We are thrilled to welcome Jason Quinn as our new Head of Product & Design. A former design manager for M&S, Paddy Power Betfair and lead developer at BBC, Jason specialises in user experience and digital design. He was part of the original Digitalist team, who first created our award-winning booking technology.

Today he talks about his development of Expian’s cutting-edge ticketing platform, receiving a BAFTA nomination and the future.

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‍What does your role entail?

I am responsible for product development and design. Speaking the language of design and product development fluently is key for my role and something I have been developing since I started coding computers as a kid in the ‘80s. This ability helps me to describe solutions and clearly communicate with clients about their wants, needs and expectations.

The design team is often like the mortar between the bricks, it is an interesting place to be as you get to see all the interesting components from different departments and bring it all together to create a stronger structure. It is similar to Expian’s approach. Admissions is business critical and therefore multiple departments will have a different view on what is needed. The Expian team collates each department’s concerns and brings them altogether to identify what functions are needed.
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You have a great breadth of industry experience, what do you see as your career highlight?

Of course, creating the Ticknovate platform - which has evolved into Expian - is undoubtedly a highlight!

It was humbling to work on the first broadband TV on demand service for the BBC, particularly as the project received a BAFTA nomination. I also worked on the team that launched BBC Mobile in 2001 and became known as “Mr Mobile” as I was the go-to “Guru” (as they called me) and I had my fingerprint on every page of the service for 10 years.

As one of the principal architects for Expian’s ticketing platform, tell us about your involvement in its creation…

I worked with Yiannis [Maglaras MD at Expian] at Digitalist where we supported technology consultancy services. We were hired by Expian’s now Chief Marketing Officer, Clare, to help her redefine the booking process and procure a new ticketing system for City Cruises. The team needed a system that could handle a complex product inventory with dynamic pricing, easily create sales reports and reduce the burden of ticket amendments for the booking office. The legacy system also had no scope for the company to upsell experiences, which limited revenue generation.

From the tender process, it became clear that there was nothing suitable on the market. Together, Yiannis and I developed the idea for Ticknovate platform, now named Expian, and then took on the challenge of building it. It’s fantastic to see how it has developed since then and really great to be back and part of the team again.
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What do you love doing at work?

Beyond developing smart design solutions, I love leading teams of people and helping individuals to flourish. I didn’t have the easiest childhood and left school aged 15, so being surrounded by incredibly smart and highly qualified people at work feels like a great feat for me. I’m grateful to be able to share my own experiences and use the things I’ve learnt to help other people to develop. It is fulfilling to see someone enter a role or organisation and take them from a place of uncertainty mentoring them to achieve their goals and climb the career ladder.

What are you looking forward to achieving at Expian?
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As well as technology specialists, Expian is fast becoming a travel expert, which is exciting. Our customers know their business but don’t always know the wider landscape and the technology opportunities. When it comes to implementing a new ticketing system, they need to get it right first time. Expian works with companies from across the travel and leisure industry, we are in a position to accrue knowledge from across the sector and, when combined with our technical knowledge, develop the most suitable ticketing solutions. This means that the Expian team can help all our clients see the bigger picture and the bigger the view, the better the understanding and the more effective the product.

What do you do when you aren’t designing?

I’m a passionate Star Wars fan so, if you have a virtual call with me, I may be sitting in the Millennium Falcon. When I’m not piloting space craft, you might find me picking olives in Spain, which is home to my wife’s family and their farm land as well as some fantastic cuisine!

Struggling to find a booking system that works for you? Contact Patrick Gray at patrick.gray@expian.io for more information.

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