Resume

Director of Design and UX, Ventures

Nov 2023 – Present
As the Head of Design for ATB Financial’s innovation and edge strategy group, ATB Ventures, my job is dedicated to providing leadership and strategic design direction across all stages of the lab’s concept funnel and for our active product portfolio. I define the group’s UX product strategy and support it’s execution alongside our talented ops and technology teams. In addition, I am a critical stakeholder in ensuring our external marketing and branding is executed with quality, speed and purpose, while providing active oversight and creative direction for our growth and marketing teams. I believe that balance is key for team members to be successful and actively work with our internal culture committee to plan and deliver a cadence of fun activities.

Principal UX Design Manager, Ventures

Nov 2021 – Nov 2023
As the principal product design manager at ATB Ventures, I was tasked with delivering against the lab’s primary OKRs through tactical UX/UI work. This work consisted of development and implementation support of a net new design system, meant to enhance the group’s ability to ideate and produce UX design artifacts such as wireframes and prototypes. I also conducted user research and testing in order to define customer journeys and validate new features for our digital identity portfolio of products, and had the privilege of leading a complete UX/UI overhaul for one of those flagship products in order to align it with modern design language and accessibility standards. Alongside the product work, I was also an active stakeholder for our growth team, executing against ongoing marketing initiatives and providing creative direction for internal team members and external agency partners.

Art/Creative Director

Feb 2012 – Nov 2021
For nearly a decade, I helped clients define and execute against a wide range of initiatives, from product UX/UI to customer acquisition campaigns across digital, OOH, and POS. I facilitated RDLs and design workshops, built storyboards and design systems, supported new business planning and pitches for the agency, and ultimately established a foundation of leadership experience that has allowed me to lift and support the people around me.

Clients I had the privilege of working with included Glassdoor, Alterra Mountain Co., Husky Energy, Enmax, Shaw, ATCO, and the University of Calgary.

Freelance Photographer

Feb 2011 – Feb 2012
During my nearly 5 years at iStock, I met some amazing photographers and added photography to my list of active hobbies. In February 2011 I decided to step away from design to pursue being a professional photographer, an experience that afforded me the opportunity to establish myself as a leading shooter in Calgary. At my peak, I was the head photographer for Alberta Fashion Week, documenting runway work for fashion designers across Canada. I also shot portraits of CEOs and executives and produced commercial product work for local businesses.

But where I really excelled was in sports photography. I was an active photographer for Icon Sports Media (now Icon Sportswire), photographing the intense action of the Calgary Flames and other major sporting events such as Monster Jam and the FIS at WinSport. I also became Canada’s top paintball photographer and was the official photographer of the Canadian Professional Paintball League.

Senior Designer

Sept 2006 – Feb 2011
My time at iStock was certainly a memorable one, a time when I got to be a part of a small local company that was quickly transitioning into a global brand. As a member of the design team, I supported the company’s efforts to accommodate an increasing customer base through regular web features, UI enhancements, and new product offerings – fun fact: I was the voice of iStock Audio. I designed one of the first iterations of the new search experience after the Getty acquisition and was the primary designer for all of the external marketing deliverables, which included print advertising, conference materials, and launching microsites for their international iStockalypse events brand.

New Media Designer

Aug 2004 – May 2006
The onset of my design career, I started by designing and building websites for local bars, restaurants, and other businesses using HTML and CSS. We implemented proprietary marketing software tools that allowed those businesses to better connect with their online customers, adding rich features and animation that helped me understand the underlying technology of how websites were built. The knowledge I gained became paramount for my ability to adapt to an ever-changing career that relies so heavily on technology and I learned early on just how important networking and building relationships was.

📷 Tim Nguyen