Time Out
Group Creative Director
2011 - 2014
Based in our London headquarters, I was responsible for the customer experience across all of Time Out’s digital products worldwide. Leading a team of designers and working closely with internal and external partners, we created a digital product ecosystem that helped transform a beloved 45-year-old publishing brand into a digital content leader. Reporting to the CEO, I also served on the Executive Leadership Team, representing design across the organization and with our private equity investors.
315 cities at your fingertips
Key to Time Out’s digital transformation was to unify the customer experience across all Time Out cities. With most cities independently owned and operated, consistency was virtually non-existent, both technically and from a UX perspective.
Research revealed that when finding things to do in a given city, most people were looking for something specific, like a bar or restaurant nearby, for inspiration for the perfect weekend getaway or special event. This insight led us to develop a navigational framework based on “What, When, Where,” which helped simplify search results and improve the directed browsing experience. Supported by a new global content platform, we could also begin surfacing relevant content based on a user’s favorites, device type, location, and time of day— a first for Time Out. This unified content approach also allowed users to easily switch from one city to the next while also promoting shared content across all Time Out cities, leading to more streamlined processes and substantial cost reductions, a big win for both users and the business.
Recognition
In 2013, the Time Out iPad app was selected by Apple and featured in their iPad 3 Advertising campaign.
Time Out Card
We launched the Time Out Card as a way to offer cardholders exclusive tickets and discounts to some of the most happening restaurants and events in London. To engage users, we created a uniquely branded customer experience across several print and digital channels.
Design System Guidelines
As Time Out quickly evolved into a primarily digital media brand, the need to formalize the design system became essential to maintaining consistency across the many consumer touchpoints across the company. The goal was to preserve the spirit of what people had come to know and trust in Time Out while elevating the brand to adapt to the growing needs of a digital platform.