Neelesh
Sonawane

07949 034 391

web

+ – Finspreads. Website for derivative trading service provider

Web design

Finspreads is a leading online financial spread betting firm, that pioneered fully interactive online spread betting. They cater for the beginner to intermediary trader & provide training & handrails for those taking their first steps in spread betting.

Their site needed updating to bring it into line with the new visual palette created for it's online trading platform, to improve the site readability, to distingish & guide the user to parts of the site they would find most helpful & to create a distinct extension to the brand by tying together the trading platform & the website.

3 user paths were defined as being the most important & these where then catered for directly from the homepage with contextual areas to the sides allowing relevant cross content features. The site takes it's cues from the Finspreads logo & the trading platform, which, allowed to breath in a spacious layout, presents a serious, professional & approachable image for the company.

finspreads home page

content page

+ – Finspreads. UI for online derivative trading platform

UI design

The Finspreads platform previously java based was being overhauled and re-written from the ground up in Flash. This allowed Finspreads to redesign the look, feel and experience of using their platform.

It needed to be recognisably a Finspreads product, be clear, easy to use and approachable - the Finspreads brand attracts traders new to the game.

The final design has enough to tie it to the Finspreads brand: being entry level yet still serious and also improved the user experience with the UI considerations.

Apart from the initial Finspreads layout, I also designed several skins and layouts for a variety of whitelabels.

The live platform

Detail of platform showing instruments selection menu & trading grids

White label platform for Finspreads client

High-end 'Black label' platform for advance traders

high-end platform close-up showing the trading grids

The platform configured for currency pair trading through IFX Markets, Finspreads parent company

+ – Interactive Investor. Funds & ISAs pages

iii Fund and ISA pages

Working as the senoir designer together with the Web Producer to design, user test and refine the ISA and Fund Centre sections of the Interactive Investor site.

Extensive user testing was conducted employing a usability facility and AB testing on various user paths to determine the most sucessful designs.

Visit the Funds page

Visit the ISAs page

ISA homepage

Funds homepage

Fund filter guides users to find suitable funds for their investment vehicle

+ – Planet Science. Science education site

Web Design

Design and implementation of various sections of the Planet-Science site - a high profile science education site aimed at teachers, science educators, students and parents, funded by NESTA.

Notable sections are the weekly newsletters, monthly quizzes, Planet SciCast site and the text only site.

Initialy the site was planned to be in operation for only a year, 7 years ago! As a consequence it is a static html site delivered in frames. It is currently being redevelopment to bring it's delivery technology up to date.

Visit Planet Science

Planet Science monthly quiz

Getoutside feature section

Sciteach section homepage

+ – Planet Science. Teen science newsletter

Email design, build and deployment

PS News, Randomised and Hay-wire are weekly and bi-weekly newsletters for teachers, science educators, students and parents, funded by NESTA.

Visit latest Randomised

Visit latest Hay-wire

Randomised newsletter: logo and contents

Randomised newsletter

print

+ – Planet SciCast. Producers Pack: handbook, poster, leaflet & custom enclosure

Print and custom enclosure design

Planet SciCast is an initiative of NESTA to promote science education by encourage people to film demonstrations and experiments during the summer holidays to submit to the site - it's been dubbed the YouTube of science.

A pack was needed to guide participants and suggest means, methods and ideas for films. The pack included a handbook, A1 poster, postcards and other collateral which was all put together in a reusable pack: the participants could refold the enclosure to send back the film be it as a tape, dvd or cd.

Enclosure as delivered and refolded to send back DVD

Handbook cover

Handbook opening spread

Handbook contents spread

Handbook appendix

+ – Interactive Investor. Product brochures

Redesign of an existing range of product brochures

Interactive Investor has a range of product brochures and new client brochures that needed updating. The final design is based on a clear and crisp grid layout punctuated with colourful illustrations and clear screengrabs to accompany the guiding elements of the brochures. Graphical details and the consistent layouts helped the reader feel familiar and comfortable with the publications.

View PDF version of CFD Trading @iii.co.uk

View PDF version of Spreadbetting @iii.co.uk

CFD trading cover

ISA brochure spread

Trading brochure 'guide to starting spread'

Trading brochure 'guide to starting spread'

+ – Company Watch. Finance reports and user guide

PDF guide and reports

Company Watch monitors and reports on the financial health of public limited companys.

They use a system comparing various data producing detailed rundowns and analysis on companys. Due to the nature of the subject matter a guide is required to fully exploit this information. I designed a new template to layout their guide and downloadable company reports.

3 Step Guide Route Map

3 Step Guide glossary

Example front page of a company report

+ – Dance Program. 4 page program

Brochure design

A dance program for Mavin Khoo Dance, a classical Indian dance group

Front and back, flat size A4 folded once lengthway

brand identity

+ – Pentangle Dental. High end cosmetic orthodotic surgery

Brand identity for a high end cosmetic orthodontist surgery

Pentangle has been set up by 2 successful orthodontists as 'the boutique hotel' of cosmetic and aesthetic dental surgery. They asked for an identity that reflected the quality of the treatment and high end custom they were seeking. This too was reflected in the design of the surgery.

Pentangle corporate identity

Pentangle Dental surgery porch

Pentangle Dental leaflet

+ – Kypera. Accountancy software firm rebrand

Rebrand of a corporate identity

Kypera creates and supports complete modular financial and accouting software. They approached me to redesign their corporate identity and supporting materials.

The new logo gives a dynamic, fresh and modern look to the company supported by the subgraphic.

