15gifts
15gifts develop Humara, an AI driven decision engine that uses machine learning and psychology techniques to create uplift for clients and enables end users to make the right purchase decisions. It surfaces 500,000 personalised recommendations a month and is trusted by telecom giants such as EE and Virgin Media.
The Challenge
When I joined 15gifts, they had been operating without a dedicated UX Designer for an extended period, resulting in a lack of cohesive user experience direction. Without a defined UX strategy, design efforts were fragmented rather than strategic.
Additionally, the company lacked a structured hiring strategy for design roles and had no established user testing processes, making it difficult to recruit the right talent and validate design decisions with real user feedback.
There was also a requirement for additional leadership as the other members of the leadership team were too stretched to line manage and coach the product team.
The Process
UX and Product Lead
As UX & Product Lead in the business, I was responsible for leading a team of Product Managers and Owners, Data Scientists, and UX and Product Designers. Alongside my leadership role, I also contributed to the UX design requirements of the business.
My key achievements during the nine month contract include:
Developing the 15gifts UX framework and strategy (ensuring it was in line with the wider product strategy)
Designing new features and optimisations via user stories, user journeys, flow diagrams, information architecture, mockups and prototypes
Introducing right-sized UX best practices that included thorough design documentation and inter-disciplinary communication
Implementing a prioritised UX backlog
Enabling and coaching the design team in implementing in-depth user testing and content strategy
Optimising design for a wide range of devices and interfaces
Conducting usability tests and user research, analysing collated data and making informed design decisions
Working closely with data scientists and customer success team to ensure design decisions are based on truthful data and needs
Line managing and coaching the Product Managers, Lead Data Scientist, Head of Design and other members of the UXD team
Creating an environment where everyone has the headspace, support and autonomy to excel
Working with other members of the Leadership team to enable wider business improvements
Recruitment for key roles
For full details on the engine, visit the 15Gifts website.
15gifts clients include: Vodafone UK, EE, Tesco Mobile, Virgin Media, Sky, Three, Verizon and BT.