designed UX journeys for omnichannel experience involving multiple user groups with varying needs with Mobile-First approach and focus on self-service journeys based on existing call centre journeys 
●	Working closely with Digital product owners, marketing User researchers, SME's, Business Analysts, System Architects, Data Architects, UI designers and developers to create the seamless user experience in line with Aviva UX framework 
●	Maintaining full control of UX requirements gathering to enable the production of wireframes and prototypes using Sketch and Invision
●	Working closely with user researchers for user testing, produced hi-fidelity prototype to support rounds of user testing session
●	Utilised the expertise gained across business requirements, SME feedback, insight and analysis to enhance the user experience
●	Documented UX and UI requirements to support Designers, Developers and System Architects and Business signoffs
●	Working in all stages of the user-centred design process from conceptualisation to implementation

UX consultant - HSBS Commercial Banking

●	Worked as part of digital enablers team from a UX standpoint and for the commercial banking platform redesign 
●	Conducted full analysis of existing UI and UX documentation across the HSBC commercial banking real estate
●	Performed documentation of UI patterns and principles to provide support to the UX / UI designers and developers   
●	Designed forms elements and interactive UI components using Axure

●	Worked in a fast-paced agile environment sketching out UX flows and essential user journeys for the Minister of Defence (MOD) recruitment portal
●	Designing user journeys for both recruiters and candidates view of the portal
●	Working closely with SME’s, Business Analysts, System Architects, Data Architects, UI designers and developers to create seamless UX flow 
●	Designing forms and interactive prototype using Axure adhering to Government Digital Service Design Principles
●	Utilised the expertise gained across the business requirements, SME feedback, insight and analysis to enhance the user experience
●	Documented UX and UI requirements to support Designers, Developers and System Architects, producing comprehensive Blue Print of the requirements

●	Championed UX requirements for redesign of Santander Connect – commercial and corporate banking digital platform within the capacity of UX consultant
●	Significantly enhanced the payment user journeys including bulk payments, single payments, payment templates, payment authorisation queue and account reporting. 
●	Ensured effective planning, design and management of all UX activities for the Santander Connect platform 
●	Maintained full control of UX requirements gathering to enable the production of wireframes and prototypes using Axure
●	Worked closely with a 3-party vendor for user testing, produced hi-fidelity prototype to support rounds of user testing session
●	Utilised expertise across business requirements, personas, customer feedback, insight and analysis to enhance the user experience
●	Documented UX and UI requirements to support Developers and Solution Architects, producing comprehensive UI specifications

●	Played a pivotal role within the Strategic Online Channel transformation programme in commercial banking within the capacity of Senior UX Consultant
●	Significantly enhanced the user journey, utilising expertise across business requirements, personas, customer feedback, insight and analysis 
●	Built and developed highly effective internal and external partnerships, using exceptional technical and non-technical communication skills
●	Maintained full control of UX requirements gathering to enable the production of wireframes and prototypes using Axure
●	Completed extensive liaison with Developers and Solution Architects, producing comprehensive UI specifications
●	Conducted full documentation of UI patterns and principles, providing support to the Visual Designer  
●	Successfully represented the user, performing business analysis and identifying both business and user objectives
●	Managed all additional activities effectively including QA requirement gathering involving UX, visual design, use cases and other documents

●	Successfully worked within the agile project environment at the British Council 
●	Maintained full control of all information architecture activities on behalf of the global Drupal CMS rollout for the council’s home page, country websites, examination products including IELTS, CESOL, Aptis and school examinations and online registration and book and pay systems
●	Ensured effective planning, design and management of all IA activities for the CMS user interface and examination products
●	Utilised expertise to manage all requirement gathering and effectively design review workshops on a global basis, developing key stakeholder partnerships
●	Enhanced processes concerning digital projects through the standardisation of Axure RP as a prototyping tool
●	Ensured effective creation of a centralised repository for Axure widgets, maintained control of content modules and widgets pattern library and successfully delivered IA and UX requirements for CMS UI and examination products

●	Developed information architecture for a mobile commerce platform and unified content management system based website 
●	Utilised expertise to ensure accurate requirement gathering and involving in design review workshops, completing liaison with stakeholders which encompassed data and software architect, business stakeholders, domain experts, user group representative and creative and visual design, team
●	Successfully delivered a key IA and UX solution within the project, excelling in all deliverables including sitemap, user journeys, template design and wireframes

I have leaded an IA/UX project team in Geronimo as a lead Information Architect. 

Planed, managed, designed, defined and delivered IA/UX for TRACKER VAM project. A web application to track and manage fleet. 

Conducted requirement gathering and design review workshops with stakeholders involving: Software technical architect, Business stakeholders, Domain experts and User group representatives. 

Managed and delivered IA & UX solution for the project. Design and development deliverables including:
o	Personas
o	User Journey
o	Application / Sitemap
o	User group task profile matrix and functional mappings
o	Screen types, Screen objects, Screen elements and User Interface objects mapping for the task and user profile.
o	Design and define applications principles of operation and creating Wire frame design and development guide

I have represented User Experience team in Engage Group as Information Architect, in this capacity; I have been providing both information architecture and user experience design consulting to O2 (Telefónica). A leading mobile and telecommunication company in UK.

Worked on O2 VITAL INTRANET – LIFE @WORK project – Information architecture & wireframe design for sprint 2. This is redesign and migration of the O2’s intranet (global and local) from normal SharePoint intranet to Social Intranet in SharePoint 2010.

Created sitemap based on user research data for global and local intranet.

Designed wireframes in OmniGraffle

Documented Templates, Web parts and Navigation guide for the intranet.

Information Architecture and User Experience consulting

MSc in Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics.

In this capacity; I provided both direct Consultation and specialized user interface usability consulting to clients, including NYSE Euronext, SAP Labs and GlaxoSmithKline
Understanding user requirements through various user research methodologies.
Perform usability testing and synthesis data into concrete design proposals; present design ideas using flowcharts, prototypes and mockups.
Formalize visual and conceptual strategies, design approaches, and advise clients on the best way to meet design objectives 
Excellent working relationship with product management and other stakeholders. Provide reports and designs, requirements and UI specs as needed. 
Provide usability expertise and support to development teams.

As a member of the UI team: Designed dialogs, buttons, icons, bitmaps, splash screens, labels, wizard artwork, web graphics etc. 
Requirement gathering, setup information architecture, creating prototypes, guidelines, checklist preparation, heuristic evaluation, developing HTML pages using style sheets.
Wrote user interface standard guidelines and style guides for the development team
As a usability practitioner maintained usability standards

Co-founded this media company providing Multimedia service and consultancy with specialization in 3D computer graphics and Web Technologies
Responsible for planning, managing and delivering the solution. 
As a part of the business involved in marketing, team building and management.
Created user interfaces for websites, applications, interactive presentations and computer based tutorials.

Santhosh Ragalpavi Balasubramaniam🇬🇧

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