Likewise Inc.
Lead UX/UI Designer, 2017-2022
Likewise is a social network that helps users find recommendations for great movies, shows, podcasts, and books.
I worked as Lead Designer on a brand new social recommendations mobile app for TV, movies, books, and podcasts. Originally imagined and founded by Bill Gates’ private office (now known as Gates Ventures), I was a key member of the design team from the pre-alpha stages to a mature app with over 5 million registered users.
Selected projects
LikewiseTV
Creating a universal streaming-focused content discovery tool for the responsive web.
Likewise Asks
A dynamic way to find your next favorite movie, book, and more with a little help from your friends.
Likewise Groups
Giving our users a lively place to gather with other fans with similar passions in books, shows, and more.
What was I doing at Likewise?
Growing the app from 0 to over 5,000,000 registered users
As an early hire I had the privilege of working on the app from the pre-alpha phases, to closed beta, through V1 release, and multiple years as a living, ever-adapting product.
Rapidly iterating as a way of life
Supported rapid prototyping and feature iteration with tight deadlines and close collaboration with product leaders, developers, and usability testers.
Building a design team from the ground up
Helped grow the design org from just myself to a team of 5 highly talented and collaborative designers across multiple disciplines.
Working with opinionated collaborators
Everyone at Likewise was empowered to shape features from ideation to implementation and beyond.
Guiding the look and feel of a new app
Collaborated to establish and maintain usability standards and look and feel over multiple interconnected products as we expanded from native phone apps to include smart TV apps and a web platform with feature parity.
Serving tens of thousands of enthusiastic active daily users
Was lucky enough to serve a friendly and helpful cohort of core users, and through the app help facilitate their passion for movies, books, and more.
What do Likewise coworkers have to say about me?
“We hired Calum as our 3rd FTE, and we were fortunate to have him on our team for >5 years from pre-alpha wireframes to a live product used by millions. As the team grew he acted as a mentor to others and a close collaborator with all.
The small size of our team, as well as his creativity and adaptability, meant that his role often extended into product management. His flexibility, get-it-done attitude and calm demeanor make him a great fit for any startup or environment that requires people to deal with change and ambiguity. I’d strongly recommend Calum to any team looking for an experienced/versatile designer and all-around team player.”
— Ian Morris, CEO at Likewise
“Calum and I worked together on the Likewise mobile app for over a year together. He was the lead designer and I was the app's product manager. He has a unique ability to translate big, complex ideas into visually stunning and user-friendly designs. Whether feedback and ideas were coming from leadership, our users, or me, Calum always kept an open-mind and the UX was all the better because of it.
Working with Calum also challenged me as a product manager to think about all of the use cases for a feature or design, because I knew he'd ask about one I hadn't thought of. I never had to worry about the quality of the work or missing deadlines because Calum was always organized, communicative and working side-by-side with product. I'd love to work with again.”