Background
Fathom is a user experience consultancy which works with agencies and organisations to improve online performance.
We believe that high–performing digital strategy and design must be founded on insight. Exceptional customer experience can be achieved only when business objectives, empirically–established user need and technology come together. Formed in 2011, our core service areas focus on:
We are fully independently owned and operated, allowing us to provide completely impartial service. Typically we work alongside agencies with whom our clients may already have relationships, work with internal client teams, or help our clients go to market to find the best agency for a particular challenge.
We are privileged to work alongside some of the most forward–thinking and ambitious organisations of varying sizes and across many sectors throughout Ireland, the UK and further afield. We deliver our projects using our specialist team of experts in areas of strategy, research, interface design, customer journey planning, analytics, search and social.
People
Gareth Dunlop
CEO & Founder
gareth@fathom.pro
Following 15 years of direct commercial experience helping businesses use the Internet more effectively, Gareth established Fathom in September 2011 to advise companies on how to get the most from the web by seeing the world from the perspective of their customers.
Previously Gareth was the MD of iON, a leading digital strategy and marketing company, headquartered in Belfast and with major clients in 15 countries. Prior to that he was the MD of Tibus, one of the largest and most successful web development agencies in Ireland, from 2002 to 2009 when it was sold to UTV Media. Since 1996, he has gained massive commercial experience advising blue chip clients in Ireland, UK and Europe (Fáilte Ireland, SOCITM, SPAR, DHL, Post Office UK, BBC) on Internet strategy and best practice.
A former Board Member of the Irish Internet Association, and Chairman of WeddingsOnline.ie, Gareth writes & lectures extensively on Internet related matters. As well as speaking regularly for University of Ulster, Digital Marketing Institute, Irish Internet Association, Irish Times and Sure Skills, he has guest lectured for UCD, DCU and DIT. He occupies regular columns in SiliconRepublic.com and Business Eye magazine.
Andrew McCrea
User Experience Planner
andrew@fathom.pro
With 11 years’ digital marketing, consultancy and project management experience spanning across online travel and digital agencies, Andrew joins Fathom with a wealth of experience and success in delivering commercially focussed creative online solutions.
Previously Commercial Manager at ActivityBreaks.com and a Digital Consultant at Tibus and Being Online, and more recently Digital Director at Mammoth, Andrew has spearheaded a multi–award winning digital team within one of Ireland’s largest brand engagement agencies. Andrew’s agency experience has seen him deliver projects for clients such as Bank of Ireland, talkSPORT, Queen’s University Belfast, Grafton Recruitment and ICON PLC.
A keen blogger, commenting on a range of UX and Digital Marketing topics – Andrew is an expert commentator for Smart Insights, contributing regularly to one the UK’s leading Digital Strategy websites.
David Beattie
UX Strategist
david@fathom.pro
David is an experienced digital professional with a Masters in Management and Marketing who subsequently developed a passion for design and a strong understanding of app development and digital channel optimisation within multinational organisations. He has honed his skills to become an innovative, multidimensional senior executive at the forefront of digital transformation, and customer experience.
He is experienced in defining and implementing digital strategy and transformation to support the digitalisation and mobilisation of both internal and external channels.
David boasts a history of success with a blend of rapid development, agile methodologies to secure investment and realise client value.
Throughout his career he has been involved in the delivery of award winning user–centred designs initiatives within Retail (Boots, Lidl, Waitrose, Ocado), E–commerce (RSA, Carlsberg, Pfizer, Michelin), Transport (British Airways, Virgin, FirstGroup, KLM AirFrance, Aer Lingus) and Financial Services (VISA, Deloitte, HSBC, Nationwide).
Marie–therese McCann
UX Lead
mt@fathom.pro
With over 12 years industry experience and a First Class Hons in Interactive Multimedia Design, Marie–therese has held various roles within the digital sector during her career. In her role at Fathom she now leads the delivery team, developing the roles of those within it and ensuring projects are properly structured and delivered on time and to budget.
After a university placement in Intel Dublin, Marie–therese’s career formally began as a Front End Designer & Developer within Eyekiller and MadebyMint, and progressed onto Senior UX Designer in Etain and Head of Digital Creative in Mammoth. Since joining Fathom, Marie–therese has had immense experience shaping UX projects for clients such as Permanent TSB, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Vita Liberata and Tesco Mobile.
In her spare time, Marie–therese organises & hosts the local meet up Ladies that UX Belfast, a part of the global group that encourages women within the industry to get together monthly, help mentor each other and discuss how user–centred design and its application is progressing within the community in Northern Ireland.
Victoria Green
UX Researcher
victoria@fathom.pro
Our lead researcher, Victoria contributes hugely to the desk research (comparative reviews, competitive reviews, heuristic reviews, analytics, design pattern identification and participant recruitment for tests and surveys) element of Fathom projects. Victoria previously worked in Danske Bank Ireland on their switching team, assisting the bank in its operations to withdraw personal and business banking from the Republic of Ireland marketplace.
Jonah McLachlan
UX Designer
jonah@fathom.pro
Jonah recently graduated from the Edinburgh Napier University with a 2:1 in Web Design & Development (UX) and has gained over four years commercial experience. With expertise in user experience design, Jonah’s agency experience has seen him work on projects for clients including firmus energy, Suki Tea, Capita, Simon Brien and Gymnastics Ireland. He is passionate about understanding the needs of users and proactively looks for ways to improve the user experience for apps, websites and services.
Eamonn Murphy
UX Designer
eamonn@fathom.pro
After achieving a First Class Honours degree in Interactive Multimedia Design in Belfast, Eamonn has subsequently gained over ten years commercial experience.
Formerly a senior designer at FRONT, working for clients such as BBC, Independent News & Media, Ryobi and Carte Blanche Greetings, Eamonn has more recently acted as an independent design consultant with design and app development studios on projects for iOS and Android platforms, and the Web.
Eamonn’s expertise enhances the User Interface design skill set at Fathom, while further bolstering the core practice of user–centred design.
Sophia Bradley
UX Designer
sophia@fathom.pro
Having recently recently graduated in Digital Interaction Design from The University of Dundee, Sophia has already worked closely with startups in helping them create unique, customer focused user experiences.
Sophia has a deep understanding and appreciation of the user–centred design process and is involved in all aspects of the UX design development in many of Fathom’s projects.
Kelsey Campbell–Bones
Placement UX Designer
kelsey@fathom.pro
As our placement student throughout 2016/7, Kelsey assists across all areas of Fathom operations, from research and usability testing to wireframing. Kelsey is currently studying for a Bachelors in Interaction Design at the University of Ulster. Before joining Fathom she freelanced as a UI designer, working with small companies to improve their user experience and modernise their interfaces. In her spare time Kelsey can be found watching documentaries or teaching herself how to code.
Jim Morrison
Placement UX Designer
jim@fathom.pro
Jim is currently studying a Bachelors in Interaction Design at Ulster University. With a background in information management, digital marketing, SEO & web analytics, Jim has a passion for user driven design & digital content. In Jim’s spare time as an experienced freelancer in web and graphic design, he has created numerous brands and developed user experiences on various projects, as well as lecturing part–time in Creative Media at Northern Regional College.
Glen Campbell
Associate – Rich Interface Design
glen@fathom.pro
Glen owns and runs his own excellent freelance web business called Made with Motive. He regularly works closely with Fathom, particularly on projects which have a significant rich interface involvement, focussing on CSS, HTML5, responsive design and the latest browser technologies. He’s been around since the start of the web and we regularly lean on his extensive experience and knowledge to help us deliver better outcomes for our clients.
Gerard Curry
Associate – Events Manager
gerard@fathom.pro
Gerard has over 10 years events industry experience running business conferences, training workshops, seminars and roadshows initially through his own company Eventure and more recently contracting his services out to run events on behalf of other client companies.
Specialising in the Digital and Communications sectors he has worked with many local companies and business development organisations including, Ionology, Linkubator, Tibus, Digital Marketing Institute, University of Ulster, Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors, the BBC, UTV, Belfast Telegraph.
Michelle McFadden
Associate – Content Strategist
michelle@fathom.pro
Michelle has been working with words for two decades. She started in legal drafting as a legal consultant for Mercer and has worked in a variety of sectors including policy and project work within local government, research associate in the charitable sector, and most recently document review work within Allen & Overy, a ‘magic circle’ law firm. Michelle’s background as an editor, proofreader and web copywriter has convinced her of the need to make business communication focused, clear, and direct.
Finán O’Donoghue
Associate – UX Analyst
finan@fathom.pro
Finán has nearly 20 years of experience in helping large businesses bridge the gap between humans and technology. Having fulfilled Senior Analyst roles in organisations such as Vodafone, KBC, Vhi, Liberty Insurance and Bank of Scotland, he brings a large breadth of experience to our Enterprise clients. His particular focus lies in the implementation of UX process, its efficient integration with project delivery methodologies, other systems and helping clients adapt to putting their customers at the heart of their IT and web development activities.
Memberships
To ensure that we are informed with the latest thinking we are actively involved in leading membership organisations.
We carefully select best of breed membership organisations both locally and globally, to ensure that we are up to date on all matters related to statistics, research, best practice, internet theory and digital strategy.