Human-Centred Design & User Experience Expert
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The Head of Human-Centred Design and Research at a product development consultancy, Marjan is an accomplished Design Lead with over two decades of experience in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, human factors and new product development, renowned for transforming complex challenges and research insights into innovative Human-Centric solutions. Adept at leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering strategic initiatives for global leaders, Marjan is an experienced User Experience Designer and Design Strategist with a passion for crafting cutting-edge products, services and experiences that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Shebrings two decades of success in collaborating with multidisciplinary teams on transformative projects.
Her key areas of expertise lie in New Product Development, utilising a Human-Centric Design approach.Marjan has driven numerous successful initiatives with global organisations and teams across various countries, includingVodafone, Airbus, Guzzini, Unilever, Brother Industries Ltd., ArjoHuntleigh, the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Brunel University London, NHS Scotland, Merck, Cepheid, Illumina and Roche Pharmaceuticals.
Mobile phone: +44 7752 663912
Most recently the Head of Design at a product development consultancy, Marjan is an accomplished Design Lead with over two decades of experience in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and new product development, renowned for transforming complex challenges and research insights into innovative Human-Centric solutions. Adept at leading multidisciplinary design and research teams and delivering strategic initiatives for global leaders, Marjan is an experienced User Researcher, User Experience Designer and Design Strategist with a passion for crafting cutting-edge products, services and experiences that can make a real difference in people’s lives. She brings two decades of success in collaborating with multidisciplinary teams on transformative research and development projects.
Her key areas of expertise lie in Design Research and New Product Development, utilising a User-Centric Design approach. Marjan has driven numerous successful initiatives with global organisations and teams across various countries, including Vodafone, Airbus, Guzzini, Unilever, Brother Industries Ltd., ArjoHuntleigh, the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Brunel University London, NHS Scotland, Merck, Cepheid, Illumina and Roche Pharmaceuticals.
March – September 2023: Senior Consultant in User Experience Design – Digital Health & Healthcare Product Development, U.K. Successfully worked on various projects with a range of different global clients.
November 2021 – February 2023: User Experience Design & Research Lead at Roche Pharmaceuticals, U.K. – Consultant. Successfully established and built the capabilities of User-Centred Design and Research at Roche Pharma International. Successful leadership and supervision of a global Design function, across the U.K., Poland and Switzerland. Developed and delivered the visionary roadmap for over 100 people at Roche Pharma based on comprehensive qualitative research, data collection and synthesis.
Successfully integrated and implemented the User-Centred Design process within an Agile framework, leading the design development cycles grounded in research and users’ needs. Integrated and aggregated medical data through machine learning systems to provide the best outcomes for patients, HCPs and affiliates based on different disease areas. Successfully delivered a detailed Product Vision, Evidence-based Roadmap and Strategy for a Global Digital Medical Product Knowledge Base for Roche Pharma International in alignment with Roche Pharma International's Vision for the future, setting a new direction with a focus on value delivery.
Co-led the development of a user-centric Global Digital Medical Product Knowledge Base for Roche Pharma and delivered a proof-of-concept and working software based on real data in only 6 weeks.
August 2017 – November 2021: Senior Lecturer & Lecturer in User-Centred Design, Industrial Design and Design Innovation at Brunel University London, U.K. As a lead, I managed, mentored and coordinated around 130 students per year and over 500+ students over the course of 4 consecutive years on multi-year, multi-disciplinary research and design projects to develop and deliver the User-Centred Design and Design Innovation programmes at Brunel.
Leadership and Management of challenging final year BA (Industrial Design & Technology) / BSc (Product Design Engineering) Design Innovation Projects, and MSc modules as well as Supervision of a wide range of final year MSc, BA and BSc projects with a focus on global challenges. Managed and supervised large groups of students (500+) on large UCD initiatives and complex projects through different stages of Research and New Product Development. Successful management of people and projects over four consecutive years, led to various User-centric products, experiences and design strategies for the future of a range of existing companies. During this time, a range of projects received national and international recognitions and awards.
April 2019 – September 2020: Design Director – Uovo Technologies, England, UK: Worked with an experienced team of professionals in the Medical Technology sector as Design Director, providing support on the New Products Development frontend with a mission to help shape the development lifecycle for medical technology and IVD businesses to quickly and effectively bring new medical devices to market in the EU & US.
April 2018 – 2020: New Products Development Mentor – Central Research Lab (CRL), England, U.K. Provided New Product Development mentorship and supervision to a range of start-ups through different stages of development cycle. As a member of the CRL team, I provided NPD guidance and strategic advice to help start-ups transform their ideas into successful businesses.
January 2015 – August 2017: Innovation Designer, Researcher and Project Lead at the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Scotland, U.K. Worked extensively as an Innovation Designer and Project Lead as part of the DHI Experience Labs’ Design Team on a range of complex health and care challenges across Scotland. Worked very closely with clinicians, patients and NHS members of staff on a range of projects; translated key insights drawn from research into a range key features for a series of new product / service ideas with full awareness of existing and emerging technologies.
Innovation process undertaken in these projects led to a range of successful outcomes, including a successful project run in collaboration with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS). Proposed idea for the SNBTS went live in Scotland in Feb 2020.
2013 - 2015: Freelance User Experience & Industrial Design Consultant
2013 - 2015: Visiting Lecturer, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Coached and Supervised various projects for Master’s Course students of Industrial Design.
June 2012 – Jan 2013: Industrial Design Engineer Consultant at ArjoHuntleigh; a Global Medical Technology Company in South Wales, U.K. Worked as one of the key members of the New Products Development Team on creating and developing new medical and electromechanical products in the company’s R&D Department, Therapy & Prevention Products Division. Constantly generated innovative solutions for a range of medical products with a focus on user research and market analysis. Created and developed a range of innovative product ideas including a brand-new wound assist as well as a various range of handsets for a smart hospital bed and mattress system in about one month and ahead of schedule.
Streamlined and redesigned a product’s full usage cycle. Was offered contract extension.
December 2011 – July 2012: Ideator and Design Fellow in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design Course (IE&D) at Design London and Imperial College Business School, London, U.K. Worked extensively with a team of MBAs on an innovative, user-centred design project. Built a viable business plan based on the initiative. Ran workshops with users and my team to identify and eliminate barriers to adoption.
Was selected for the InnovationRCA Entrepreneurs’ Summer Launchpad Programme 2012 during which the project went through a whole new phase of development. Gained interest from one the largest supermarket chains in the U.K.
Summer 2011: Industrial Designer; Brother Industries Ltd.; Nagoya, Japan. Worked as part of the Design Department’s New Technologies Team. Generated and developed ground-breaking concepts based on the R&D department’s new technologies development; worked extensively with Japanese designers and engineers during this period; completed two projects in two months.
April 2010 – 2013: Freelance Design Associate; Laughing Onions Ltd. Generated and developed a range of ideas through sketches, mock-ups and works-like / looks-like prototypes, worked on concept demonstrations and proof-of-concepts for various clients and presentations.
Summer 2010: Designer - Future of Manufacturing - Reverse- Disrupt, i-School Workshop, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan. Ran a one week workshop as part of the Innovation Design Engineering Team to explore the future of products through extreme innovation using sustainability challenges as the main guiding factor. The 25 participants were from Tokyo University’s i-School, a cross disciplinary activity through which students experience design and innovation approaches. Was selected as the winner amongst 8 teams.
2004 – 2009: Freelance Experience & Industrial Designer
2011: Winner of the James Dyson Foundation Bursary; Received the Commendation for the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design Awards; Selected project and Ideator for the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design Course (IE&D) in Imperial College Business School, London.
