I'm a UI/UX designer in Richmond, VA, passionate about collaborating on custom, user-centered web experiences. In my recent roles at Elephant Insurance and Compare.com, I specialized in optimizing customer journeys and web portals in the Insurtech sector. My approachable style and commitment to quality help me turn complex concepts into simple, intuitive designs focused on the user.

Recent Projects

Elephant Insurance Claims Journey

Role: Sr. UX Designer / Front-end Developer

Scope: Redesign the customer claims journey to match updated branding and improve flow for a better user experience and increased completion rate.

Skills:

User Research: (user testing, journey mapping)
Design: (prototyping, Figma, Adobe XD)
Front-end Development: (HTML, CSS)

view case study

Elephant Insurance Customer Portal on iPhone

Elephant Insurance Customer Portal - Documents Tab

Role: Sr. UX Designer / Front-end Developer

Scope: Develop a centralized hub within the Elephant customer portal to organize and house critical documents, providing users with seamless options to download and share copies efficiently.

Skills:

User Research: (data analysis, user testing)
Design: (prototyping, Figma, Adobe XD)
Front-end Development: (HTML, CSS)

view case study

Compare.com

Role: Sr. UX Designer / WordPress Developer

Scope: Redesign of the Compare.com website to update branding, improve user experience and increase quote start rate.

Skills:

Research: competitor analysis, persona creation, user testing, A/B Testing
Design: branding refresh, wire-framing, prototyping, Figma, Adobe XD, PhotoShop
Front-end Development: (HTML, CSS, WordPress PHP)

view case study

My Process

Role & Collaboration:

I work within an Agile framework, collaborating closely with fellow designers, UX researchers, development teams, product owners, business stakeholders, and marketing departments.

To create impactful web experiences for internal and customer-facing platforms, I emphasize the importance of feedback and collaboration as essential drivers of success.

I believe my greatest strength lies in my ability to balance user needs with business priorities, valuing both positive and constructive feedback as an important part of that process.

Iterative Workflow:

My process involves continuous cycles of:

User Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
User Testing
Designing
Development
Deployment

Design Philosophy:

I apply Design Thinking to deeply understand user needs and predict how design solutions will impact their experience. I advocate for users by leveraging qualitative and quantitative feedback to inform design decisions.

I am fluent in a wide range of design software including Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Axure, Photoshop, etc.

I am passionate about creating designs that are not only beautiful and usable but also functional and accessible.

Technical Skills:

Web Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, GitHub, Microsoft Azure API
CMS: WordPress
Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 Level AA Standards

Contact Me:

I'm currently available for full-time, contract and freelance work.

Email: joenorkus@gmail.com

Résumé (pdf)