Gil Alvaro
UX Designer based in Manchester, UK.
Hi 👋, I am a senior Product Designer (UX/UI) with over 12+ years of experience - working for both the public and private sectors. Well versed in problem solving, crafting elaborate Design-Systems in alignment with GDS. Experience of working within Agile frameworks/Scrum environments. Fully SC Cleared.
My Skills
Years of Experience
in Product Design
in Product Design
Work Experience
Education
Remote
United Kigndom
- Designed and delivered high-quality, user-centric products for public sector clients such as ESA, MoD, and Home Office within Agile environments.
- Led workshops and user research to define optimal UI/UX solutions, creating 35+ high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.
- Created comprehensive design systems including Bootstrap & GOV.UK with light and dark themes, enhancing brand consistency across 5 platforms.
- Optimized designs for responsiveness, accessibility, and contrast ratios, meeting WCAG standards, boosting user satisfaction scores by 36%.
- Reviewed candidate portfolios and expanded recruitment accuracy by 30% through detailed feedback on CVs and interviews.
- Conducted usability testing with 10+ users, increasing user satisfaction scores by 36%.
- Trained and mentored junior designers, enhancing team skills and overall design quality.
Consulted on and delivered the following projects as part of my role at CGI
DLMC as Senior UI Designer
MoD (Ministry of Defence)
- Leading a team of three designers to deliver high-quality, user-centred digital products within an Agile environment.
- Improved compliance by 35% by developing and maintaining a scalable design system meeting WCAG standards for 5 projects.
- Collaborating closely with UX designers, developers, and stakeholders to translate complex requirements into intuitive, accessible, and visually cohesive interfaces.
- Facilitating design reviews, mentoring team members, and promoting best practices in design system adoption and component usage.
- Conducting prototyping, user flow creation, and iterative design testing to ensure optimal usability and efficiency.
PPPT as Lead UI Designer
Home Office
- Designed intuitive, user-centric interfaces for both internal and public-facing government platforms, with a strong focus on accessibility.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with UX researchers, developers, and key stakeholders to optimize digital services, minimize user friction, and increase overall efficiency.
- Produced wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity designs using Figma, aligning closely with user needs and project goals.
- Established and maintained a scalable design system, promoting visual and functional consistency across multiple services.
- Successfully advanced accessibility compliance from WCAG 2.0 AA to WCAG 2.1 AAA for several mission-critical platforms.
TIOMS as UI Designer
Home Office
- Improved design consistency by 30% by developing high-fidelity mockups using the TIOMS design system.
- Served in an advisory capacity to identify and address limitations within the existing design system, contributing to its ongoing enhancement.
- Delivered design presentations to clients, articulating concepts and incorporating feedback to inform iterative improvements.
- Facilitated collaborative brainstorming workshops with internal teams and stakeholders to foster creative problem-solving and generate innovative design solutions.
- Maintained & updated a Design System library and it's components documentation.
- Worked in close coordination with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on project objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
5G Hub as UI Designer
European Space Agency (ESA)
- Developed a comprehensive design system comprising over 8,000 components, tailored to align with ESA and CGI brand guidelines, and optimized for both dark and light themes.
- Led design workshops, conducted user research, and mapped detailed user flows to inform and validate UI decisions, ensuring optimal usability and client satisfaction.
- Created high-fidelity UI mockups and interactive prototypes that demonstrated system functionality and user experience.
- Proactively identified and resolved UX challenges, including issues related to responsiveness, contrast ratios, and accessibility compliance.
- Operated within an Agile framework, delivering design assets in alignment with sprint cycles and project timelines.
- Presented high-fidelity prototypes and design concepts to internal teams and external stakeholders, communicating design rationale and gathering actionable feedback.
Manchester, United Kingdom
- Developed responsive front-end interfaces using HTML5, SCSS (BEM), jQuery, and later ReactJS with Material Ul, Styled Components, and JSS.
- Enhanced page load speed by 20% by conducting Lighthouse audits and managing CSS specificity.
- Improved design-developer collaboration, resulting in a 30% efficiency boost, by implementing Storybook and Zeplin.
- As Lead Product Designer, maintained brand consistency across Ul, marketing, and internal assets; mentored design team members.
- Guided UX activities including heuristic analysis, contextual inquiries, persona development, user journeys, wireframing, prototyping, and A/B testing.
- Established and sustained an Atomic Design-based style guide for consistent and scalable design delivery.
- Preserved brand consistency across UI, marketing, and internal assets for 5+ projects by mentoring the design team at Connex One.
Consulted on and delivered the following projects as part of my role at Connex One
Manchester, United Kingdom
- Owned all branding, marketing, and UX/UI design for Gnatta's website and web app.
- Produced print and digital assets including brochures, logos, business cards, and social media visuals.
- Designed wireframes, prototypes, and motion graphics in Adobe XD, Figma, and Zeplin.
- Collaborated with developers to implement front-end pages in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Built interactive dashboards, reports and omni-channel portal.
Consulted on and delivered the following projects as part of my role at Gnatta
Manchester, United Kingdom
- Enhanced FM Outsource's digital presence by designing over 20 branding, marketing, and UX/UI assets, improving user engagement.
- Supported Agile development by producing wireframes, prototypes, and animations, facilitating faster iterations.
- Provided responsive front-end pages platforms using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, ensuring optimal user experience.
- Led redesign of FM Outsource main website, boosting visitor time by 12%.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver successful projects on schedule.
- Generated interactive prototypes that decreased development time by 20%.
- Optimised UI for mobile platforms, increasing mobile user retention by 14%.
Consulted on and delivered the following projects as part of my role at FM Outsource
Vagos, Portugal
- Produced over 160 print and digital marketing materials, including brochures, newsletters, logos, and social media assets, driving brand consistency.
- Created marketing assets that boosted client engagement by 21%, enhancing visual identity across platforms.
Consulted on and delivered the following projects as part of my role at ADN Digital
Madeira, Portugal
- Established interactive display system for children, enhancing social integration in a research project at M-iti.
- Designed and developed interactive display systems engaging 50+ children in M-iti's social integration study.
Consulted on and delivered the following projects as part of my role at Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute
Education
Madeira, Portugal
Interactive Media Design provides training on interactive media, such as interactive games and narratives, and social and critical technological aspects at the University of Madeira, in close collaboration with the Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute (M-ITI).
Madeira, Portugal
Comprehensive introduction to computing and web development, covering core programming languages (Pascal, HTML, CSS, PHP) alongside foundational knowledge in networking, databases, and computer graphics. Gained insight into how computing and creative technologies shape modern digital careers, while developing the mathematical skills essential to high-tech industries.