Experience

Design Director

ComplyAdvantage • London, UK
September 2023 - February 2025 • 1yr 6mos

  • Established and led the product design chapter through organisational change, overseeing all aspects of design, from user research, usability testing, visual design and copywriting, to accessibility and design systems

  • Oversaw the UX/UI design for the ComplyAdvantage Mesh platform and its suite of risk app modules, encompassing customer screening and monitoring, payment screening, transaction monitoring, screening configurations, risk modelling and account management

  • Implemented design principles, QA standards, and ways of working within the Software Development Life Cycle, raising the quality of product execution and delivering a cohesive experience across multiple risk apps on a single platform

  • Led a seamless migration of design libraries and assets to Figma, creating a tailored Figma playbook that standardised tooling, defined best practices, and provided clear guidance for designers, engineers, and product managers - this initiative ensured consistency, predictability, and alignment across all design assets and workflows

  • Expanded, scaled and documented the design system in support of an expanding product suite within a single platform, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and scalability across risk apps

  • Provided strategic direction and support to the marketing design team and cross-functional projects, strengthening the brand experience while preserving brand equity and customer engagement

  • Played a partnership role across product, engineering and marketing in evaluating the usability, viability, and feasibility of product and brand initiatives

  • Mentored and coached designers, offering guidance and support in progressing their careers and honing their design craft

  • Worked closely with senior leadership and stakeholders to articulate the design vision, strategy, and concepts, driving alignment and securing buy-in across the organisation


Head of Product Design

Dojo • London, UK
Jul 2020 - Jun 2023 • 3yrs

  • Built and nurtured a diverse, inclusive and vibrant product design chapter of 16 members from the ground up, maintaining near zero attrition over three years

  • Introduced DEI strategies to promote diversity of thought and experience within the product design chapter, which were later adopted company-wide as part of Dojo’s hiring practices

  • Recognised as Dojo’s most collaborative product/tech team in 2021

  • Spearheaded the product design chapter roadmap, aligning chapter initiatives and strategic priorities with customer needs and business objectives

  • Promoted a shared understanding of the product design process, roles, and responsibilities across product, engineering, and the broader organisation - this effort championed a collaborative, customer-centric culture, encouraging teams to empathise with and address customer needs and behaviours

  • Delivered business context and set clear expectations to keep product designers aligned and motivated, enabling them to effectively balance customer-focused solutions with business priorities

  • Oversaw the UX/UI design of Dojo’s full product suite, including the flagship payment app, supporting payment tools, business app, funding, bookings, as well as the centralised support hub including merchant referrals, onboarding, and underwriting

  • Established comprehensive design system documentation in ZeroHeight, encompassing design principles, foundations, and the full component suite - this established clear guidance and robust standards, forming the foundation for scaling the system and ensuring a cohesive, predictable user experience

  • Mentored and coached product designers, fostering professional growth by identifying organisational opportunities that aligned with their career aspirations and strengths


Lead Product Designer

Dojo • London, UK
Mar 2019 - Jun 2020 • 1yr 5mos

  • Designed the core user experience and interface for Dojo’s flagship payment app, creating an intuitive design and interface, accredited with making it:

    • 92% faster to take a payment with Dojo than incumbents

    • 75% faster to take a payment with Dojo than disruptors

    • 75% faster to perform a refund with Dojo (vs market avg.)

    • 69% faster to complete everyday tasks with Dojo

    • the number one motivation for sign ups

  • Designed the core user experience and interface for the supporting Dojo for business app, facilitating business owners in tracking and managing their finances

  • Established a new and unified visual design language and principles, providing a clear framework for consistent and predictable product experiences

  • Designed, documented, and maintained master component libraries and workflows as part of a comprehensive design system, to ensure a unified internal user experience and improve design and development efficiency

  • Mapped user journeys and service blueprints, to identify pain points in the user experience and gaps within internal processes, enabling targeted improvements

  • Advocated for greater customer centricity through fostering cross functional and collaborative research and direct customer engagement

  • Mentored and coached product designers, guiding their professional growth and development


Lead Product Designer

1E • London, UK
Sep 2017 - Feb 2019 • 1yr 8mos


Lead Product Designer

Whitbread Digital • London, UK
Oct 2016 - Jul 2017 • 10mos


Senior Digital Designer

STEEL • London, UK
Dec 2014 - Aug 2016 • 1yr 9mos


Digital Designer

STEEL • London, UK
Aug 2011 - Nov 2014 • 3yrs 4mos

 
 

Contact

hellodeano@googlemail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/deanloxton
+44 (0)77 6499 8643
Based in London, UK


Core competencies

Strong interpersonal skills and a good communicator
Inclusive and growth oriented mindset
Adaptable and flexible, with a bias towards collaboration
Pragmatic decision maker
Curious and inquisitive approach to design and leadership
Positive, solution oriented outlook
Effective hiring management and onboarding
Evaluating and critiquing design success
Design craft expertise and systems thinking
Guiding career progression through mentorship and coaching
Vision setting, instilling a sense of purpose, inspiring and motivating


Design toolbox

User research • User testing • Service design • Service blueprints • Customer journey mapping • Workshopping • Presenting • System design •  Wireframing • Prototyping • Component design • High fidelity design • Design documentation • Design refinement • Handover design • Design critique • Design QA


Design toolbox

User research • User testing • Service design • Service blueprints • Customer journey mapping • Workshopping • Presenting • System design •  Wireframing • Prototyping • Component design • High fidelity design • Design documentation • Design refinement • Handover design • Design critique • Design QA


Product design tooling

Figma • Sketch • Abstract • ZeroHeight • Miro • UserTesting • User Interviews


Education

Sessions College (New York, USA)
2007 - 2010

Graphic Design Masters Certificate, with Concentrations in corporate identity and advanced portfolio.

Certificate in recognition of academic achievement in graphic design (Distance Education and Training Board (DETC))

University of Stellenbosch (South Africa)
1998 - 2000

Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Psychology, Social Work and English Literature.

Certificate in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement and excellence (University of Stellenbosch)