Michael Byers

Working in the public sector and web development for over 18 years I have a strong commitment to user-centered design and looking holistically at the entire experience of a service.

byersboi@gmail.com

View me on LinkedIn

EXPERIENCE

South Ayrshire Council, Ayr — Web and Social Media Analyst

July 2007 - PRESENT

I work in the Digital Services team managing the Council’s web and social media properties.

I create accessible and easy to use services that take into account a deep understanding of a broad range of stakeholders and the context in which they will be using the service.

I analyse user behaviour, qualitative and quantitative data to create satisfying user experiences. I consult across multiple departments on website content and user journeys.

When I am not working on web development I actively promote design thinking, design principles and best practices within the organisation.

  • Service design, user research, journey mapping
  • UX and accessibility best practices, research
  • Dashboards and visualisations
  • Qualitative data analysis: interviews, surveys, co-design workshops
  • Agile development

Continuing Education Gateway, Glasgow — Lead Web Developer

December 2000 - July 2007

I created the CPD service website for teaching staff across local authorities and I trained teaching staff in use of system.

I developed PlanIT Plus an education and career choices website for school children.

EDUCATION

University of Paisley, Paisley — Majoring in Computing

1995 - 1999

SKILLS

  • I have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to quickly develop recommendations based on quantitative and qualitative evidence.
  • I communicate effectively across organisational, technical and political boundaries, understanding the context.
  •  I am able to build and maintain strong working relationship with colleagues and stakeholders.
  • I am professional, flexible and able to succeed in a rapidly changing environment.
  • I have professional experience using service design and user research methods and tools: brainstorming, customer journeys, personas, empathy maps, interviews.
  • I am driven, hardworking and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
  • Knowledge of GDS design principles.
  • I have professional experience of tools such as Jira, Slack and Trello.
  • I have working knowledge of design and prototyping tools such as Photoshop, Fireworks, Visio.
  • I possess strong web development skills (ASP.NET, SQL Server, HTML5, CSS3, Sass, Bootstrap, JavaScript).
  • I have professional experience of social media management tools (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite).

AWARDS

PDA in Service Design
08/2018

Agile Digital Services Practitioner
02/2018

Prince2 Practitioner
09/2008

REFERENCES

References and full C.V. available upon request.