About
Skills & Experience
Current Work
Articles
Side projects
Profiles

My name is Franz!
I'm a full-stack UX designer

me

About

As a software professional with over 30 years of experience, I have contributed to many software projects in a variety of management, development and design roles. I have managed development and design teams and have delivered many web-based, desktop-based and some mobile applications. I have much experience in every step of the software design and development process, from the first contact with customers to the ongoing evaluation of released products.

I have a passion for the creation of innovative design concepts and their conversion into functional and highly usable interfaces. I specialise in the design and development of task-focussed productivity tools for the web and desktop. For many years I have researched business processes and user tasks, and distilled them into simple, smooth, logical flows in order to help professionals complete their jobs efficiently and effectively.

16 years ago I specialised in UX design and have worked as a full-stack UX Designer for much of this time. Most recently as the lead designer in a team of designers, researchers and writers.

I take UX design seriously, but not more seriously than I take the people I work with. Innovation and design flourish when people feel valuable, heard and respected. I have been leading teams of developers, UX, interaction and visual designers, writers and researchers for many years and have learned that the best designs are the product of a great team of creative people working together.
In over two decades of working as a software professional, I have come to understand that every project is unique and needs tailored design processes that are adapted to deliver specific, required outcomes. My deep expert knowledge of user research techniques, interaction-design, prototyping, usability testing and UX engineering allows me to rapidly iterate design ideas from concept drawings, to low-fi wireframes and html/css/js prototypes. I am comfortable using many design and prototyping tools and formats to develop, document and communicate complex, interactive design concepts and will use the most effective method to persuasively communicate objectives and specifications across target audiences.
In the last 8 years I conducted a number of UX workshops for novices and professionals in Cape Town and Johannesburg and have extensive experience in coaching and educating project teams in design thinking and UX design concepts and methods. For this purpose I developed training materials and activities that can be used in one- or two-day face-to-face or remote workshops.

Skills & Experience

Developer & UX Engineer

years experience

  • Responsive web frontend development (HTML5, CSS, JS, Vue, TypeScript, React)
  • Backend development (Python, PHP, MSSQL, MySQL, REST, Aurelia, Firebase, AWS, Linx)
  • Database development (MSSQL, MySQL, SQLlite, Postgres)
  • Implementing SVG's and XAML icons, illustrations and animations

Project Management

years experience

  • Planning small to large software projects
  • Managing development and design teams
  • Web, Desktop and Mobile
  • Customer liaison

UX & Product Design

years experience

  • Web, desktop and mobile application design
  • Managing design teams and projects
  • Implementing design thinking and UX techniques
  • Communicating research and design concepts to customers, engineers and stakeholders
  • Creating wireframe and building html/css/js prototypes
  • Planning, executing and analysing usability tests
  • Assisting implementation teams and reviewing implemented designs

Workshops, Publications and Documentation

years experience

  • Planning and running face-to-face and remote UX and Design Thinking workshops
  • Researching and writing tech-focussed articles
  • Writing product tutorials and documentation
  • Planning and creating video tutorials and animations

Current Work

Currently I work as the lead designer in the Digiata/Twenty57 design teams for multiple products and custom developments. I am responsible for the design of all software products and work with clients, product owners, developers, designers and stakeholders.

I mainly work on our flagship products, two low-code frontend and backend development platforms called Linx and Stadium. Both platforms consist of a collection of desktop and web applications.

Linx

Linx is a low-code IDE (Desktop application) and application host (Web application) for rapid development and deployment of backend applications, API's, automations and system integrations. Target users for Linx are developers and software professionals.

Linx Designer / IDE

Download

Linx Designer Dark

Download

Server Service View

Server Project View

Linx Docs

Visit

Tutorial Videos

Visit

Stadium

Stadium is a low-code IDE (Desktop application) and application host (Web application) for the rapid development of web application frontends. Target users for Stadium are web developers and software professionals.

Page Designer

Download

Event Handler

Type Editor

API Integration

Docs Site

Visit

Video Tutorials

Visit

Articles

A selection of my articles. Find them on Medium, UX Bootcamp or Hackernoon

Is There Really a Hierarchy in Design?

Psychology in Design

Applying Nielsen’s usability heuristics in design

Preventing 100% of automated form spam

8 things developers don’t like about low-code and nocode

Design is not a one-person job

Side projects

For these side projects I do everything, the design, front-, backend development, maintenance and marketing.

Form2Channel

Open API 3 Definition Designer

reCAPTCHAme

Expense Capture Telegram Bot

Profiles