hugh allen
As a UX Designer and Researcher, I strive to offer deeper forms of engagement with the world around us. I place understanding at the centre of my approach, and ground my work in a familiarity with the people affected by it and a strong theoretical base.
This need to understand first is what motivates me, and I find myself using design as a way to interrogate aspects of the lives I encounter, as well as my own.
hugh allen
A. Projects
B. Process
Exploration and critical enquiry play a central role in my process, and I pursue design that is an honest embodiment of the supporting research.
Starting projects with a sound foundation allows me relax creatively: once I've established an understanding of the theory, people involved, and overall context, I can explore freely within that region. This is representative of a wider process: I manage the abstract through the limits of context.
I have always found interactive and visual technologies one of the best ways to develop ideas, so applications like Figma feature early in my process, and play a part in my thinking process as well as communicating a final design.
Qualitative Research
User Interviews
Visual Design
Interactive Prototyping
Data Analysis
Systems Thinking
Product Strategy
User Testing
c. Me
With a bachelors in Computer Science and Business, I chose to study for a masters in User Experience Design at UAL to focus on my creative side, and hone some of the design skills that I relied on during my undergrad.
Technology holds a dualistic power – both supporting and disrupting human activities. I endeavour to acknowledge this in the things that I make, cultivating the positive aspects, and mitigating the negatives.
I'm inspired by technology and the possibility of the future; sci-fi features heavily in my imagination. Because of this, I've been drawn to areas like posthumanism and dematerialisation, interested in the role of the digital in people's perception of the world, and of themselves.