Digital product designer based in Sydney, specialising in simplifying complex systems.
Digital transformation of Mediaworks' entire media suite. Redesigned news consumption for the mobile-first generation.
Transforming New Zealand’s niche community bank into a digital first-tier contender with an award-winning user-centric experience.
Metservice's app and website are among the most used in New Zealand. Presenting genuinely complex scientific weather data in a format that stayed appealing and easy to understand.
The redesign of the Ministry of Social Development's StudyLink and myMSD portals, built for around 2 million New Zealanders.
Replacing the paper version of New Zealand's standard driver test with a tablet-based solution for driving assessors.
Two apps built for people working out in the field rather than at a desk, one verifying every address in New Zealand ahead of the Census.
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Design Practice Lead
Hi, I’m Michal Hempel. My experience across agencies, startups, and product companies taught me that great design and great teams are inseparable. I build both — embedding research and strategy into how design works, not just what it delivers.
Lead a team of fifteen Product Designers and Researchers developing Booking.com for Business and Serko’s own business travel and expense products. Highlights include:
Managed ten-strong design and solution architecture practice and led work programmes for Provoke’s customers. Provided strategic direction for digital transformation projects. Created AI & Data Science practice. Managed resource allocation across projects.
Led UX and visual design across major programmes of work for web and mobile products. Led cross-functional teams across various organisations and businesses to deliver complex digital transformation projects. Mentored senior and junior staff and grew team culture. Strategy and innovation work included:
Leading design role on multiple nationwide projects. Established usability practice at Fronde and championed UX in all aspects of software development. Closely worked with multiple stakeholders to translate business requirements into wireframes and interactive prototypes
Championed design and technology innovation in the Mobile Division leading directly to significant increase in digital sales and user engagement. platforms. Contributed usability recommendations, prototypes and site maps to business-critical projects including video streaming and app store. Managed relationships with suppliers and business partners.
Built and managed Kazaa’s web team. Oversight, line management and mentorship of other developers/designers. Established strategic direction for online presence and e-commerce initiatives. Art direction for all aspects of Kazaa online and offline presence, from marketing materials and application design to website design.
Lead design role for a VC incubator run by Macquarie Bank, responsible for user experience and graphic design on a number of startups.
Responsible for creating designs for Bank online properties, user experience design and front-end coding. Highlights include creation of the first online banking application in Australia and work on Bank’s AOL presence.
All around design and coding role for one of the first online design/coding companies in Sydney. Highlights included working on a couple of online firsts (in Australia) - a major bookshop franchise (Dymocks) and live stock market prices service.
Presentation and preparation of on-air shows, story generation, story writing, interviewing.