We are Frank appoints UX expert Harry Sturt to senior user experience and design lead role

Award-winning UX expert, Harry Sturt has been snapped up as senior user experience and design lead at We Are Frank.

Sturt (pictured above) says the offer from the local digital ad-tech and creative agency was too good to pass up: “Joining the phenomenal We Are Frank team is an absolute dream. Operating within an independent Kiwi business, I now have the creative freedom to build innovative experiences that users want to engage with.

“Traditionally with my role, it’s easy to get sucked into a business as usual approach. What I love with my new position, is that I am encouraged to reserve time every week specifically to experiment and develop new ideas and concepts.”

Sturt’s career was set in motion early on when he was awarded the Rising Star prize at the 2018 IAB New Zealand Digital Advertising. The win instilled Sturt with the assurance to continue a path in digital advertising.

Says Sturt: “Winning the award so early in my career was a recognition that further fuelled my growth in the industry. And it’s wonderful to now be using all that experience at such a creatively-led independent agency.”

CEO Ben Searancke (above) says this latest hire represents an exciting time as his company evolves to meet the changing needs of clients: “We were very lucky to find Harry. It wasn’t easy to find someone with his specific skill set and award-winning experience. We’ve got 18 developers across We Are Frank and our partner business DoubleYolk, who are continually evolving our software, but it was essential to a find UX specialist who could help bring those ideas to life and improve the digital advertising experiences for the humans we’re advertising to.”

Searancke said Sturt didn’t have time to take a breath before being charged with the front end redesign of We are Frank’s new creative suite: “It was a little daunting at first, particularly because we were in the middle of the COVID lockdown, but the uptake amongst our client base and results we’ve achieved has instilled a massive boost of confidence in myself and the wider team. I’m excited for the projects ahead.”