Thomas McAuley

UI/UX Designer & Visual Strategist

UI/UX Design
Portfolio

UI/UX design is unique among design disciplines because it bridges functionality and aesthetics, demanding a seamless blend of user empathy, technical precision, and visual storytelling. What sets my approach apart is how my diverse experience across branding, graphic design, app design, storytelling, and more informs my decisions. It’s a broad perspective that allows me to craft interfaces that are visually engaging, deeply intuitive, and both purpose- and data-driven.

On this page, you’ll find a curated selection of projects showcasing my commitment to user-centered design, accessibility, and creating seamless digital experiences.

About Design Thinking

Empathize • Define • Ideate • Prototype • Test

Every project and design phase showcased on this site is grounded in human-centered design, design thinking, and user experience best practices. My approach integrates user research, iterative prototyping, usability testing, accessibility standards (WCAG), and data-driven decision-making to create intuitive, user-friendly experiences. I apply interaction design, information architecture, journey mapping, heuristic analysis, and A/B testing to refine workflows and optimize engagement across web, mobile, and SaaS applications.

For a reasonably complete example how I put this into action, view my Waltr app case study and others on this site.

Primary skills I bring to UI/UX design

  • User Research & Empathy
  • Information Architecture
  • Wireframing & Prototyping
  • Visual Design
  • Interaction Design
  • Usability Testing
  • Responsive Design
  • Accessibility
  • Collaboration & Communication
  • Attention to Detail

For a full list see Related Skills below.

More to see

UI/UX Design Portfolio

About secure and semi-secure projects

Working on secure projects is a prestigious opportunity to serve my country, but strict confidentiality constraints limit the details I can share in this UX/UI design portfolio. In the case of NGA below, I have obscured placeholder information out of an abundance of caution, respecting the agency’s operational and security standards.

Feature image: Secure work: NGA

THE PRODUCT VISION

The vision for the NGA Internal Management System is multifaceted. It centers on the creation of a comprehensive, user-centric, and secure platform. The challenge lay in creating a marriage of NGA’s graphical standards with Google Material design, a mid-stream workaround due to where other development teams had arrived prior to proper UX/UI guidance. Now work proceeds with clearly-established visual standards, an accessible toolset, and easy-to-understand documentation.

THE ORIGIN

This NGA project is an ongoing endeavor, involving multiple specialized teams distributed across the nation joining together to construct a sophisticated management system tailored to the specific needs of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA). NGA added our team weeks after other teams had started, so I needed to adapt quickly, adjust my designs to merge with existing ones, and coordinate with other NGA departments to align UI that other teams failed to do.

THE PROCESS

Empathize: In the absence of direct user interviews, I dove deeply into NGA’s provided documentation, and I have taken meticulous note during all meetings and presentations to aid in empathizing with the NGA’s unique requirements.

Define: Revisiting past work on management systems provided valuable insights into the project’s scope. Understanding the legacy systems and recognizing opportunities for modernization proved invaluable.

Ideate: Though comprehensive collaboration with our team’s programmers and the client’s project managers, I sketched and refined initial interfaces, resulting in approved designs and the above-mentioned combined design system.

Prototype: I prototyped functionalities, from page expansions to data entry wizards, and behavior nuances that wouldn’t be immediately apparent in the static mockups. Leveraging Figma’s recently-enhanced functionality enabled me to illustrate in more detail the different aspects of the design.

Handoff/DX: Maintaining meticulous documentation and preserving confidentiality are paramount in a secure project like the NGA Internal Management System. This includes well-organized and annotated design documents that are regularly shared with programmers. Continuous availability for clarifications and adjustments ensures a smooth development process.

Test: Iterative feedback loops of usability testing continue at every step of the process to ensure user-centricity and alignment with NGA’s evolving needs

THE OUTCOME

el 5 stars | Thomas McAuley: Product Designer (Old)

Continued collaborationa and positive progress continues daily toward achieving all of the client’s established goals and requirements. Significant milestones have already been achieved, and the client has repeatedly expressed their gratitude and satisfaction with the design and development, but also the outside-the-box suggestions I’ve made regarding pain points and opportunities that come to my attention during the ideation and prototype stages (below).

LESSONS LEARNED

This project further emphasizes the importance of staying current with rapidly evolving prototyping tools, such as Figma, is crucial for efficient design and collaboration. The formal and comprehensive addition of strict UX/UI into our team has led to its adoption by other teams, which has improved the overall quality of the project.

