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Loading fonts UX & interaction design
BEN ABBOTT
Web & UX designer · Durham, North East England Working as a web designer

BenjaminAbbott

I design websites and products around what people actually need.

User-centred, accessible web design for clients across Durham, Newcastle and the wider North East, grounded in a degree in interaction design.

See my work Get in touch
Benjamin Abbott sitting at a table with a laptop during a design session

Selected work

Projects from studying interaction design, each starting from a real brief.

Animated projection graphic from Climb Map AR: a glowing ring with radiating coloured lines
MadMapper interface mapping a projection onto a climbing hold
Final interaction design projectAR prototype

Climb Map AR

Create two deliverables: a prototype and a design document, presented professionally, for example through a video prototype. The brief

I answered it with augmented reality. Climb Map projects animated routes and guidance straight onto the climbing wall, turning a projection-mapping rig into a new, immersive way to read and climb a problem.

  • Augmented reality
  • Projection mapping
  • Motion design
  • Video prototype
Read the case study
Two phone screens from the Morrisons Sustain app concept on a green background
Concept appSustainability

Morrisons Sustain

The food system is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. How can we make shoppers aware of the climate impact of their food? The brief

An app concept that makes food shopping more environmentally friendly. Shoppers scan a product's barcode to see its environmental impact and where it comes from, so they can make better choices without a big lifestyle change.

  • Mobile app
  • Behaviour change
  • UI design
  • Retail
Read the case study
Designers pinning research onto a wall in the Komodo Digital studio
Agency placementNewcastle

Komodo Digital

Design an application to guide graduates when it's time to start repaying their student loans. The brief

A month-long live brief with a Newcastle design agency. We worked in the studio from research wall to prototype, and I used the placement to shape my own portfolio, CV and cover letter alongside it.

  • Client brief
  • User research
  • Fintech
  • Team project
Read the case study

How I work

Good design has to meet people's needs and the business's goals at the same time.

  1. 1

    Understand

    Research who will use it, what they're trying to do, and where they get stuck today.

  2. 2

    Align

    Work with the wider team to agree what success means for users and for the business.

  3. 3

    Prototype

    Sketch, wireframe and build clickable or moving prototypes quickly enough to learn from them.

  4. 4

    Test and refine

    Put it in front of real people, then tighten the details until it looks right and works well.

About me

I'm a web designer based in the North East, with a background in interaction design.

My process starts with a deep understanding of people's needs and behaviours, and relies on close collaboration with cross-functional teams. I care about work that looks great, performs well and makes a real difference to the people who use it. Day to day I design websites; I'm keen to bring more of my interaction design roots back into that work.

Based in
Durham, working across Newcastle and the North East
Now
Web designer
Background
Interaction design, with an agency placement at Komodo Digital
Focus
UX research, interaction design, prototyping, accessible web design, motion
Contact

Let's make something useful

Open to web design projects and UX and interaction design roles in the North East or remote.

I can help with

  • WebsitesDesign and build
  • UX researchInterviews, testing, audits
  • PrototypingClickable and in motion
Final interaction design projectAR prototype

Climb Map AR

Climb Map title slide: XD6003 IxD final project design document by Ben Abbott

The aim of this module briefing is to create two deliverables: a prototype and a design document. You are required to create or finalize your approach and methodology for the prototype. You must communicate and present your prototype professionally, for example, through a video prototype.

The brief

With this in mind, I created an augmented reality project that involved projection mapping to offer a new, immersive, and unique experience. Thanks to my skills in design and animation, I believe I have achieved this with Climb Map AR.

Read the design document PDF, 47 MB
Projection mapping set up in MadMapper
Animated projection graphic created for Climb Map AR
Case study
Concept appSustainability

Morrisons Sustain

Morrisons Sustain launch screen on a phone

The food system is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. How can we make shoppers aware of the climate impact of their food consumption?

How can we help them make more informed decisions when food shopping in order to generate lasting behavior change?

Lowering the environmental impact of our food consumption doesn’t require a massive lifestyle change, so how do we support and enable shoppers to do so?

The brief

For my penultimate project, I created an application design and concept that made the shopping experience for customers more environmentally friendly.

This application allowed customers to scan a product’s barcode and receive detailed information on its environmental impact and source.

Read the design document PDF, 26 MB
Home and favourites screens from the Morrisons Sustain app
Morrisons logo on green
Case study
Agency placementNewcastle

Komodo Digital

The Komodo Digital studio in Newcastle

Our task was to design an application to guide graduates when it came time to repay their student loans.

The brief

The main part of this module was to participate in a month-long brief for a local design firm in Newcastle. Our task was to design an application to guide graduates when it came time to repay their student loans. Another aim of the module was to also cultivate this experience and create our own professional website portfolio, CV, and cover letter.

The main process of this module was to gain real-world experience from an actual design firm brief and present it in the same way they would to clients. This gave me invaluable real-world experience to expand my own portfolio.

Watch the project video MP4, 16 MB
Pinning research to the wall in the Komodo studio
Affinity mapping with sticky notes
Case study