Michael Korzilius

Skills and Perks

Figma
Sketch
Adobe CS
Art direction / branding
Wireframe / lo-fi /
hi-fi design
Sprint 2.0
Client interaction / presentation
Product / design strategy
User research / testing / prototyping
HTML / CSS / JS / React / LAMP

Pushing for the unique
and exceptional

Every project is an opportunity for craftsmanship.

I'm passionate about what I do. Truly. I'm the guy who is still at his desk at some late hour because I'm simply enjoying my time.

There are few greater senses of reward than that of a job well done, especially when I've pushed past expectations and pulled a rabbit out of a hat to do it.

Design that's accurate
and communicative

A diligent grasp of the problem is already half way to the solution.

I drill deep to come to firm grips with the task at hand, exploring the grey area to find a solution that will be thoughtful, deliberate, and outside of the box.

This requires understanding the trinity of the client, the project and the user — mixed in with a healthy dose of initiative.

A designer who can code. Why's that important?

Planning ahead for fresh ideas that are feasible.

As a project passes from design to development, and onwards, things get exponentially more expensive in time, money, and thought power.

Drawing on years of experience in front and back-end development I know how designs can be achieved before passing them to the development team — even elaborate and complex ideas.

Shiny, happy people

Every team I work with is my dream team.

To make great things you need a team of great people, be they stakeholders, designers, developers or end users. Everyone has value, even if they don't know it.

I'm a people person. I take pleasure in bringing them together in a way that's enjoyable, collaborative and supportive. All for one and one for all!

The Process

An objective, real-world path to successful design, born from my time in agency environments where things move fast and deadlines are immovable.

Get things done

Time is precious, so keep the project moving forward. Carefully consider which tools and processes yield value and offer the greatest momentum.

Speculate early

Draw on principles of UX, Design Thinking and traditional design practices to develop and test direction early, where decisions are cheaper to change.

Design with vision

Allow room for manoeuvre, but keep sight of the horizon. My experience gives me vision as to how every decision affects the overall whole.

Steps of the process

Investigate
- Ideate
- Test
- Assess
Design
Deliver

Investigate

Discover and define users and their behaviours, alongside business needs, success conditions, and other valuable insights. Results are compiled into an information deck and underpin the objectives of the project. Methodologies used are tailored to project requirements.

Stakeholder interviews.
User interviews / journeys.
Discovery workshops.
Competitor research.
Establish users and groups.
Business objectives.
User needs / red routes.
Content / UX audit.

Ideate, test and assess

Explore how success conditions can be met, then test those ideas against business capabilities and users. Begin with low fidelity mediums, which allow for rapid iteration, and then progressively move to more detailed ones. At the end of this step the core strategy will be in place.

Information architecture.
Market positioning.
Wireframes.
Storyboards / user flows.
Prototyping.
Lo-fi / key page design.
Business and user testing.
Define and refine strategy.

Design

Structure and strategy in place, breathe life into the project. Begin with core pages and devices to establish aesthetics, then thoroughly design all the pages, states and breakpoints. Iteration and further testing can also be introduced alongside.

Full hi-fi design suite.
Visual design / look and feel.
Proofs of concept.
Responsive design.
Business and user testing.
Asset generation.
Demo animations.
Design systems / libraries.

Deliver and delight

Using the results of previous steps to form a concrete basis, I rationally deliver the completed work to stakeholders. My design files are clearly laid out and assets in place in a way that a development team can easily adopt.

Stakeholder presentation.
Developer handover.
Exportable assets.
Documented designs.
Pre-coded components.
Schema of plugins.

One size doesn't need to fit all

Arrows leading into each other a in cirular motion.

Agile and scrum

There are a number of solutions to allow design — which is often quite holistically driven — to fit into an Agile workflow, which can include the Process above.

Speed dial with needle pointing to limits.

Rapid UX/UI

Get off the starting line. Streamlined UX/UI to launch the product quickly, releasing budget for post-launch UX to carefully refine it with real data. Ideal for MVP.

À la carte

Some of the Process may not be required for your project, or maybe more tools are. I can offer those services individually or in a number of combinations.

Something else...

There are some cases when something truly bespoke is required. Let's talk. A pragmatic mindset can accomplish anything.

Portfolio

TV5Monde Asie-Pacifique

Streaming
Multilingual
User retention
Subscriptions

Modernising the online platform for an international TV network. Balancing business needs with those of users with very different needs, behaviours, cultures and geographical locations.

Case Study

As lead designer at Rush Hour Media, HK

HK University of Science and Technology

Expansive CMS
Infographic
Time sensitive
Repeat users

Consolidating and rationalising numerous student resources into a single, user-friendly knowledge base which students and faculty would need to access daily.

Case Study

As lead designer at Rush Hour Media, HK

Seven Seas Shipping Worldwide

Inventory building
Estimation
Sales conversion

Creating a new shipping calculator for users — during the stressful time of moving house — to quickly and easily generate a quote that can then be converted into a sale.

Coming Soon

As contract UX/UI designer for Browser, London

Mr. & Mrs. Fox

Creative
Stylistic and unique
F&B

One of a series of newly opened restaurants that required an stylised online identity to reflect and sell its unique environment in a competitive F&B market.

Coming Soon

As contract UX/UI designer for Turtle Media, HK

International Sailing School Association

Digital transformation
Product ecosystem
UX / CX

Deep user and market research laying the foundation for the transformation of an entire product ecosystem, from branding and print to an online learning and certification platform.

