About
Isabelle is a Lead Experience Designer and Strategist with 8 years experience across UX, innovation-led product/service design, customer experience strategy and digital creativity.
A passionate advocate of human-centred design methodologies, Isabelle believes that meaningful experiences, both real world and digital, are created by starting with human truths. It's through understanding genuine needs, how they intersect with a business' objectives and the cultural space they seek to inhabit that innovative and interesting solutions are made. Isabelle is comfortable throughout the entire design process. From research with consumers, ideating solves, fleshing out exactly how the solution might work, to validating concepts and navigating complex stakeholder environments.
An experienced leader, Isabelle enjoys mentoring designers and is dedicated to creating honest and empathetic environments for her teams. At Colenso BBDO, Aotearoa, she successfully led a team of UX/UI designers. Additionally, Isabelle was a Service Design and UX Lead during one of Australia’s largest Transformation Programs with HBF Private Health Insurance in Western Australia which saw her establishing the UX cadence and coaching teams.
When not busy ideating on new experiences or potential solves for societal problems she's likely eating homemade pizza, drinking natural wine and reading too many fantasy & sci-fi novels.
SkillsetUX strategy & design / Service design / Innovation consulting / Ideation / Digital & IRL experience design / Design thinking & HCD methodologies / Leadership & mentoring / Digital strategy / Content strategy / Qualitative and quantitative research / CX
“Issy is one of those unicorn employees that we all dream about. Cultural gold, smart (like, super smart), curious, hard working, energetic, quirky fun and loved by all. I can’t recommend Isabelle highly enough. I am lucky enough to keep in touch with her as she continues to grow her career, and each time we speak I ask her when she’s coming back…”
- Gavin Bain (He/Him) National Consulting Director, Wunderman Thompson
“Isabelle is incredibly talented with clear strengths in both experience design strategy and shaping creative ideas for the better. Her wonderful nature and positive energy won over our agency and our clients. Her expertise, collaborative approach, and passion for driving user centred design validation continually added value to the work for every client or pro-active creative idea she touched.”
- Tennille Barnes (She/Her) Head of Digital, Colenso BBDO
“Issy is a super star. Super creative and playful - ideation is her happy place. She's charismatic and sharp. She can hold multiple potential ideas in her head while co-designing with customers or clients and connect the dots in real time. She's naturally empathetic, so she's great at finding the one customer story that becomes the rally cry for a project and pulling designs back to the human truth.”
- Tammy Cooksey (She/Her) Experience Director, Wunderman Thompson
“You know when a colleague leaves your place of work, and you feel their loss deeply - mourn them, tear your hair out, start emotional eating and plotting ways to get them to come back? Issy is one of those people. Even as I am writing this recommendation to tell other people what a legend she is, an experience design master, a kind human being and a favourite among clients, I'm plotting ways to convince her to return.”
- Kim Ragan (She/Her) Group Creative Director, Colenso BBDO
“Not to use the term ‘unicorn’ flippantly, though if perhaps you were to look it up in a LinkedIn dictionary, it would have a picture of Isabelle, with the following description: ‘Possesses a unique set of qualities that make them extremely rare and valuable. Shattering expectations, continuously raising the bar and quite simply, a joy to be around. This unicorn possesses equal parts empathy, creativity and smarts that can literally take your business to the next level.”
- Melissa Radman (She/Her) National Design Director, Wunderman Thompson
ExperienceLittle Studio (Denmark) - Experience Design Lead - 2023 - Current
Colenso BBDO (New Zealand) - Senior Experience Designer - 2021 - 2022
Wunderman Thompson (Australia) - Senior Experience Designer & Strategist - 2020 - 2021
Meerkats (Australia) - UX Strategist - 2018 - 2020
Meerkats (Australia) - Account & Project Manager - 2017 - 2018
Meerkats (Australia) - Account Coordinator - 2016 - 2017
Recognition// 2022
Cannes Lion, Silver - Direct, Digital Platforms - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Cannes Lion, Shortlist - Glass - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Cannes Lion, Shortlist - UX & Journey Design - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Cannes Lion, Shortlist - Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Cannes Lion, Shortlist - Brand Experience - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Clio Awards, Silver - Creativity/Storytelling - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Clio Awards, Bronze - Use of Data - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Clio Awards, Bronze - Medium Innovation - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Anthem Awards, Gold - Non-Profit Campaign - World of Excuses (UNDP)
Anthem Awards, Silver - Global Awareness Campaign - World of Excuses (UNDP)
The One Show, Merit - World of Excuses (UNDP)
Ad Stars, Crystal - Not for Profit - World Of Excuses (UNDP)
Ad Stars, Crystal - Use of Digital - World Of Excuses (UNDP)
Best Awards, Gold - Use of Digital - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Best Awards, Gold - Gender Equality - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Best Awards, Silver - Diverse Insights - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
Best Awards, Silver - Human Rights - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
AGDA, Distinction - Design for Good - Beyond Binary Code (Spark NZ)
AGDA, Merit - Design for Good - World of Excuses (UNDP)
PADC, Gold - Digital for Good - World of excuses (UNDP)
// 2021
AGDA, Merit - Design for Good - The Loop (Muscular Dystrophy Foundation)
//2015
Communications Council Jumpstart Graduate Program - State Winner