Ana Nicolau . About

Ana is a seasoned Product Designer with 10+ years of professional experience building B2C and B2B products – from startups to global enterprise-level companies. Focussed on business ROI, Ana combines strategic thinking with an expert understanding of technology and cross platform storytelling, creating products that are easy to use and hard to forget by transforming complex requirements into intuitive user journeys.

Product Design

Discovery Concepting User-Centered Design Product Strategy Systems Thinking Product Mapping Information Architecture User Research Wireframing Prototyping User Testing Design Systems UX UI AR AI

Service Design

Service Blueprinting CX Mapping Product Strategy User Research Design Thinking Data Analysis Stakeholder Co-creation Workshop Facilitation

Technical

Mobile-First Responsive Design Web Web Apps Apps - iOS Apps - Android Video Editing Motion Graphics Art Direction AR HTML5/CSS3

Tools

Figma Sketch Framer X Webflow Zeplin ChatGPT Midjourney Lovable Adobe Photoshop Adobe Indesign Adobe Illustrator Adobe After Effects Adobe XD Miro Notion

End-to-end design process

1. Product Requirements 2. Stakeholder Review 3. Research 4. Data Analysis 5. Design Review 6. Product Mapping 7.Information Architecture 8. Design Review 9. Low Fi Wireframes 10. Stakeholder Review 11. User Testing 12. Design Review 13. Hi Fi Wireframes 14. Design System 15. UX Walkthrough 16. Dev Delivery

• Creative Industry Influencer of the Year 2020 | YunoJuno Finalist
• Freelancer Awards 2020 | YunoJuno Finalist
• 20th Banking Technology Awards 2019| Best Use of Emerging or Innovative Technology - Finalist
• 20th Banking Technology Awards 2019| Best Digital Initiative - Highly Commended & Finalist
• SXSW 2019 Design Mentor
• Campaign Magazine ‘Upcoming Future Creative Leaders’ 2018
• BIMA Awards 2017 Shadow Judge |Technology
• Creativepool Annual 2017 | Newcomer of the year Judge
• The Drum Creative OOH Awards 2016| Grand Prix Winner
• The Drum Creative OOH Awards 2016| Digital Advert Winner
• Creativepool Annual 2016 | Direct Mail Shortlist - Ikea Family Campaign
• Lovie Awards 2014 - Bronze Award Winner | Web Lifestyle - Ikea Family Live
• Lovie Awards 2014 - People’s Lovie Award winner | Web - Lifestyle

Women In Design App ADPList Inclusive.Careers Hexagon UK

WIN: Women in Innovation Women Talk Design InVision Leadership Forum Women In Design App

Ana consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the customer’s needs and was always able to translate those insights into effective design solutions. Her approach to design is rooted in a clear understanding of problem spaces, ensuring that every design decision is not only intuitive but also aligns with both business goals and user satisfaction.

Jamie B.

Product Manager @ The Instant Group

Ana had a great impact on a very important new product we were developing. She has helped us think holistically about the whole product with her structured approach and communicated clearly to involve the different team members & stakeholders. She also ramped up quickly and helped us elevate our design practice by listening actively and contributing where needed.

Baptiste P.

Head of Product Development @ Cognism

Ana is a great product design contractor. She is very knowledgeable about the B2B space and a great problem solver. She is happy to work with lots of constraints and requirements, making pragmatic calls when necessary. Any team is lucky to have her expertise.

Sandra G.

Director of Product Design @ Trustpilot

Ana's work is not only technically proficient but also incredibly innovative. She has a unique ability to turn complex ideas into intuitive and visually appealing designs that captivate users. Her contributions were invaluable, consistently exceeding expectations.

Neel G.

Head of Engineering @ Pret-A-Manger / Photon

Thanks to her, we were able to focus on researching and analyzing certain aspects of our product and quickly visualize the complexity we have built over the years. This has been the fundamental basis for our further discussions and exploration of new ways to deliver value to our users faster. I can only recommend working with her on both a professional and personal level.

Mihael S.

Senior Product Manager @ Bitmovin

Ana balances a drive for results with her robust sense of aesthetic value. Her keen eye for detail and technical knowledge would be an asset to any business. Her pragmatism and ability to manage complex and demanding stakeholders impressed me more than once.

Michael M.

Head of Customer Value @ The Times

Ana did an absolutely phenomenal job at working with many cross-functional teams to make massive pieces of nerve-racking deliveries go-live. It is rare to come across someone as sincere, committed, knowledgeable & experienced as Ana and it has been an absolute honor to have gotten the opportunity to collaborate with her. Ana is exceptional - an absolute rockstar!

Anjali S.

Delivery Manager @ Pret-A-Manger / Photon

From day one, Ana brought a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and a user-centered mindset that had a real impact on our projects. Ana was always thoughtful, proactive, and incredibly easy to work with. She consistently pushed for the best experience, while remaining laser-focussed on delivering business value.

Suneer S.

Director of User Experience @ The Instant Group

Ana has a drive for delivering quality user experiences. I had the pleasure of witnessing this first hand on a 3D project that pushed the boundaries of conventional user journeys and design. I would recommend her as her abilities to bring ideas to life and add business value are second to none.

Hartley R.

Senior Software Engineer @ Dentsu Aegis Network

About Ana

Skill set

Product Design

Service Design

Technical

Tools

End-to-end design process

Awards & Honours

Mentor

Member

Voices of satisfaction and success