Gianni was instrumental in setting up our user experience design practice at Zopa – as soon as he came in, he managed to get the best out of the existing designers thanks to a set of effective design processes. He was also very effective in quickly assembling a team of strong individuals, one of them then went on to win the Zopian of month just a few months after joining. The team went on to receive high praise throughout the business and won Zopa’s team of the week award after helping to redesign our website and app in time for our bank launch.

I can highly recommend Gianni if you are trying to create an effective design team that works well with the rest of the business. Gianni is also a very effective mentor and manager for the designers themselves.

Didier Baclin Chief Product Officer @ Zopa Bank (2020)

During the time Gianni and I worked together at Argos, I was impressed with his professionalism, ability to spot key issues, and ability to "roll up his sleeves" and teach by doing. Gianni's readiness to learn new UX skills and his readiness to learn new aspects of the UX profession were especially impressive since he brought with him an already impressive set of skills and approaches.

When Gianni started at Argos he immediately identified opportunities in our ways of working; proposed and gained support for necessary changes; and then guided the team through the transition in a way that gave every team member a way to feel good about the process.

Gianni frequently wrote his own UX prototypes to ensure the changes proposed were workable for the organisation before presenting them to the team. He also held brown bags and open design meetings including Product Management and members of other organisational UX teams, including merchandising and brand.​

I truly enjoyed working with Gianni, was impressed with his professional approach to the broad range of problems and opportunities he encountered, consider him to be one of my "great" hires and would definitely work with him again if the opportunity ever presented itself.

Melissa Dunn Director Digital Product Development @ Sainsbury's Argos (2019)

Gianni is someone who is not afraid of a challenge. He joined Zopa at a time when proving the value of design was high on the agenda, and our small team needed leadership and direction.

He quickly put in place the structure and processes we needed to establish a more user-centred culture across the company, and scaled the experience team from the ground up.

Every decision he took was thoughtful but bold; balancing team wellbeing and results.

Gianni is also someone who cares deeply about the people he works with, and created a strong bond with the team. He has been an inspirational leader and challenging mentor, and I hope we can work together again.

I can highly recommend Gianni if you are trying to create an effective design team that works well with the rest of the business. Gianni is also a very effective mentor and manager for the designers themselves.

Laura Sellman Senior Product Designer @ Zopa Bank (2020)

During the time I worked with him, Gianni took an holistic approach to experience design, bringing in service design alongside product design to deliver a truly customer-centred approach. As a service designer, he pushed me to always champion the voice of the customer and explore how we could achieve a more ‘joined up’ experience for our customers.

Gianni built the experience design team from the ground up, bringing us together and creating a team culture where we could all thrive - a mix of challenge and trust. He is a great mentor, giving autonomy to explore and try new things while always being there to give support and guidance

Millie Findlay Design Lead @ Zopa Bank (2020)

Gianni is a machine - with a human touch. Having dealt with many internal stakeholders and external clients I have to admit I have never met anyone as dedicated and passionate as Gianni. He is well respected within Ocado Technology, for not only being smart, fun and fast but predominately being an exceptional creative designer. He will always try to keep pushing the boundaries not just for himself but also for his team members and the business. Personally, every company needs a Gianni in their design team as exceptional results with a cheeky smile will always be guaranteed!

Zara Belman Senior Recruitment Business Partner @ Ocado Technology (2017)

Gianni is without doubt one of the best UX professionals I have had the pleasure to work with in my career. Hardworking, diligent but above all immensely talented. Recently promoted to the role of UX manager I look forward to seeing him nurture and develop those who will be reporting to him. His knowledge covers all areas of UX, with his UI design capabilities being second to none. A true asset to Ocado

Tony Rivenell Head of Brand and UX @ Ocado (2011)

We began working with Gianni over 10 years ago designing and creating tools and graphics for our company as well as clients. During that time, he has consistently exceeded my expectations and delivered solutions and designs that have added significant value. I have recommended him to several other colleagues and have been pleased that they have had similar experiences.

Most recently, he has helped us with several projects; updating the look and feel of our software tools, re-designing our corporate website, building Flash video tools for our clients, and re-branding our logos.

Each project has been done with the highest quality of design and functionality.

Perhaps the quality I like best about Gianni is that he listens carefully to your description of the requirements, and then quickly turns around a draft or prototype which is usually on target, or better than we thought it would be. Few professionals meet that high standard of service and speed.

David Hatch Managing Director @ Center for Leadership Solutions (2010)

Anyone who has spent time in Academia learns to truly appreciate when a student with exceptional talent comes along. For me, Gianni was such a student. The web is a perfect medium to showcase Gianni's fresh, clean designs and artistic flair.

Pete Gale Professor @ UVSC (1990)