Emma Chittenden, founder of Web Whisperer. Emma is a freelance information strategist and naming scientist, who specialises in fixing navigation problems. Her last public sector gig was at NHS Digital, where she was a taxonomy expert, working on the search. She has a background in user experience, digital content and coaching. At Web Whisperer, she’s developing some training courses to demystify practices like taxonomy and ontology, and bring them into the mainstream
The highlights I always give when I’m talking about my career, in bite-sized chunks…
I don’t have a degree or any formal qualifications, I’m completely self-taught
This year is my 25th year in my career (yes, I feel very old writing that)
Started working in tech support for ICL, diagnosing and fixing computer problems over the phone
Moved into digital design field in 2004 when I commissioned a bespoke CMS and built a site from the ground up for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
Roles I’ve done include, project, change and account management, business analysis, information architecture, user experience design and taxonomist
I’ve been a freelance / contractor for approx. 15 years of my career (I make a terrible permanent employee)
Strategy
Navigation design
Information strategy
Naming science
Benchmarking & testing
Search design
Operational design
Metadata / controlled vocabulary design
Information architecture
Maturity modelling
Federated ecosystem design
Interaction design
Mobile application & game design
Business analysis
I’m channeling a bit of an MVP attitude at the mo, as I’m juggling a lot of things. This is an MVP list of the organisations I’ve worked for in the last 15 years.
I’ll be adding more in the way of case studies of the work I’ve done, when I’ve had a spare 10 minutes to write them 🤦🏼‍♀️.
NHS Digital | 2020 – 2022
Grant Thornton International | 2019
Blu for Imperial Tobacco | 2018 – 2019
The Astro Twins | 2018
Pearson | 2016 -2017
Open University |2015
True Digital on Wealthify |2015
Gyro for Accenture |2015
Nomensa | 2014 – 2015
Jaywing | 2010 – 2014