About me

Design is how I read a system.

I’m a UX designer with a background in visual communication and experience working within education environments, specialising in research‑driven problem solving, systems thinking, and design that improves user experience, workflows and performance outcomes.

Shariq Rafeh, UX designer and researcher
Right now

Systems, not just interfaces.

As Visual Lead and Reprographics Administrator at Ark Acton Academy, I manage operational workflows and work with stakeholders across a fast‑paced educational setting. That has sharpened how I coordinate complex processes, communicate across teams, and improve structured systems that serve both efficiency and the people using them.

I’m most interested in design that goes past the interface — how digital tools, workflows and learning environments can be shaped to improve outcomes. I’m currently developing work around training systems, competency tracking and performance evaluation.

How I work

A process built around evidence, not assumptions.

Discover

First‑hand exposure, interviews and observation to find the real problem before touching a screen.

Define

Synthesise findings into clear problems and a repeatable system, not a one‑off fix.

Design

Wireframes through to high‑fidelity, grounded in the constraints the system actually operates under.

Reflect

Honest evaluation of what shipped versus what is still a hypothesis — and what I’d validate next.

Experience

Where I’ve worked.

Sep 2025 – Present

Visual Lead & Reprographics Administrator

Ark Acton Academy · London · On‑site

Run the school’s print and visual workflows for ~100 staff, working with stakeholders across departments and senior leadership.

Jan 2025 – Sep 2025

Reprographics Assistant

Ark Acton Academy · London · On‑site

Supported the print request service before stepping into the Visual Lead role.

Dec 2018 – Dec 2024

UI/UX Designer

Hixol · Remote

Designed user‑centred digital experiences for web and application products, working with developers and stakeholders to turn business requirements into intuitive interfaces. Supported end‑to‑end design — research, wireframing, prototyping, UI — in an agile environment.

Jan 2024 – Mar 2024

Lead Web Designer (Freelance)

Kruger Cowne · Remote

Led a complete website redesign to match an updated brand identity — modernising the design, improving navigation and optimising mobile responsiveness.

Jun 2023 – Oct 2023

Web Designer (Internship)

Global Beauty Agenda · Remote

Designed a brand identity and website from zero for a B2B/B2C beauty‑industry platform — see the case study.

Education

Foundations.

MA, UX Design

Regent’s University London

BA, Visual Communication Design

Beaconhouse National University
Skills

What I bring to a team.

Research craft, systems thinking and design execution — equally comfortable running a stakeholder conversation and shipping the fix it surfaced.

Design and research skills

UX Research Systems Thinking Service Design Information Architecture Brand Identity Wireframing & Prototyping Visual Communication Stakeholder Management

Tools

Figma Adobe XD Illustrator Adobe Creative Cloud Cognito Forms SharePoint

Let’s build something worth using.

Open to full‑time UX design and research roles — I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get in touch