Profile

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Joseph ‘Jo’ Mercieca (pronounced: mer-tchee-a), a pragmatic tech-savvy design, research, and accessibility specialist. 

For the past 10+ years, I guided multinational stakeholders (B2B, B2C, SMB, scale-ups) leveraging UX, CX, CRO, and KPIs to drive growth through scalable products and services by tackling business, customer, and cultural requirements accordingly.  These include enterprise big data SaaS, machine learning (ML) software, content-rich web, and apps.  In my journey,  I championed UX methodologies and accessibility (A11Y) to foster design culture and maturity within diverse settings (e.g., PLG Agile-DevOps), demonstrating the benefits these add to the value proposition.

My expertise lies in leading design and research initiatives through strategic planning while collaboratively tackling challenges resulting from complex architecture, technical dependencies, multi-faceted flows, and demanding user interactions.  Over time, I developed an aptitude for envisioning realistic use case scenarios, leading to early troubleshooting (e.g. pre-mortem assessments) and pain point rectification, securing stakeholder buy-in and timely product deployment.

Reflecting on my journey, I feel fortunate to have driven growth and innovation across domains such as cybersecurity, hospitality, the service sector, health, ed-tech, fintech, and e-commerce. These experiences have deepened my understanding of what works well among specific cultures and demographics.

Lastly, my interests include design futures, cognitive behaviorism, AI, and ethics, as well as the geopolitical influence on the digital ecosystem. In my downtime, I enjoy traveling, performing music, volunteering, writing, and sharing my expertise via podcasts, and events. 

Current status

I’m currently available for new opportunities, be it:

  • Full-time (preferred)
  • Part-time
  • Contract
  • Freelance

Contact me for information.

What you must know

Often, I am asked about residency, hence I crystallized a few points:

  • I am a Maltese national hailing from Malta, a nation part of the European / EEC union, and the British Commonwealth; and I live in Europe. 
  • I need NO Visas to operate in Europe, Norway and Switzerland.  However, sponsorship is required for the UK (post Brexit).  No English tests required due to my nationality. 
  • For companies with a US presence, I hold an O-1 (extraordinary ability) Visa petition courtesy of a US entity of practice recognized by the USCIS.

Should you require information and clarification please reach out.  Thank you. 

Achievements

My list of achievements include the following:

  1. Awarded the ‘Certified Design Professional (CDP™)’ certification by the Design Professionals of Canada, a recognized association of practice after meeting rigorous standards of design excellence.
  2. Expertly devised research methods to determine what implicates users’ trust and confidence in Chatbots, VUI and IVRs (Paper).
  3. Delivered a multi-platform Design System for S-Group (FI) with 20+ designers and developers which was nominated at the Finnish design event namely Grand One Gala – Best Design System Category.
  4. Co-founded Voicemed.io, an AI health startup.  Won ‘Hack the Crisis, Sweden’ 2020 (Live interview, sciencebusiness.net).
  5. Directed a design project for Sir Christopher Lee’s (Lord of the Rings, Starwars…) music website in 2013.

Associations & Communities of practice

DesCan, Design Professionals of Canada (Certified Design Professional, CDP™)
AIGA, The Professional Association for Design, USA
SWARM Community (active speaker), USA
All Tech is Human, Global

Skills & Specialisms

Design (Product, Service)
Conversion Rate Optimization
Chatbot & Conversation Design
Accessibility (Section 508, WCAG)
Data Visualization Best Practices
Sound Design
Cross-cultural Design
Mixed-method Research
Project Management
Information Architecture & Semantics
Interaction Design
Inclusive Methodologies

Why partnering with me?

I am resourceful 

As a resourceful and observant individual, I often generate ideas for potential solutions quickly, even before testing and validation.

I am culturally astute

Collaborating with global stakeholders throughout my career has given me a deep understanding of what works—and what doesn’t—across different cultures, whether in NAMER, LATAM, EMEA, MENA, or APAC.

I am adaptive

My resourcefulness, time management skills, and tech-savviness, combined with my past experiences in diverse settings, enable me to grasp new tools and methods quickly to excel within a short timeframe.

I build stakeholder trust

Thanks to my interpersonal skills, demeanor, cultural awareness, empathy, and strong sense of humor, I can quickly establish trust with multinational stakeholders.