Dashboard – I'm a Scientist 2024

About Me:

Hi, my name is Francesca, and I’m a UX UI / Graphic Designer. I live with my husband in Bayston Hill (Shrewsbury), and we have two Persian cats: Pepe and Pudsey. In my free time, I enjoy engaging in sports and growing vegetables in our small garden. I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter and David Bowie, and my favorite dish is bollito di carne, a very simple and tasty Italian recipe.
Read more

I arrived in the UK eight years ago with the intention of improving my English. But then, I met my husband and decided to stay. We lived in Edinburgh for four years, where I enjoyed myself a lot. Then, for family reasons, we moved here to Shrewsbury. I really like the view we have from our house, and my husband and I have a lot of fun shaping the clouds. I enjoy studying shapes and design, from architecture to everyday objects. I strive to integrate the knowledge gained from each sector’s design into my work to continuously improve.
My pronouns are:

She/her
My Work:

UX UI/Graphic Designer. I work freelance and also for a company where I create videos, reels, carousels, and posts for their social media clients.
Read more

My work is entirely remote, with team members from all over the world. We’re all expected to produce the required work daily as instructed by the team leader and deliver finished products by the end of the day. In my freelance work, I collaborate with startups aiming to optimise their websites, understanding their users’ needs. Typically, I also design the graphic part of the logo and brand identity if required.
My Typical Day:

My typical day at the desk starts with checking emails and private messages from the team leader to see where the projects stand and address any issues before 11 a.m. I work on multiple projects simultaneously, so while I wait for feedback from the company, I focus on the freelance work I’m progressing. At 11, I have a Google meeting with the team where we’re briefed on new projects and receive detailed feedback on our work.
Read more

After the meeting, I work on making the necessary modifications and send them out before lunch. Then, I have lunch with my husband and our cats, take a short half-hour break, have a coffee, and get back to work to prepare new products to be sent out by the end of the day. At this point, my workday ends, and if possible, I indulge in my hobbies, like swimming or working in the garden when the weather allows. After dinner, we enjoy sitting together on the sofa to watch TV. My favorite show is ‘Dragon’s Den,’ and we never miss an episode.
What I'd do with the prize money:

I would definitely invest this money in furthering my skills with an advanced training course.

Candidate CV questions (extra)

Education:
- EdX / W3C Certification in Web Accessibility: Helped me understand the real challenges people face when interacting with the web. This aided me in designing more accessible websites and applications.
- University of Birmingham | UX/UI Bootcamp: Helped me fill the gaps in my education and enables me to intervene in any stage of product development.
- Lincoln College | TQUK Level 2 Digital Marketing: Helped me understand how search engines work to improve my use of tags and breadcrumbs.
- Udemy Graphic Design Courses | Lindsey Marsh / Daniel Walter Scott: Helped me shape my profession with solid theoretical and practical foundations.
- Liceo Classico “A.Volta” | Higher Humanities National Diploma: Taught me to think outside the box and see the potential in each option.
- International School of Comics | Cartoonist Certification: Taught me how to draw and provided solid foundations for managing composition and shading.
Qualifications:
- EdX / W3C Certification in Web Accessibility | 2023
- University of Birmingham | UX/UI Bootcamp | 2022 – 2023
- Lincoln College | TQUK Level 2 Digital Marketing | 2022 – 2023
- Udemy Graphic Design Courses | Lindsey Marsh / Daniel Walter Scott | 2018 – 2022
- Liceo Classico “A.Volta” | Higher Humanities National Diploma | 2007 – 2011
- International School of Comics | Cartoonist Certification | 1999 – 2002
Work History:
- Graphic Designer/SE Marketing | SalesEra (Remote, UK / India) | February 2023 – Present
- UX/UI Graphic Designer | Retrogamedia (Remote, UK / Italy) | October 2023 – Present
- UX/UI Designer | Code Your Future (Remote, UK) | June 2023 – Present
- UX/UI Graphic Designer | Job Tracker (Remote, UK / Italy) | August 2023
- Graphic Designer | Fiverr (Remote) | May 2020 – 2023
- Customer Service Representative | Procter & Gamble (Edinburgh) | March 2016 – 2019
- Customer Service Representative | Consum.it MPS (Siena) | October 2009 – 2015
Current Job:
- Graphic Designer/SE Marketing | SalesEra (Remote, UK / India) | February 2023 – Present
- UX/UI Graphic Designer | Retrogamedia (Remote, UK / Italy) | October 2023 – Present
Employer:

Sales Era

My Interview
- How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
  
  Creative, dedicated, passionate.
  
  What did you want to be after you left school?
  
  My dream was to work as an archaeologist.
  
  Were you ever in trouble at school?
  
  Yes, geography and mathematics were not my strong suits.
  
  If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
  
  Architect/Interior Designer
  
  Who is your favourite singer or band?
  
  David Bowie
  
  What's your favourite food?
  
  Bollito di carne
  
  If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
  
  1.I would like to work for Apple/Adobe/Figma. 2. I would like to own an Apple Vision Pro. 3. I would like to establish a corporation for UX UI / Graphic Designers.
  
  Tell us a joke.
  
  Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts!