About Phil Thornley
Hello, I’m Phil Thornley, a Product Manager & Experience Designer based in Manchester.
A few things about me...
Since 2015, I’ve worked for Thoughtworks, a global software consultancy, working with large enterprises and the public sector to create great customer experiences that deliver business value.
My core capabilities are in Product Strategy, Service Design and User Research. I’m also an experienced Agile practitioner and coach.
Before Thoughtworks, I spent 8 years leading design at the Co-op.
Organisations I’ve partnered with
Things I believe in...
Agile
I prefer Agile over Waterfall; to be truly successful, teams cannot be agile in silo and I actively promote agile in all organisational levels.
Data & ‘Value’ led
Whilst some ‘gut feel’ initiatives work, I prefer to start with Data, Research & realistic measurements / KPI’s.
My rule of thumb for prioritisation
Use the business strategy to choose target customers, use their goals and activities to choose features and content last. Always minimise output, maximise outcome and impact.
Collaborative & Co-designing sessions
Bringing together different parts of the business brings new perspectives & ideas. I believe in workshops over meetings. When talented people are one room, something good should come out of it, not actions for later.
Sharing
My tactic is to work out loud and over communicate. I advocate for leaders to have a truly open door policy.
Accessibility
It’s not a nice-to-have: it’s a standard. I’m proud that the Co-op was the first national high street brand to achieve the RNIB’s Surf Right standard.
Prototyping & early feedback
Experiencing an idea helps you refine it. I’d rather spend a day creating a testable paper, clickable jpeg, or HTML & CSS prototype than 4-6 weeks building the finished idea without any feedback
User testing
Most designs launch without being user tested. Not mine. MVT & A/B testing - Test, learn, iterate & improve in quick succession.
Thanks for reading.
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