Hello there, I’m
Seonaid Ashford
I’m Seonaid, which is pronounced the same way as “Shona”. It is a Scottish Gaelic name, but no, I can’t speak Gaelic!
I’m a passionate experience designer with business analysis experience focused on delivering user-centred solutions that truly make a difference. Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by a desire to create systems and services which empower people and make technology more intuitive.
My journey has taken me through various roles, from business analysis to experience design, always with a strong emphasis on putting users at the heart of every project. I thrive on solving complex problems and translating them into meaningful, easy-to-use solutions that positively impact the lives of users.
In my career, I’ve always been eager to learn and adapt. I enjoy the dynamic nature of working in cross-functional teams, where collaboration is key to solving complex problems. Whether I’m facilitating stakeholder discussions, mapping out intricate processes, or prototyping new designs, my goal is always the same – to create solutions that work for the people who need them.
A key motivator throughout my career has been a commitment to designing accessible and inclusive systems. I believe that everyone, regardless of their background or abilities, should have equal access to technology. This has driven me to focus on usability and accessibility in my projects, ensuring that the services and products I contribute to are easy to navigate and serve a diverse user base.
By prioritising accessibility, I aim to remove barriers and create more equitable digital experiences.
Contact me
Experience design with an analytical background. Great at meeting user needs while keeping to business constraints.
Living in Edinburgh for the past mumble-something years, with my menagerie of cats, kids, and a dog.
If you would like the password to view my portfolio
Outside of work I enjoy
- 📚 Reading
- 🧶 Knitting
- ✍️ Drawing
- 📷 Photography
- 🧱 Lego
Feedback
She confidently managed an enormous group of users/stakeholders on a remote session – which in itself is no mean feat […] The information gathered was not only valuable but captured in an inclusive fashion […] will go far to getting similar collaboration from such a group in the future. There was universally good feedback from the participants – I personally felt that it was a masterclass in how to run a discovery workshop!
Senior FMCG Client
Witnessing her use a variety of techniques to conduct user research and lay out customer requirements in a tangible, easy-to-understand way […] is why she will fare well in any role where complex environments and understanding user needs is key. She’s also great at managing information and content architecture for exactly those users, so she’s usually my go-to-person for structuring things and a sounding board whenever I doubt myself on user perspectives or requirements.
Senior Product Analyst, AND Digital
The impact of the design system on the way our products look is significant, it provides uniformity and alignment among applications. It also helps the developers and designers to work more efficiently, it is like having a minimum standard for the design and development of our tools.
Product Manager, Energy Client
I had the pleasure of working with Seonaid for almost three years. Seonaid is not only highly skilled in what she does, but is an excellent coach and mentor. Seonaid’s ability to upskill, train and coach individuals to quickly undertake new roles is excellent. She prides herself on organisation skills and is excellent at looking out for others.
Senior Consultant, Sopra Steria
Some of the clients I have worked with
