Damian
Hassan

Designer, Facilitator, Teammate and Mentor

Hello

Hi, I’m Damian.

I am an experienced, self-motivated User Experience / Product Designer skilled in user-focused research and data-driven design decisions. I lead and facilitate the application of Design Thinking methods and strategy with product teams. I create visually engaging, well-written, clear and concise artifacts that effectively convey the meat of complex concepts. I lead and mentor design teams.

Download Resume

Specializing in:

Case Studies

References

  • Anyone fortunate enough to hire Damian as a product or UX designer is gaining a rare blend of wide-ranging abilities and experience:

     

    A skilled coach who can lead others through influence; an adept and creative problem framer and solver; a creator of well-researched, clear, and beautifully designed and written artifacts; a talented visual designer; and above all, a thoughtful, patient, considerate teammate who builds bridges and fosters productive collaboration.

     

    Damian consistently exceeded my expectations from the very beginning.

     

    Heather Lum
    Senior Team Manager

  • Damian's ability to synthesize complex research findings is exceptional.

     

    He effectively translates user insights into actionable recommendations, driving product development decisions.

     

    Damian is a patient and skilled educator. His guidance significantly improved my ability to contribute to the team.

     

    Omar Badran
    Data Experience Designer

  • Damian has led efforts with several teams to explore factors that related to user needs and experience using skilled facilitation methods and leveraging many different ways of approaching problems.

     

    I think that his approach is very effective at gaining rapport and trust and engaging trust from team members to let him guide them through exploring things in new ways.

     

    Rebecca Maners
    Senior Product Manager

  • I most value Damian’s independence as a designer. He brings a lot of experience, judgement, and drive to the work and will execute on what we've discussed without needing much support.



    Damian brings an optimism to his work and working through things that come up. He is always eager to do the work and find solutions. It is easy to give him feedback and he is thankful for it.



    I have also found Damian supportive of other designers he's working with when they need help or feedback. I find his attunement and investment a strong example of an inclusive and relational approach we can all learn from.

     

    Michael James
    UX Lead

  • Damian has a strong talent for communicating findings from UX research and product design sessions, and is particularly adept at conveying concepts in a manner that translates well for stakeholders at multiple levels.

     

    That ability often serves as a catalyst for large cross-functional teams to share a common vision and sets the tone for collaborative development and delivery.

     

    He is well respected by colleagues and always brings a calm, confident presence even in high pressure situations.

     

    Barry Martz
    Asst. Vice President

About

I am a human-centered designer.

Being human is about dealing with change. Some people embrace it, others run from it. Change is uncomfortable, but it’s also inevitable and often leads to better things.

My design journey has led me in a number of directions I never expected. And along the way, I’ve met and worked with some incredible people. I’m grateful for the lessons they’ve taught me, and the experience has changed me for the better. One of my favorite lessons so far has been my evolution into human-centered design.

Several years ago, I got burnt out with the agency life. I felt like too many important decisions were based on unproven assumptions, and I wanted to learn how to influence those decisions with data and examples. Starting with a book on inbound marketing, I quickly moved on to human-computer interaction. And before I knew it, I was on the path to becoming a user experience designer.

As a UX designer, I started connecting human-centered principles with my own experience as a freelancer and working with agency clients. Building empathy with users, conducting research to learn who I was designing for and why, facilitating conversations where stakeholders could explain their priorities and perspectives — all the pieces fit together.

Since then, I’ve conducted research and communicated my findings with stakeholders and product teams. I’ve facilitated workshops with cross-functional teams and synthesized the insights we’ve gained into new features. I’ve built wireframes and complex prototypes to articulate the end-to-end experience of products and worked with developers to implement them. I’ve also been a leader on my UX team and grown tremendously by mentoring junior designers.

My colleagues have mentioned my ability to maintain a calm demeanor as a strength. I’ve been told that it puts other people at ease and makes them feel comfortable speaking their mind. Another strength is my systematic approach to preparation. I like to have a plan and a schedule; this helps me stay on track and not lose focus. I’ve also learned to engage with my colleagues often to share information and solicit feedback. It helps build relationships and makes everyone stronger.

I thrive when I am able to engage with others to find solutions that put humans and not products at the center and drive valuable change.

Hello

Now that you know a little about me, what can I do for you?

I’m always interested in learning about new opportunities. If you have a project or a role that sounds like a good fit, please reach out.

Likewise, if you’re looking for advice, I’m happy to help. Let me know what you’re looking for and we can set up a time to chat.

Thank you!