Kypera corporate identity

Kypera exhibition stand panel

cv

A talented and motivated designer with excellent communication skills, strong conceptual and lateral thought, attention to detail and business focus.

Skills

10 years experience in design for print, screen, user-centred design, identity design, with project and team management experience.

Excellent working knowledge of HTML, CSS, Adobe CS3 (Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat), OmniGraffle, MS Office (Word, Excel and Powerpoint), and GoLive. Good working knowledge of Javascript and Actionscript. Experience working with iMovie, Quicktime, Audacity and Premier.

Experience

Web Designer, Nesta.

April 2005 - to date. www.planet-science.com

Team designer and technical lead for high profile site dedicated to inspire science education. Contracted for 2 days a week to:

• Manage design and technical aspects of the site
• Generate creative content from provided editorial and revamp existing content
• Employ AB and user testing methods to help determine the most successful designs
• Participate in concept development for new content and marketing ideas
• Produce weekly and bi-weekly email newsletters in collaboration with the site editor
• Through redesign and reformatting of the newsletter templates, I increased newsletter reader- ship and click through rates
• Currently the site is being updated and I am managing the transition of removing the frames and converting pages to CSS layout, and eventually migrate the site to a CMS

Freelance Designer & Producer

October 2003 - to date.

As a freelance designer I manage the visual communications needs for small to medium-sized businesses, working on branding identity projects for start-ups to existing identities and visual collateral for established organisations, from concept to production.

As a contractor I work onsite closely with a team producing prototypes of online applications and user processes, calling on UCD skills to ensure the interface and experience increase efficiency, user satisfaction, adoption and loyalty.

Client: Interactive Investor. Consumer financial website. www.iii.co.uk
Project: Re-designed and developed key sections within the Interactive Investor site as the senior designer:

• Employed pattern design methods for site architecture and wireframe pages to ensure, usabil- ity and business aims were consistent across the site
• Assisted the project manager in extensive usability research, card sorting exercises, AB testing by constructing user paths, alternate designs and developing test scenarios
• Developed a cohesive, strong and recognisable iconography for site sections that helped users understand complex financial methods visually
• Managed a junior designer’s briefings, creative output and fostered their creative direction
• Revamped the brochure design to create a clearer, more cohesive and readable layout
• Redesigned the weekly newsletter in response to marketing requirements of an easier to assemble template that could hold a better mix of content, also ensured newsletter code was robust and capable of being viewed in all email clients

IFX Markets. Online spread betting provider. www.finspreads.co.uk
Designed and developed the GUI for online Finspread’s spread betting application which required an acute understanding of the business processes involved in order to ensure the platform is clear and user-friendly considering the complexity of the transactions and data. The platform was white labelled requiring variations both in appearance and in process.

Designed the finspreads.co.uk site. Due to the competitive nature of the industry the site had to be clear as to who it was targeting and draw users in according to what they expected to see. Hence the strength of the design is in it’s simplicity to clearly address and direct the user down a path with clear calls to action.

Moneywise Magazine. Consumer financial magazine. Concept design and artwork for direct marketing campaigns.
Site architecture and wireframing concept design for a revamped Moneywise.co.uk site to introduce social networking features and UGC areas within the site and pages.

Company Watch. Financial health monitoring company.
Brochure and financial report template design and artwork.

Kypera. Financial software development company. www.kypera.com
Brand identity re-development, corporate collateral, stationary, and website design. Created a crucial marketing element: a diagram which illustrated in a simple way the modular nature of the companies advanced accounting, CRM and data- base applications.

Richard Mitzman Architects. www.richardmitzman.com
Site design and production for an RIBA award winning international architects practice.

Portland Design. Environment and graphic design agency. www.portland-design.co.uk
Redesign and build of company website.

OilSpace. Oil industry software monitoring company.
Brochure and exhibition material design.

Pentangle Dental. Luxury orthodontic surgery. www.pentangledental.co.uk
Brand identity development and implementation across stationary, signage and website.

Maple House Orthodontics. Orthodontic surgery www.maplehouse.co.uk
Brand identity development and implementation across stationary, signage and website.

Mavin Khoo Dance. Internationally renowned ballet and classical Indian dance company.
Designed the companies’ tour “image” for use as flyers, posters and magazine adverts.
Designed invite and programme for solo performances.

Middle to Senior Designer

Thompsons Systems Ltd. March 2001 - To Date.

• Lead role for print & web design projects with client facing project management exposure.
• Tight integration with a development team.
• Managed a team of 3 on design & production projects.
• Developed & fostered a variety of SME brand identities for offline & online use.

New Media Graphics & Brand Manager

OK! Online, Northern & Shell. October 2000 - February 2001.

• Managed a team of 4 ensuring brand graphic rulings & standards of quality were met.
• Sourced & participated in the contracting of freelance designers.
• Re-structure & re-design for both ongoing & future revisions of the site.

Graphic Designer & IT Manager

MTA Design Ltd. November 1998 – October 2000.

• Concept development & artwork on large brand & company collateral briefs.
• Developed brand guidelines & visual identity manuals for large international brands.
• Highly skilled & detailed artworker.
• Developed the MTA Design website & all digital presentation materials.
• As ICT Manager I oversaw & managed all of MTA Design's ICT needs.

Education

BA. hons in Design Studies. Goldsmiths College, University of London. From '93. to '98.
Foundation Course. Amersham & Wycombe College (VI College). From '92. to '93.
4 A Levels. Elm Park College (VI College). From '89. to.'92.
10 GCSEs. Aldenham School (Boarding School). From '86. to '89.

References

References can be supplied on request. Endorsements can be viewed on my linkedin profile www.linkedin.com/in/neelesh