J Norton Freelance Interactive Designer Logo

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Contact Details

About Me

I am an interactive designer with over 7 years experience of commercial multimedia design, development and marketing. I am educated to Masters degree level and strive to push the boundaries of design and digital technology.

My skill-set at a glance:

  • User Interface Design / Front-end Development
  • User Experience Design (Interaction Design, Information Architecture and Analytical Research)
  • Online Advertising / Search Marketing (PPC and SEO)
  • Magento Commerce Design
  • Drupal Design and Development
  • XHTML / CSS / JavaScript Website Design and Development
  • Flash / XML / PHP Application Design and Development

I have over 7 years commercial experience and have been involved in Digital Design and Multimedia for around 12 years including 3 years studying a Bachelors Degree in Multimedia and 2 years studying a Masters Degree in Interaction Design.

Specialities:

User Interface Design, Front-end Development, User Experience Design, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Analytical Research, Customer Centered Design, Online Advertising, Digital Strategy, Search Engine Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Domain Strategy, E-commerce, Magento Commerce, Drupal, WordPress, PHP, XHTML, CSS, FLASH, ADOBE, JavaScript, Prototype JS, Scriptaculous, Jquery, AJAX, XML

Education & Affiliations

MA Interactive Multimedia / Interaction Design
Bath Spa University
September 2003 - March 2005
2:1 BSc Multimedia Technology
Leeds Metropolitan University
September 1999 - June 2003

Professional Experience

Freelance User Experience Design and Online Advertising Consultant
Self Employed, Worldwide
March 2010 - Present
I began full time freelancing in March 2010 after receiving high levels of demand for my skills and I am now taking bookings for new projects and long-term contracts. My current list of clients include Aardman Animations and Future Publishing.
Entrepreneur
Various, Worldwide
March 1990 - Present

Entrepreneurial ambition is in my blood and since a young age I have been growing businesses and trading goods and services. I began by buying, fixing and trading musical instruments. When I turned 16 I was able to harness my interest of vehicle mechanics with business and began fixing, customising and selling motorbikes.

My most recent entrepreneurial activities are focused on buying, refining and selling digital companies and services, and creating new businesses, establishing market presence and selling said firm for profit.

Interactive Designer
Champs-Elysées LTD, Bristol
March 2005 - March 2010
I worked on a part-time basis at the company. The job involved many tasks within e-commerce and online marketing including design, implementation and management of all online materials (content and advertising) including the development of new digital products and bespoke e-commerce services.
Freelance Interactive Designer
Self Employed, UK, Nationwide
February 2004 - September 2009

I first worked as a freelance interactive design whilst studying an MA in interactive multimedia (interaction design) at Bath Spa University. I had the opportunity to work with some great clients including: Nesta FutureLab, S-Cool LTD and Bath Spa University.

During this period I focused my freelance activities on user interface design for a variety of devices such as kiosk, mobile and web. I also began delving into OOP and successfully completed Zend PHP training courses.

Multimedia Developer
Redshift LTD, Weston-Super-Mare
September 2001 - August 2002
Redshift evolved from humble beginnings into a full-service digital design agency with an enviable reputation. The role of Multimedia Developer was undertaken during a university sandwich year and involved the development and design of Adobe Flash presentations and animations for screen and CD-based formats. Other duties included cataloguing of stock image archives and standard office duties.
Art Teacher
Friend LTD, Weston-Super-Mare
September 2001 - May 2002
'Friend' is a voluntary sector Community Mental Health Resource Centre serving Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset. The role of part-time Art Teacher involved teaching and planning a curriculum focusing on arts and crafts for adults with mental health difficulties in an informal atmosphere. Other duties included maintaining art stock levels and basic emotional support of adults referred to the service by their doctor.
Data Administrator
Med Report LTD, Hewish, Weston-Super-Mare
August 2001 - May 2002
Med Report is a primary provider of medical reports in the legal support services market. The role of data administrator involved various office duties including correspondence with doctors and consultants, and coordination with internal staff and outside agencies when building medical reports relating to a customer's medical insurance claim.
Sales Assistant
Great Mills, Weston-Super-Mare
August 1997 - September 1999
Working for two years at Great Mills provided me with a broad range of experiences. The role of Sales Assistant was focused on high standards of customer service and duties were located on the shop floor of the DIY retailer (now Focus DIY). The job provided me with valuable experience and training directly related to effective customer experiences within a retailing environment.

Search

bookmark this page

Client Testimonials

"The quality of Justin's work has always been exceptional, exceeding every brief given to him. His knowledge of a wide variety of platforms and programming languages makes him one of the most versatile web designer/developers I know and an incredible asset to any organisation."

James Morell | Affiliates Manager - Future Publishing

"Having worked with Justin on a number of projects his work has always been of the highest standard. His skills are versatile and flexible, and his consistent understanding of the details as well as the bigger picture really makes him a valuable addition to the team. From a technical and creative perspective I would gladly recommend him to anyone."

Jake Manion | Creative Producer - Aardman Animations

"Justin Norton made an important contribution to Space Signpost, a science communication project I developed in collaboration with Futurelab. He created a sophisticated interface that incorporated all the learning from user research we had conducted. The project was under time pressure when Justin came onboard and Justin's role carried a lot of responsibility, but this did not prevent him approaching the job creatively. He worked well with the whole team and was an asset to the project as much for his imagination as for his technical skills."

Adam Nieman | Creative Director - GovEd Communications

"Justin is a diligent, creative and professional digital designer and programmer who can quickly master any technology or platform. He has particular strengths in Flash, PHP, Wordpress, Movable Type, Drupal and complex ecommerce platforms such as Magento. In short, Justin is very good at understanding the commercial implications of design and translating that into distinctive and effective solutions"

David Ralston | Head of Online Marketing and European Operations - Champs-Elysées Audio Magazines