Blake Lough, Usability Consultant
- Mobile:
- +64 21 490-132
- Phone:
- +64 9 359-9404
The professional
Blake has always been interested in business as a way of serving people, and since 2002 has been specifically interested in how technology designed with a user-centred approach, can enhance the customer relationship. Prior to becoming a usability consultant, Blake was involved in the outdoor recreation industry. He learnt the important lesson of needing to research and understand customers’ expectations and perceptions so that the overall ‘product’ experience could be continuously improved. Blake believes this need for thorough customer/ user research is just as important, if not more so, in the online environment where organisations often miss out on the benefits of a face-to-face relationship with their customers.
Blake has managed usability and user-centred design projects for clients including Air New Zealand, Vodafone, Telecom, APN Digital Media, AA Insurance, Yellow Pages, ASB, Sovereign, and the Ministry of Economic Development. These projects have been based around different technologies (websites, IVRs, call centre applications, mobile products, inflight entertainment, out-of-the-box consumer products, physical environments) and have required a variety of skills (contextual enquiry, persona development, user testing, expert reviews, wireframing). To date Blake’s biggest professional achievement and most exciting/challenging project has been on the Air New Zealand “Skycouch” project where Blake was the usability lead for customer testing the seating concepts and contributing to the design of the overall customer experience from booking through to flying.
Qualifications: BSc Business Administration (Honours), Graduate Diploma in Business
The person
Blake’s number one passion in life is his two boys, closely followed by spending quality time with his family and friends. Blake also has a love of the ocean where he can be found surfing, kite-surfing or swimming. In an attempt to pay back a fraction of the debt of gratitude for all the good times he has had on the water, Blake joined Muriwai Surf Lifesaving Club where he coaches the junior tadpoles.
Blake’s favourite sites
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