The University of Auckland
Senior UX Designer

2022 - Present

Senior Designer working in the Digital Services Team. Integrating design practice throughout the University. Leading the design of digital user experiences and customer journeys, by working end-to-end from problem and opportunity discovery, through to concepting, validation, and on into iterative detailed design and delivery.

ACCIDENT COMPENSATION COMMISSION
SENIOR UX DESIGNER

2018-2021

As an establishing member of the Proposition Design Team, we helped build a culture of iterative User Experience and Service Design into multiple aspects of ACC. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, we used the design thinking process to discover business opportunities, and turn these into actionable recommendations to inform the backlog.

Diving into new aspects of the organisation each 8 week cycle, the work included;

  • discovering the complex issues surrounding transport fulfilments and creating a vision for future state

  • researching and wireframing, and creating handover documentation for a new online newsroom

  • engaging with 8,000 businesses to understand the digital needs of Business Customers leading to proposed opportunities

  • facilitation of ideation workshops (online and in-person) to explore ideas and come to meaningful actions with Customers, SMEs, and Stakeholders

Digital Arts Network
Experience Designer

2014-2017

DAN University in session. Digital Arts Network has a strong culture of collaboration.

DAN University in session. Digital Arts Network has a strong culture of collaboration.

Digital Arts Network is a multidisciplinary studio which combines strategy, design and technology to deliver exceptional user experiences.

Through rigorous discovery that informs creative design, we built products and services that people love to use. In my time there I have worked on research & insights, user experience, interaction design, visual design, prototyping and presentations.

My role in this organisation stretched from the 'fuzzy front end' of design,when the problem that needs solving has been barely identified, through to the final pixel perfect design. By discovering user insights through UX research methods, and exploring ideation both in studio and co-design workshops, we came to a design solution that was informed, robust, and delightful.

Clients:  New Zealand Tourism, Ministry for Social Development, ANZ, Auckland Airport, Auckland Libraries, AUT University, a nation-wide supermarket and telecommunication companies.


Thank you Katie for doing an amazing job last week designing and pulling together the prototype for our second round of testing. Our participants wanted to take it away and use it now. #nailedit - Then running the observation room and pulling together insights and changes from the testing!
— Digital Arts Network Coworker

An article on First Aid Army in the Dominion Post.

An article on First Aid Army in the Dominion Post.

Founder & Designer, First Aid Army
2013

First Aid Army is a strategic system and mobile application design to help qualified first aiders connect to people in need during emergency events. I brought this idea to a social enterprise start-up weekend in Wellington, where it was selected and rapidly developed over 52 hours to a point where it featured in the Dominion Post. 

I developed this as my final year project at AUT, presenting it at the end of year exhibition where it won the Information Design Award. This project is currently in development with AUT’s BCOMSCI students, where I am the advising client.


Designer, Alcatel Lucent
Summer 2013/14

A 10-week summer project with Alcatel Lucent to research and create a system using digital communication to improve work-life for dairy farmers. Included trips across the Waikato to interview dairy farmers about their business, to better understand their concerns and needs.


Generation Zero hosting a Micro-Conference on Auckland's Future, The Cloud, Auckland.

Generation Zero hosting a Micro-Conference on Auckland's Future, The Cloud, Auckland.

Designer & Community Organiser, Generation Zero, June 2011 – March 2014

Generation Zero is a youth change-makers group focusing on solutions for the issues we face with climate change through inter-generational justice. I was the project co-coordinator and lead designer of their Auckland’s Future Micro-Conference, an event we held with the Sustainable Business Network during the Sustainable Cities Showcase. This involved organizing speakers, spatial design, graphic design, organizing volunteers, and event management.


Designer, Purposive Collective, June 2012 – December 2013

Working with organisations to engage people around they issues care about. I co-designed a range of infographics for community and environmental groups, such as Waitakere Festival, Twin-Streams Project, Gecko, and the Wild-Link Corridor.


Designer, Enspiral, June 2012 – March 2014

A collection of social enterprise organisations focusing on creating solutions underlined by social and environmental responsibility. Starting as an intern, and later as a contractor, I created illustrations & infographics in collaboration with Enspiral, and continue to be inspired by their work ethic through a strong on-going relationship.


DESIGNER, OCEAN ANGLER, 2012 – 2013  


FAIRY, CREATIVE MISCHIEF, 2010 – 2014 


VOLUNTEER

2017   oMA TAFUA WHALE RESEARCH (NIUE)

2016   Forest & Bird habitat newsletter

2015   Ronald McDonald House – Fairy

2014   Weeding WAITAKERE ranges

2013   Enactus – Designer & Strategist

2008   St John's Youth