ELENA GORMAN, PHD

Designing rich experiences
rooted in research
with real people

HELLO!

I’m Elena Gorman. A passionate change-maker, fuelled by the vision of a better future for us all, designed by us all, together.

As a senior Experience Designer, I work independently yet collaboratively across the end-to-end design process.

I especially enjoy working with charities supporting people who are disenfranchised, marginalised, and underserved.

Elena, a woman with light brown skin, and dark brown hair and eyes, smiles at the camera

MY ETHOS

Dig deep, grow tall

As the saying goes, “The deeper the roots, the taller the tree”. If you want to grow, first you must dig deep. My approach to UX is rooted in research. I help you understand your users so that your organisation can blossom.

Put people first

In the age of AI, we can forget what makes us unique: our humanity. I work with people. I question, listen, and watch. I find out what matters to them. Then I design ways to make things better. Simple but not easy!

Craft our future

We can all craft the future. But which futures do we want to create? I’m fuelled by the vision of a better future for us all, designed by us all, together. Building an inclusive future has never been more urgent.

CASE STUDIES

Connecting refugees and asylum seekers with employability support

Client: Bridges Programmes

Working with a Scottish charity to design a new visual brand and website to transform their digital presence, support their sustainability and growth, and directly benefit the people, families, and communities they serve.

A laptop displaying a visualisation of a cognitive walkthrough

Improving donation journeys to enhance user experience and increase revenue

Employer: Shelter

Leading a comprehensive programme of UX activity to build solid foundations for designing new online donation journeys to enhance the user experience, improve conversion rates, and increase revenue.

Two hands holding an A3 folded sheet of paper, with a proto-persona. A digital illustration of a man, with the title: "Abe: The Archival Apprentice"

Identifying opportunities to improve a nation-wide archives platform

Employer: Jisc

Rapid research to evaluate current user experience and discover new opportunities for a national archive platform, as part of a free service used by archivists and researchers around the world.

A laptop with the screen displaying the DVSA website, with the banner reading "Helping you stay safe on Great Britain's Roads"

Designing a new public service to make Britain’s roads safer

Employer: UK Government (DVSA)

Designing a new online service for members of the public to report fraudulent activity and serious concerns more easily, safely, and securely, and to make the DVSA’s process of investigating concerns more efficient.

Two hands holding an A3 sheet of paper with a digital illustration of a roadmap

Rapid discovery to inform strategic investment in technology for growth

Client: Ringtons

Working at pace to identify and prioritise opportunities for Ringtons to enhance their flagship doorstep delivery service, and to enable strategic decision-making for technology investment to catalyse innovation and growth.

A tablet with the screen displaying a persona in blue and white.

Improving user experience and operational efficiency with app design

Client: Ringtons

Carrying out research to inform the re-design of a mobile sales app to improve efficiency, employee experience, and customer experience.

A laptop screen showing a slide of a presentation, with the title "Research" and three columns listing research activity across three sprints

Discovering user needs for a new CRM to improve the customer experience

Client: Ringtons

Mixed methods research to identify user needs and requirements for a new CRM solution to manage customer accounts more effectively and efficiently.