Coming Soon

As contract UX consultant for Glowplug, HK

HSBC
Hang Seng
Bank
RSPCA
Agence pour l'enseignement français á l'étranger
Anna Sui
Hubert Burda
Media
Invesco
Swire
Alliance
Française
Mondottica
First Quantum Minerals
Chun Wo Developments
Pepsico
Nixplay
British Chamber of Commerce

Experience covering...

SaaS /
web apps
Rich data /
big data
E-commerce
Bespoke sales
funnels
Integrated
systems
Events /
booking
MVP
Fleet
management
Retail
brands
Fintech /
insurance
Publication /
editorial
Academia /
education
Charity /
NGO
OTT /
mass media
Customer
service
Civil
engineering
Wealth
management
Social media
platforms
Health, fitness
and wellbeing
Sports
and travel
Mass
marketing
Multilingual / international
SPAs
More...

Need to see more?

For now I'm still finding time to piece this website together. However, I can offer detail or demonstrations face-to-face.

Roles

Lead / senior designer

I have extensive experience leading a design project from beginning through to handover and launch. This has been my day-to-day for many years, the benefits of which I offer to you.

A figure leading the way, waving a flag for others to follow.

Initiative and direction

I am well versed in what's required for a design project and how to deliver it.

Objectively creative

A place for everything and everything in its place. Beautiful designs, yet rational.

A silouette of a designer, with two more standing behind.

Solo or team

I can work either alone or directing a team. I have experience in both areas.

Puzzle pieces coming together to make a whole.

Collaborative

Working together with peers to become greater than the sum of our parts.

Hands on

I'm a practical person. I take ownership of the problem and get stuck in.

Entropy control

Spot problematic factors that affect the project before they can make an impact.

User empathy

A natural affinity with people: their thoughts, feelings and idiosyncrasies.

Gears of business rotating in synchronicity

Business conscious

Aware how business operates and how a project can best integrate with it.

Monetarily aware

The dollars and cents that drive a project, and ROI that can measure its success.

Reliable

The importance of working in a predictable way. A strong sense of duty.

A maze with the solution shown by an arrow.

Strategic

A born ideas guy.
Joyfully solving the unsolvable.

Attention to detail

No stone left unturned. Spotting the nuances most would miss.

A silhouette of a heart with tag symbols overlaid.

Dev-friendly

Design is just a dream without the dev team, so plan with them in mind.

Timely

Teamwork relies on synchronicity, which in turn relies on time management.

Asset generation

Direct, create or source. Photo, illustration, 3D, video and animation.

As part of an existing workflow

Alternatively, I can work alongside existing teams and fit into their workflow.

UX researcher
/ designer

Designing the core strategy, structure and user interaction of the project to meet business and user goals.

UI / visual
designer

Creating high definition designs and/or establishing visual language and direction of the project.

UX
consultant

Guiding optimisation of existing sites, or assisting those embarking on a new venture to gain insights.

Hybrid
designer / dev.

Creating designs and then reproducing them in code, either as React or standalone front-end components.

About Me

Deeply invested in my work

Digital design has been one of the best parts of my life for, well, the best part of my life. The last 20 years have been dedicated to mastering my skills.

From the time I first opened Photoshop (v6.0) I have been experimenting and pushing limits of tools that can enhance my work. Animation, code, 3D modelling, illustration, or anything that might open doors to different and interesting ways of communication and interaction.

My love of the craft has taken me around the UK and overseas to Asia.

Many hats make enlightened work

Forged in the crucible of agency life, my career has straddled leadership, UX, product and visual design, as well as development. I know each step of the project pipeline rather intimately.

Be like water, my friend

I've been blessed to have experience across a large variety of industry sectors.

I believe a good designer is not limited by industry or medium, and can apply their skills anywhere. What matters is how they apply them.

Remotely operating from the sunny shires of Dorset/Somerset

Remote is usually my preference as it allows me to pour more hours into my work. However, I'm open to commuting too if needs be. Whatever works.

I live an analogue life too

I can often be found wandering the local countryside pondering the world, or off on road trips in my beloved MX5.

I'm also into music (who isn't), innovation (and innovative thought), awe-inspiring sunsets, and various sideways sports.

Get in Touch

If you think I can help you, please pop me an email.

It'd be great to hear from you.

Contact Form

You will be forwarded to TypeForm.

Looking for the Full Portfolio?

Apologies. Due to time constraints, I haven't been able to make this site fully responsive yet.

If you'd like to see my process and portfolio, please visit this site with a desktop browser.

Skills and Perks

Pushing for the unique and exceptional

Design that's accurate and communicative

A designer who can code. Why's that important?

Shiny, happy people

The Process

Get things done

Speculate early

Design with vision

Steps of the process

Investigate

Ideate, test and assess

Design

Deliver and delight

One size doesn't need to fit all

Agile and scrum

Rapid UX/UI

À la carte

Something else...

Portfolio

TV5Monde Asie-Pacifique

HK University of Science and Technology

Seven Seas Shipping Worldwide

Mr. & Mrs. Fox

International Sailing School Association

Experience covering...

Need to see more?

Roles

Lead / senior designer

Initiative and direction

Objectively creative

Solo or team

Collaborative

Hands on

Entropy control

User empathy

Business conscious

Monetarily aware

Reliable

Strategic

Attention to detail

Dev-friendly

Timely

Asset generation

As part of an existing workflow

UX researcher / designer

UI / visual designer

UX consultant

Hybrid designer / dev.

About Me

Deeply invested in my work

Many hats make enlightened work

Be like water, my friend

Remotely operating from the sunny shires of Dorset/Somerset

I live an analogue life too

Get in Touch

Looking for the Full Portfolio?

Pushing for the unique
and exceptional

Design that's accurate
and communicative

UX researcher
/ designer

UI / visual
designer

UX
consultant

Hybrid
designer / dev.