Chris McLay.

Interaction designer and user experience consultant.

A brief resume

Photo of Chris McLay

This resume is a bit different to most. After reading a lot of other designers’ resumes, I’ve tried to give the key details in a simple, easy-to-read way. If you like this, or if you don’t, or if you think I’ve left something out, then please let me know.

What do I do?

For over thirty years, I’ve helped to make better products and services through good design. 

I enjoy working in strong teams, focused on delivering great products.

I love finding ways to improve how people live and work.

Where have I worked?

  • Victorian Building Authority
    Senior User Experience Designer, 2021-2024
  • Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
    Lead User Experience Designer, 2021-2023
  • Origin Energy
    Senior User Experience Designer, 2018-2020
  • Seek Volunteer
    Senior User Experience Designer, 2017-2018
  • Seek
    Senior User Experience Designer, 2016-2017
  • Transurban
    User Experience Specialist, 2015-2016
  • NAB
    Interaction Design Lead, 2013-2015
    Mobile Experience Designer, 2012-2013
    Senior User Experience Consultant, 2012-2015
  • ANZ
    Senior User Experience Designer, 2011-2012
  • Hyro / ANZ
    User Experience Architect, 2010-2011
  • Hyro / Infosys / Westpac
    Customer Experience Design Lead, 2009-2010
  • Symplicit
    Senior Experience Designer, 2009
  • Sensis
    Manager, Sensis Design Lab, 2008-2009
    Design Lead, Concept and Design, 2007-2008
  • Freelance designer, 2002-2007
  • Powerlan
    Manager, Interactive Design Unit, 2000-2001
  • Senacon
    Interaction and visual designer, 1999-2000
  • Eycon Studio
    Interaction and visual designer, 1995-1999
  • Magnetic Designs
    Interaction designer, 1991-1995

What have I done recently?

Here are a few different things that I have worked on in the last few years:

  • Designed a technically simple, but highly flexible process for collaboration and workflow.
  • Designed complex online forms that can be explored and completed over a long period of time.
  • Explored how people can expand their view of the world. 
  • Helped recruit 100,000 people for the Commonwealth Games.
  • Helped stakeholders understand the value of design, collaboration, and iteration, and how to get the best from their design teams.
  • Made it easier for people to enter new addresses that aren’t in the databases.
  • Made volunteering more accessible for the people of NSW.
  • Mediated between “technology” and “the business” to help each understand the other, and to improve the usefulness and usability of the product they were building.

The highlights from my career so far?

I’m sure there are many more, but this is a good list:

  • Bringing my skills and experience into a tight-knit, customer-focused team and helping them release some great features and improvements to their customers.
  • Demonstrating the value of design to an organisation, and being able to establish an internal design practice.
  • Designing and building the first web site for the Nestlé company anywhere in the world.
  • Making a very complex financial transaction appear simple, and making it easy to do.
  • Overseeing the transformation of the Sensis Design Lab, and seeing all the great new work that was done in the new space.
  • Re-designing an online sales form that saw an increase in sales of almost ten times.
  • Reducing the amount of documentation required to run a franchise from many lever-arch files down to five small binders and a range of posters.
  • Stopping White Pages from rendering listings in ALL CAPS on their web site.
  • Watching the use of a one product improve by 40 percent, and the use of another product by over 100 percent, after improving their visual design and user experience.

Where did I study?

In 2006 I received a Bachelor of Multimedia with Honours from Murdoch University, with a focus on human-computer interaction and the use of projection in live performance. My honours thesis, “Approaching interaction design, or designing a better way to record personal time use.”, allowed me to further explore and develop my design theory and practise. I received the Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence, and a first-class honours.

Anything else?

  • I’m a passionate perfectionist — which is mostly good, but has its down-sides too.
  • I helped to start the UX Movie Nights and other UX Melbourne events.
  • I received a $20,000 grant from Nescafé in 1992 to help build my first business.
  • My favourite “designed object” in my house right now is our set of Vitsœ 621 tables.