    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA): Main conventional graphical builder workspace with UI including top tabs for Current, Draft, and Library above, processing detail below, and options for Json, Schema, and Microservice views in the right sidebar.
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA): Listing page with three items marked for bulk action and with "Add to Favorites" selected in the bulk options dropdown
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA): Client-proprietary workflow management page that works similarly to commercial project management pages with Backlog, Pending, Approved, Completed, and Failed columns
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA): Spatial builder interface showing a component being dragged from the left sidebar into place in the main workspace as indicated by a bold line next to the area of addition
    Feature image: Secure work: USAF

    THE PRODUCT VISION

    The vision for the USAF Interface Modernization was clear: transform an outdated interface into a modern, user-friendly system while retaining essential symbology and familiarity for previous generations of users. The goal was to leverage advancements in screen resolutions, computing power, and programming complexity to create an intuitive, clean, yet contextually relevant interface.

    THE ORIGIN

    This USAF project emerged from the need to update a widely-used but outdated interface utilized by the United States Air Force. The client approached Webhead, a longtime partner company, to revamp the interface concurrently with ongoing code forensics and reconstruction. Due to the sensitive and secure nature of the project, limited interviews with retired Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provided a mid-level understanding of the system. This was a six-month project with the potential for continuation, although the client chose not to proceed at that time.

    THE PRODUCT VISION

    The vision for the USAF Interface Modernization was clear: transform an outdated interface into a modern, user-friendly system while retaining essential symbology and familiarity for previous generations of users. The goal was to leverage advancements in screen resolutions, computing power, and programming complexity to create an intuitive, clean, yet contextually relevant interface.

    THE OUTCOME

    el 5 stars | Thomas McAuley: Product Designer (Old)

    The project team excelled in achieving its objectives to the client’s strong satisfaction. An exhaustive 20+-page document was created, detailing every instance and opportunity for improvement in the existing interface from a user-centric perspective. The modernized user interface successfully bridged the gap between tradition and innovation.

    THE PROCESS

    Empathize: Limited interviews with retired SMEs provided vital insights into the existing system. Understanding the users’ needs and pain points was paramount, despite the constrained information available.

    Define: Extensive research included studying numerous similar interfaces from various sources. This phase was crucial in identifying opportunities for improvement and defining the project scope.

    Ideate: Wireframing the original interface advanced understanding and ideation. It allowed for the visualization of potential improvements and a fresh perspective on the system.

    Prototype: An exhaustive glossary and set of diagrams were produced based on the provided interface documentation. These prototypes served as essential guides throughout the project.

    Handoff/DX: In this secure/cleared project, meticulous documentation and adherence to confidentiality were critical. The project was completed to the client’s satisfaction, although the continuation was optional and not pursued.

    Test: User-centricity was a key focus, and the modernized interface was subjected to rigorous usability testing. Feedback loops helped refine the design to meet user needs effectively.

    LESSONS LEARNED

    The USAF Interface Modernization project offered valuable insights into handling secure and cleared projects. It also provided lessons in approaching large projects from a forensic standpoint. In particular, the project taught the importance of balancing tradition with innovation in user interface design.

    Website UI/UX

    Aesthetics are a given, but website design is primarily understanding a client’s vision, target demos, needs, and goals.

    The process involves creating detailed user personas and crafting experiences by designing every aspect with a human-centered, data-driven purpose to create an intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable site for all users.

    Website Design: Matchhouse
    Website Design: HiveHub: Mobile SaaS company
    OTT "channel" content delivery app

    Designing responsively and responsibly go hand in hand in creating digital experiences that are both inclusive and effective.

    Responsive design ensures that interfaces adapt seamlessly across devices and screen sizes, providing an optimal user experience whether on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. This approach not only enhances usability but also meets the expectations of today’s multi-device users.

    Responsible design means adhering to WCAG guidelines, ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities. By prioritizing features such as proper color contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility, responsible design promotes inclusivity and broadens the reach of digital products to diverse audiences. 

    Together, these principles form the foundation for modern, user-centered design that respects and empowers all users.

