Nicola Ryan

I am a creative leader who designs impactful experiences, which are used by millions of people every day. I solve business problems through design, with a collaborative and strategic approach, and grow design teams who are ambitious, empowered and can think outside the box.

I am experienced in leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver the design of complex, cross platform projects in fast paced, evolving environments for high profile clients. I have a wide breadth of experience, spanning digital product design, user experience, branding, editorial design, information design, marketing design, e-commerce and subscription experiences.

I currently lead the global product design team at Condé Nast, working across brands including Vogue, The New Yorker, Wired, Vanity Fair and many more. I have previously led teams at The Telegraph and The Times, as well as worked for the advertising agency, Karmarama, and design agency, Pentagram.

Work

The Telegraph's new, subscriber-centred website

The challenge
Drive engagement and increase subscribers and retention via The Telegraph's website

The outcome
A highly flexible site, which enables journalists and editors to tell impactful stories, giving readers more reasons to stay and to keep coming back. Awarded 'Best News Website of the Year' at 2020's Press Awards.

1 of 6

Creating a subscription driving experience

The challenge
Retain – and grow – The Telegraph's subscriber base, to create a sustainable business model for its journalism

The outcome
An ongoing and evolving set of initiatives across the full subscription funnel, which have grown The Telegraph's digital subscriber base by over 79% in 2020.

1 of 7

Bringing The Telegraph to a new, younger audience

The challenge
Launch The Telegraph on Snapchat, to attract and engage a younger audience, whilst staying authentic to The Telegraph's brand

The outcome
A highly successful daily snap edition with over 2 million subscribers, which combines a bold and playful design approach with Telegraph stories which appeal to the demographic

1 of 1

Re-imagining the newspaper for a digital experience

The challenge
Re-design The Telegraph's digital edition app, to be a more engaging experience for its audience who enjoy the habit of reading the daily (printed) paper

The outcome
An linear experience which captured the heart and soul of reading an edition – designed to cater for different browsing behaviours and enable serendipitous discovery

1 of 3

Bringing The Telegraph's journalism to readers' smartphones

The challenge
Re-design The Telegraph's smartphone app, in order to better appeal to its younger audience

The outcome
A highly visual app, designed with speed and ease and use of mind, which provided a curated and crafted view of the top stories of the day

1 of 3

Re-thinking The Telegraph's visual brand for a digital future

The challenge
Evolve The Telegraph's rich visual heritage into a brand identity fit for the 21st century and beyond

The solution
An updated visual identity and design system to enable The Telegraph to be distinctive across the wealth of touch points it exists on

1 of 4

The Times

Leading the Digital Design team of 12–15, working across The Times’ digital product portfolio, as well as the daily digital editorial features and newsroom innovation.

Including a re-think of its digital strategy and website in 2014, the launch of the Times Sport app, enhancements to its successful tablet app and a suite of responsive puzzles.

1 of 5

Other projects

1 of 5

The Telegraph

Creative Director, November 2018—Present

Strategic design and direction for The Telegraph’s bold, award-winning design across all platforms.

The Telegraph

Product Design Director & Deputy Creative Director, December 2014—November 2018

Growing and leading a team of 15–20 designers, user experience architects and prototypers working across product design and digital newsroom projects.

The Times

Head of Digital Design, August 2013—November 2014

Leading the Digital Design team of 12–15, working across The Times’ digital product portfolio, as well as the daily digital editorial features and newsroom innovation.

Karmarama

User Experience Architect, August 2012—August 2013

Working collaboratively with developers, art directors, designers, copywriters and the strategy team on a wide range of projects; from brand campaign sites to ongoing site optimisations.

Pentagram

Graphic Designer and Brand Guardian, August 2010—August 2012

Part of a multidisciplinary team working on a variety of branding and graphic projects.

nicola@nicolaryan.co.uk

+44 7708 212399

Twitter

LinkedIn

Instagram