Me
I combine my skills in design with a dash of the startup and user-centred methodologies. I enjoy working with companies on end-to-end projects, mixing my design and (hidden) development skills to communicate ideas and effectively speak to the needs of the users and business. I accomplish this with a process of critical, conceptual and creative design right through to creating prototypes, handling developers, stakeholder management as well as implementing new features. My creatively wired mind, continually developing skillset and interest in technological advancements in the industry adhere to my dedication to creating great products.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all way of working for every company, which is why I’m adaptive in the way I work, depending on the specific needs of the business, agency or individual.
Skills
I am a hybrid designer who enjoys all aspects of the design process, from sketching to prototyping ideas, visualising and shaping stories to make products or services come alive.
Design
User centered
Putting users at the centre of design and development.
Design led
Delivering designs that are both user friendly and visually stunning
Experience driven
Creating end-to-end cohesive touch points
Future thinking
Always looking beyond the limitations of current devices and technology
Delivery
Approach
Experience working in a multi-functional and overseas agile teams
Languages
HTML, CSS, LESS, JavaScript, PHP
Software
Sketch, Adobe CC, Figma, Invision, Principle
Frameworks
Bootstrap, CakePHP
Clients
I have over a decade of professional experience working within a variety of different industries. A primary focus over this time, has been the design (and sometimes development of technologies) across digital platforms. I’ve worked with a diverse range of clients from Fashion, Fitness, Financial, IPTV, Public Transport, Mobile and Social to Television. Here are some clients I’ve worked with, either directly or with an agency:
Awards
I have worked on successful projects, most notably, the YouView and Sky Q projects which won UI and product awards.
Interests
I hold many interests close to my heart, from metaphysics and philosophy, to poetry and photography as well as exploring the natural world. I feel most alive when I am immersed in their purpose or message. I draw inspiration from these outlets which always make their way back into my designs and vice versa. It seems to create a whimsical expression of knowledge that can be translated across many aspects of my life.
I have been a vegetarian for last 8 years and vegan/veggie hybrid for the past 4 years. My passion in metaphysics, philosophy, and spirituality has greatly expanded my knowledge on the impact we have on the world and what we can do to bring balance back.
I’m also a big Formula 1 fan, tech geek and music lover. Ranging from Ambient to Classical, I have many favourite artists: Boards of Canada, TR/ST, iamamiwhoami, Jon Hopkins, Nils Frahm, Brian Eno, Bach, Infected Mushroom, Air, Washed Out and Austra, to name a few.
Meanwhile, a book is always within reach. I end up reading books that sometimes take months to finish, usually of a psychological or philosophical nature. I try to make an effort to read a wide spectrum of subjects so that I can eventually bring that connection into my work.
Recommendations
Tony Sobers
Human Centred Design Lead at Lloyds Banking Group
I would have loved to have the chance to work more closely with Hal but sadly he decided to relocate to the other side of the world so that put paid to my plan. Whilst working together it was clear the he was a great team leader and fitted comfortably in the role of Design Lead (Art Director). Despite the limited range of design options available he was never flustered – actually he seemed to enjoy the challenge. Internet banking doesn’t always appear the most exciting area but Hal always managed to add something to an idea. What you need to know is that he’s a great designer; thoughtful, articulate and full of great ideas. He’ll positively enhance your team.
Jiri Mocicka
Experience Lead at Lloyds Banking Group
A new breed of product design talent – that’s Hal in one sentence. Our professional journeys crossed several times. Everyone who ever works with Hal would agree that his passion for design is almost addictive. With him, on board, you wouldn’t look at the design problems only through one specific lens. He combines his strength for every given challenge to achieve the desired outcome.
His excellent technical background combined with eagle-eye for the design brings him in the centre of visual design systems. With a deep understanding of service design thinking and end-2-end product design delivery, he becomes invaluable back-bone to all FST-100 design teams looking for succeeding in the day to day design competitions.
With no doubt, I’d hire him again.
Fani Sazaklidou
Executive Creative & Brand Director at YouView
Hal is a talented and passionate graphic designer. He delivers solid designs fast and is particularly good in understanding technical constrains. I worked with Hal twice so far and I am looking forward to working with him again in the future.
Stephen Hardingham
Head of Design, Online at Channel 4
Halmat is a very talented and conscientious young designer. He has a wide variety of skills and knowledge which he brings to bear on all of his work. He is highly creative and has an extremely sensitive and refined design eye.
Halmat brought a uniqueness, individuality and warmth to the design team at Channel 4 and his presence is missed. I wish him the very best for his future (which will undoubtedly be bright).
Jonathan Mead
Producer at YouView
Hal is an extremely talented and focused designer. I was very impressed with his ability to quickly understand issues and deliver solutions that would really enhance the visual experience for the user.
Always conscious of the bigger picture and continually focused on how the User will use his designs, he never stops striving to deliver the best work possible. Whether designing a brand new area of the UI or making a tiny update to an existing area, his attention to detail and passion remains the same and it is these things I believe makes Hal so enjoyable to work with.
I believe Hal would be a real asset to any UX team.
Miles Davies
Lead Interaction Designer at YouView
Hal has exceptional talents for screen-based interface design and a keen understanding of user behaviour as it relates to design. He’s creative, obsessively meticulous and he’s able to articulate his ideas while motivating others with his vision for the product. A thinker with the ability to communicate complex solutions clearly.