    Designing Responsively: Example of a website I designed for Equinox Games, showing the desktop, tablet, and mobile versions of the homepage side-by-side

    Video Game UI/UX and DX

    Video Game UI design is more than visual—it’s about custom-crafting every graphic and interactive element to support seamless gameplay and intuitive navigation.

    From menus to HUDs, inventory screens, and notifications, I ensure that every component is carefully considered to communicate essential information without disrupting immersion.

    I create video game interfaces that feel natural for players, enhancing engagement and accessibility, while streamlining workflows for developers, and making implementation and iteration as smooth as possible.

    It comes down to balancing aesthetics with functionality, the best possible player experience (UX) that also supports efficient and effective development (DX).

    Crash-type game, Moonshot Mogul, gameplay
    Plinko-Type Game: Golf: Gameplay
    Pic: UI for a 1st person shooter
    Plinko-type game, Sparky's Stash, gameplay

    UI/UX Related Skills

    Core UI/UX Design

    User-Centered Design
    Interaction Design
    Visual Design
    Information Architecture
    Wireframing
    Prototyping
    User Journey Mapping
    User Persona Development
    Usability Testing
    Task Flow Analysis
    Heuristic Evaluation
    A/B Testing
    Responsive Design
    Accessible Design
    User Research
    Data-Driven Design
    Mobile-First Design
    Cross-Platform UI Design
    Behavioral Psychology in Design
    Error State and Edge Case Design

    Visual Design & Branding

    Typography
    Color Theory
    Iconography
    Custom Graphic Creation
    Design System Creation
    Style Guide Development
    UI Animation
    Microinteraction Design
    UI Consistency Enforcement
    Mood Board Creation
    Design for Scalability
    Design for Localization

    Technical Skills

    Figma
    Adobe XD
    Sketch
    InVision
    Zeplin
    Adobe Photoshop
    Adobe Illustrator
    Adobe Animate
    MidJourney (AI-Assisted Visual Design)
    ChatGPT (AI-Assisted Ideation and Copywriting)
    HTML & CSS Awareness for Design Handoff
    Design Handoff for Developers
    Design Tool Proficiency for Collaboration

    User Research Skills

    User Interviews
    Focus Groups
    Surveys and Questionnaires
    Heatmaps
    Contextual Inquiry
    Journey Mapping
    Card Sorting
    Competitor Analysis
    Empathy Mapping
    Behavioral Analytics

    UI/UX Deliverables

    Wireframes (Low, Mid, and High Fidelity)
    Interactive Prototypes
    Clickable Mockups
    User Flows
    Site Maps
    Style Guides
    Design Systems
    Accessibility Checklists
    Annotated Designs

    UX Testing & Feedback

    Usability Testing
    User Feedback Collection
    Iterative Testing
    Eyetracking
    Accessibility Testing
    Remote User Testing
    Field Testing
    Scenario Testing

    Cross-Platform & Industry-Specific Skills

    Web UI Design
    Mobile App UI Design
    Desktop Software UI Design
    Enterprise Application UI Design
    E-Commerce UX Design
    Dashboard and Data Visualization
    SaaS UI/UX Design
    Gaming UI Design
    Healthcare UX Design
    Education UX Design
    Entertainment UX/UI
    Government and Enterprise UX Design

    Accessibility & Compliance

    AI-Integrated App Design
    Augmented Reality (AR) Interfaces
    Virtual Reality (VR) Interfaces
    Voice UI Design
    Chatbot and Conversational Design

    Emerging Tech

    AI-Assisted UI/UX Design
    Voice UI Design
    AR/VR UI/UX Design
    Conversational Design (Chatbots)
    Gesture-Based Interfaces
    Gamified Interfaces
    Touch-Free Interactions

    Collaboration & Project Management

    Agile Methodologies
    Scrum Collaboration
    JIRA
    Monday.com
    Cross-Functional Team Collaboration
    Stakeholder Presentation
    Client Needs Assessment
    Feedback Implementation
    Requirement Gathering

    Soft Skills & Problem Solving

    Creative Problem Solving
    Critical Thinking
    Attention to Detail
    Empathy in Design
    Time Management
    Adaptability
    Collaboration Across Teams
    Conflict Resolution
    Clear Communication

    Marketing & Business-Focused Design

    Landing Page Design
    Conversion Rate Optimization
    Call-to-Action (CTA) Design
    Retargeting Strategies
    Customer Retention UX
    Customer Journey Mapping

    Let’s Work Together!

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