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Delve into web design: meet Mason

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Delve into web design: meet Mason

Who’d have thought it? A conversation over the bar of a pub. One pourer, one punter.

That’s where we met Mason. He was working as a waiter in a cocktail bar… well, ok, not quite.

Working near Reading in between semesters at Coventry University, a conversation started, and within only a few months he’d joined Alive for a one year placement.

The rest, as they say…

Mason is a midweight designer specialising in UX

An introduction to Alive’s Mason

After his placement, and an extra bit of time with us, we were chuffed to have Mason join the team on a permanent basis.

Mason has been part of the Alive family for over two years and is one of our most inquisitive minds when it comes to design. He’s always thinking ahead and asking our clients the right questions.

Now a mid-weight designer moving into the world of UX design, Mason is settled at Alive and getting involved with projects that utilise his passion for design, combined with the psychology behind winning the attention of your audience.

Here’s what that means for you.

UX design – a simple explanation

UX design is focused on studying user experience and how we can improve it. That could include…

  • the correct placement of information
  • understanding what the user expects to see
  • how the user navigates through a site without going off track and losing interest.

Mason works on projects with clients to create impactful user experiences that retain viewers for longer periods of time and that increase sales as a result of clever, mindful design.

There’s a lot of focus on psychology within UX design. It’s about behaviours, emotions and the needs of the users. Ultimately, we create an experience and design that is efficient, intuitive and more enjoyable.

Good UX design simplifies user journey and enhances engagement

UX design – why it matters

Getting UX design wrong means your audience will lose focus, or maybe not even give you their attention in the first place. If a website is clunky and hard to navigate, people won’t stick around for long. However, good UX design informed by robust research will make the user journey simpler.

Mason says: “Researching the UX design gives us data, which we use to understand how users interact with your web platforms and look to streamline user journeys and drive specific actions. This could be sign-ups, survey completions, conversions, or sales.”

Investing time in understanding UX might not be the first choice for most. However, improved experience and design backed by research will lead to better overall website or app performance. It’s also a tool to drive greater ROI for clients, with their platforms becoming more aligned with their audience’s needs.

Mason says: “You’re creating something for people that helps make their lives easier. But it’s the psychological element of design that I’m so passionate about – understanding the human mind and how we generate (and keep) the attention of our audience with design.”

Stepping away from work helps overcome creative blocks

How Mason gets inspired

When he needs a spark of inspiration, Mason heads outside with some Lo-Fi music playing through his headphones and Stanley (his springer spaniel) by his side. But with Stanley being a bit of a live wire, often a a peaceful walk feels a bit more like getting dragged along on a treacherous mission.

However, being outside means you spot design. And it’s everywhere. Posters in a shop, adverts in windows, bar menu designs and even on the side of the number 7 bus.

Mason says: “Being of the design mindset, it’s an opportunity to think and understand why an advert is effective and why my eyes have been drawn there.

“Stepping away from work is always useful if you’re struggling for inspiration – take a break, go and check out what other people are designing, and it might create the spark that unpicks your creative block.”

 

Got a question about UX design?

Well, that’s where Mason can help.

We have loads of experience with helping our clients gain more exposure, retain their audience and craft the most effective design for the web.

If you want a slice of that action, we want to hear from you. Give us a shout, and we’ll get the kettle on.

 

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Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

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Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

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Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

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Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

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DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

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Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

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Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

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Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

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Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

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At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

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Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

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Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

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Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

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Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

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