I would describe him as a self-motivated individual with a skill set that balances great design with short deadlines. He thrives in multidisciplinary teams and has remarkable information design abilities and good problem solving skills.
Hal has a fearless and positive attitude as well as being quick-thinking, personable and flexible. He also has a great sense of humour.
Sarah Bowls
Sarah and Simon Photography
Halmat Ferello understood our needs, used our visions mixed with his unique ideas and expert experience to produce exactly what we wanted from our new branding and website.
Halmat consistently produced high quality, organized and inventive work from conception to finished product.
Halmat provided guidelines which we could apply for layouts and typography etc., enabling us to become self sufficient and save costs on future projects.
I’d recommend Halmat to anyone needing passionate, effective design that is of the highest standard.
Working with Halmat was a pleasant stress-free experience, I would certainly use his services again.We are extremely pleased with the end results.
Thank you very much for working with us,
Sarah and Simon
James Walters
Senior Web Designer at FitPro
Halmat joined the media department at Fitness Professionals as a graduate. He stood out from the other candidates as he was not only just about the only one who actually knew how to write front end code, but also he’d learned far more that the college curriculum required, and was constantly pushing to learn more.
During the time he worked at Fitness Professionals Halmat produced designs, information architecture, and front end code for what in hindsight were some big and successful projects, always with tight deadlines and always with a high volume of other work to contend with. Sites we delivered included: a re design of a site retailing fitness equipment, a conference site with booking system (featuring extensive user interface development), a music retailing site, many micro sites and more site maintenance and HTML emails that we’d probably care to remember.
Throughout the time he worked at Fitness Professionals he produced work which was of a consistently high quality, while continuing to extend his knowledge of coding and development. By the time he left he’d progressed from ‘Junior’ to ‘Middleweight’.
Anne Stevens
User Experience Manager at Channel 4
Hal is without a doubt one of the most talented designers that I have ever had the privilege to work with. He is incredibly creative and has a fantastic instinct for intuitive and beautiful interfaces. He is one of the few people I have worked with who truly understands creative design, user experience and technology and his work combines all three of his strengths to fantastic effect.
I have no hestitation in recommending Hal and would love the opportunity to work with him again in the future.
Anya Davies
Mamonaku
Mamonaku hired Hal and Greydust to design and deliver a stand-out website. From the outset Hal came up with a creative brief that was extremely inventive and listened to the needs of our business. He had an abundance of ideas and enthusiasm that made working with Greydust a pleasure. He works fantastically with clients and is accommodating and consistent with the highest integrity.
Implementation targets were met on time and tech problems solved with expert knowledge in a punctual fashion. From concept to launch Hal delivered fantastic results and a website that really stands out from the crowd.
Monia Micic
Marketing Manager at RI3K
It was a pleasure to work with Halmat on a redesign project. He was full of ideas, dedicated and always delivered his work on time.
Bridget Pumfrey
BPR
We commissioned Hal to design the website for our new business earlier this year. In the end we were so impressed that we asked him to re-think our colours, create a logo and design our business cards! Hal has an exceptional talent for design and a very strong understanding of colours, font and everything that contributes to the brand. Hal is also a pleasure to work with and is very good at keeping his clients on track and ensuring deadlines are met. I would not hesitate to recommend Hal as a designer whatever field your business may be in.
James Tatam
Verticals Publisher at Channel 4
Hal combines several skills critical in an interface designer: he quickly understands the business objectives behind his design projects; he works in rapid iterations, accommodating (and challenging where appropriate) feedback efficiently; his designs are mindful of how they will be implemented technically; and, most important, he combines real creative flair and innovation with a refreshing “what works” approach. I unreservedly recommend him.
Ben Jeffreys
Senior UI Developer at Channel 4
Hal is a very talented chap. His designs are well constructed, thoughtful and look jolly lovely. He’s a pleasure to work with and deals with pressure and time constraints amazingly well. His attention to detail stands out particularly and he’s open to suggestions and alternative approaches (not that they’re needed often!)
Lainie Tomming-Ratnayaka
Marketing Communications Manager at FitPro
Halmat is a talented, dedicated professional who has the rare ability to understand marketing strategy when creating his work. This was a great asset to the team I managed at FitPro as I was confident that I could rely on Halmat to (a) produce high quality results and (b) understand the business and marketing needs.
I would warmly reccomend Halmat for any role he applied for as I know he would put 110% in at all times.
Andy Joslin
Creative Director at RI3K
Halmat is a naturally talented designer, whose approach to work is professional and focussed. Hal works quickly and has the rare ability to take his ideas from visual concepts straight through to working code. An asset to any team and a great guy to work with, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Hal or work with him again in the future.
Mat Ryer
User Experience Developer at RI3K
Hal is one of the fastest designers in the West. His work remains at a high quality while being delivered ahead of schedule almost 100% of the time. His knowledge of his field means he can design products that are technically deliverable while remaining fresh and innovative in the process. I would jump at the chance to work with Hal again.
Nicki Coates
Technical Business Analyst at Fish4
I worked with Halmat mostly on the redesign of the fish4 CV database. Halmat is a very capable and innovative designer both technically and creatively. The work Hal produced really brought the site up to the next level as he has a great eye for style and usability. Hal is also really cheerful and fun to have in the office!