Hi, I am Jay Michael Heal, a User-Centred Designer based in Cambridge, England.
My career journey in technology began as a teenage developer in C, C++, and Visual Basic. However, it was at University of East London where I was pursuing my New Technology and Multimedia degree, that I discovered my true passion for design. This early exposure to user-centred design ideologies and methodologies has since been the driving force behind my career.
I have worked with great organisations, such as the BBC, Transport for London, Number 10, Just Eat, and the NHS. Each is unique in both the challenge and the environment to work in but, crucially, provides me with diverse experiences.
Adopting a lean and iterative design methodology while remaining committed to collaboration has been central to my career. This has also allowed me to help organisations adopt improved processes between business requirements and a functioning user-centred design process. Finding the right balance between business requirements and user needs is always challenging but pivotal to successful products or policies.
Away from work, I am a proud father to three children (Dennis, Yasmin and Max), a husband to Josie since 2012 and a dog owner to Enzo. I am a keen public speaker about design and have previously helped write a book on Experience Mapping.
Also, I like trying to keep fit—I like to run at least a few times a week (injury permitting). Throughout the year, you can sometimes find me running at 5k, 10k, half marathons and marathon events. Food and cooking are also big obsessions of mine, from a childhood spent in my parent’s restaurant, which I often post pictures of on my Instagram.
Find out more about me, my methodology and my background in design and research.
Links to some of my most recent talks and where I have written previously as a technical author.
I offer coaching services to help teams make the most of a user-centred design process.