Hey there, I'm Mike Barkley. For over 20 years, I've had the pleasure of working with design agencies and digital companies in the Washington D.C. area as a creative director, interactive director, art director, and designer.
I currently serve as a UI/UX lead, career coach, and mentor on a cross-functional team of go-getters supporting a wide range of digital solutions for commercial and federal clients.
I believe in the value and power of design, enjoy working with passionate people, and strive to make complex things simple.
A disciplined, human-centered approach is at the core of everything I do. I start with a practical approach to creating value by pinpointing the intersection between the needs of the user, goals of the business, and what technology can enable.
This builds context for the project goals, establishes a greater understanding of the problem and the people it impacts, and will help inform everything that follows.
Every project is different so my process and the tools used are tailored to each client's distinct, evolving needs.
I believe in early and frequent discovery using an iterative process. This allows for continuous improvement while reducing project risk, increasing stakeholder engagement, and enabling early realization of business benefits.
I specialize in bringing ideas to life by combining strategic thinking and scalable design with future proof technology.
My hybrid skillset spans various UI/UX and visual design disciplines including user experience, digital design, web/mobile technology, and branding.