Leading Design Innovation at William Hill
At William Hill, I played a pivotal role in transforming the digital experience across web and app platforms, driving significant improvements in user engagement, conversion rates, and design consistency. Working closely with cross-functional teams, I led key design initiatives that aligned business objectives with user needs, modernizing the brand’s digital ecosystem.
Key Achievements:
Strategic Leadership – Directed design efforts across multiple high-profile projects, ensuring a seamless balance between user needs and business goals.
Design System & Brand Integration – Developed scalable solutions to maintain consistency across web and mobile platforms.
Conversion Optimization – Led research, A/B testing, and UX enhancements that resulted in a 94.7% CTR increase on the ‘Football’ page and 148.7% on ‘Vegas’.
User-Centered Research – Used heuristic analysis, usability testing, and iterative prototyping to guide data-driven design decisions.
Team Development & Mentorship – Contributed to building the London design team and mentored junior designers.
Agile & Remote Collaboration – Successfully integrated into Agile workflows with teams across London and Krakow, ensuring effective remote collaboration.
Award-Winning Work – Our ‘Scratch of the Day’ campaign for the 2018 World Cup won the internal ‘Eyes on the Customer’ award.
This experience showcases my ability to lead design teams, optimize user experiences, and drive measurable business results—skills that make me well-suited for a Head of Design role.
Redesigning High-Impact Landing Pages for Better Engagement & Conversion
Problem
William Hill's landing pages across its 11 verticals were outdated, non-responsive, and misaligned with the brand’s evolving identity. Key challenges included poor mobile engagement, brand inconsistency, and poor performance metrics like high CPC and low conversion rates, signalling the need for a redesign.
Users & Audience
The target users were prospective gamblers in the UK and an expanding US market. The landing pages needed to be relevant, persuasive, and mobile-friendly, with support for translations in European markets like Italy and Sweden.
Roles & Responsibilities
As a product designer, I led both strategy and execution, collaborating with a team of 5 designers, the Art Director, Product Owner, CRM & CRO teams, and developers to align efforts and deliver the final design.
Scope & Constraints
The redesign had to launch before the Cheltenham Festival, requiring tight deadlines and remote collaboration across teams in Krakow, Gibraltar, and Leeds. The solution also had to be scalable, allowing junior designers to create variations quickly.
Process
I started with a heuristic audit and competitor analysis, identifying key areas for improvement. I then created wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on a responsive grid system, improved visual hierarchy, and streamlined sign-ups. Using A/B testing, we optimized CTAs, animations, and content hierarchy. I also designed a modular template system that enabled the marketing team to launch campaigns in hours instead of days.
Outcomes & Lessons
The redesign led to massive performance gains, including a 94.7% increase in CTR on Football pages and a 148.7% increase on Vegas Casino pages. The new design improved user trust, engagement, and first-time deposits, while the scalable template system enabled faster campaign execution. By combining design leadership with hands-on execution, I enhanced landing page performance and empowered the team to produce high-quality, scalable work, driving significant business impact.
Lucky 7: Designing a Unique iGaming Experience for Emerging Markets
William Hill sought to launch Lucky 7, a mobile-first game blending lottery, bingo, and casino mechanics, aimed at new markets. The challenge was to create an engaging, distinct experience for first-time players while ensuring simplicity in design and adapting to diverse markets like India and Eastern Europe.
Users & Audience
Targeting casual gamers, lottery players, and mobile-first users on Android devices, the game needed to be lightweight and responsive. It also had to be culturally relevant for emerging markets, especially India and Eastern Europe, where familiarity with similar mechanics varied.
Roles & Responsibilities
As lead designer, I was responsible for user research, iterative UX/UI design, prototyping, and ensuring the design met regulatory standards across different markets. I collaborated with game designers, PMs, engineers, and cross-functional teams to bring the product to life within tight timelines.
Scope & Constraints
The MVP needed to launch within 6 months, with a focus on speed and performance. Regulatory challenges required adherence to gambling laws across regions, and the game had to be optimized for various devices, including low-bandwidth Android phones.
Process
I began by researching competitor products, conducting user tests to refine the game flow and onboarding experience, and creating wireframes for betting selection, results visualization, and first-time user engagement. I then moved to high-fidelity UI design, incorporating micro-interactions and ensuring localization for key regions. Working closely with developers, I optimized the game for different screen sizes and network conditions, conducting final A/B tests to maximize engagement.
Outcomes & Lessons
The game launched on time and gained strong traction in its first three months. Players engaged longer than with traditional betting products, and the modular design system enabled quick iterations and market-specific adaptations. By balancing hands-on design execution with strategic leadership, I ensured Lucky 7 delivered a frictionless and culturally relevant experience that resonated with new users, setting the stage for its success in untapped markets.
Other Contributions
I designed and developed HTML5 animated ad campaigns, including HPTO adverts, affiliate banners, and GDN campaigns for national newspapers. I also participated in hack weeks, launching new E-Gaming branding and a Cheltenham gamification project. Additionally, I played a key role in hiring and establishing the London design team, and mentoring junior designers. My work extended to high-profile marketing campaigns featuring figures like Anthony Joshua, Kirsty Gallacher, and AP McCoy.
