Version: 1.0 Effective date: 26 June 2026
1. Who We Are and How to Reach Us
This website (proportion.global) is operated by Proportion Enterprise BV, trading as Proportion Global, registered in the Netherlands (KVK number available on request).
For the purposes of the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, Proportion Global is the data controller for all personal data collected through this website.
Data protection contact: [email protected]
If you have a complaint or question about how your data is handled, please contact us at the address above. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority (see Section 8).
2. What This Policy Covers
This policy describes how we collect, use, store, and share personal data when you:
- visit the proportion.global website
- submit an enquiry or contact form
- subscribe to our newsletter or marketing communications
- apply to join the Proportion Global network of HCD professionals
It does not cover third-party websites linked from this site. Those sites have their own privacy policies.
3. Data We Collect and Why
We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purpose stated. Below we describe each category, the data involved, and the legal basis under Article 6 of the GDPR.
3.1 Contact and Enquiry Data
What we collect: Name, email address, organisation, country, and the content of any message you submit through a contact or enquiry form on this website.
Why: To respond to your enquiry and, where relevant, to follow up on potential project collaboration.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): responding to unsolicited professional enquiries is in both our interest and yours.
Retention: Contact and enquiry data is retained for up to 2 years from the date of last contact, after which it is deleted unless an active client or partnership relationship exists.
3.2 Community Application Data
Proportion Global maintains a global network of Human-Centred Design (HCD) professionals. You can apply to join this network through the application form on our website.
What we collect: Name, email address, country of residence, professional background, areas of expertise, portfolio links, and any other information you provide in the application form.
Why: To assess whether your background and skills are a good fit for our network of HCD professionals, and to communicate with you about the outcome of your application.
Legal basis: Pre-contractual steps (Article 6(1)(b)): assessing your application is a step towards a potential collaboration agreement. Where this basis does not apply, we rely on legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)).
Retention: Application data is retained for up to 12 months from the date of submission. If you are accepted into the network, your data is retained for the duration of your active membership.
How applications are assessed: To provide a timely response to every applicant, we use AI-assisted tools to support the initial review of application submissions. This automated pre-qualification step assesses your responses against our network criteria and produces an initial outcome. Applicants who pass this initial review are shortlisted and invited for a live interview with a member of the Proportion Global team. Applicants who do not meet the threshold at this stage receive a notification to that effect.
This process is described further in Section 4 (Automated Decision-Making).
3.3 Email and Marketing Communications
What we collect: Email address, first name, and any preferences you indicate when subscribing to our newsletter or other communications.
Why: To send you updates about Proportion Global’s work, insights, and opportunities, based on your subscription.
Legal basis: Consent (Article 6(1)(a)). You can subscribe and unsubscribe at any time. Each email includes an unsubscribe link.
Retention: Retained until you unsubscribe. Unsubscribed records are suppressed rather than deleted, to prevent re-adding you in error.
3.4 Technical and Analytics Data
What we collect: IP address, browser type and version, device type and operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URL, and session cookies.
Why: To keep the website secure, diagnose technical issues, and understand how the site is used in aggregate.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) for security and site stability. Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) for analytics cookies (Google Analytics): you are asked for consent on first visit via our cookie banner.
Retention: Google Analytics data is retained for 14 months. Server logs are retained for 90 days. Session cookies expire at the end of your browser session.
4. Automated Decision-Making in Applications
When you apply to join the Proportion Global network, your application is initially reviewed using AI-assisted tools. This automated step analyses your submitted information against our network criteria. It does not access any information beyond what you have provided in the application form.
The outcome of the automated review determines whether you are:
- Shortlisted: you receive an invitation to schedule a live interview with a member of our team.
- Not shortlisted: you receive a notification that your application has not been taken forward at this stage.
We believe this approach allows us to give every applicant a prompt and respectful response. However, if you are not shortlisted and you believe the automated assessment has not correctly taken your application into account, you have the right to request a human review of your application. To do so, contact [email protected] within 30 days of receiving your outcome notification.
5. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your data with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
We share data only in the following circumstances:
5.1 Sub-processors (technical service providers)
These providers process data on our behalf under Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) that require them to maintain the same level of data protection.
Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.) — Application form processing, email communications, automated workflow — USA Anthropic PBC — AI language model API used for initial application review — USA Google LLC — Google Analytics: aggregate website usage statistics — USA Website host — Hosting and infrastructure for proportion.global — EU/USA
5.2 Interview scheduling
If your application is shortlisted, you will receive a link to schedule a live interview via Calendly. Calendly is an independent service with its own privacy policy. Any personal data you enter into Calendly (name, email, availability) is processed by Calendly under their terms. We only receive the scheduled appointment details.
5.3 Legal requirements
We may disclose personal data if required by law, court order, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.
6. International Data Transfers
Some of our sub-processors are located in the United States. When we transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we rely on:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, and/or
- Adequacy decisions where applicable.
7. Cookies
We use cookies for the following purposes:
Strictly necessary — Security, session management — No consent required Functional — Your display and language preferences — No consent required Analytics — Google Analytics: aggregate usage statistics — Yes, consent required
You can withdraw consent for non-essential cookies at any time using the cookie settings link in the footer of the website.
8. Your Rights
Under the GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
Access (Art. 15) — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you Rectification (Art. 16) — Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data Erasure (Art. 17) — Ask us to delete your data (“right to be forgotten”) Restriction (Art. 18) — Ask us to pause processing while a dispute is resolved Portability (Art. 20) — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format Objection (Art. 21) — Object to processing based on legitimate interests Withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing Human review (Art. 22) — Request that a human reviews any decision made about you by automated means
How to exercise your rights: Email [email protected] with your request. We will respond within 30 days. We may ask for proof of identity before processing your request.
Right to complain: You can also lodge a complaint with the data protection authority in your country. In the Netherlands (where Proportion Global is registered): Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (https://www.autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl) (+31 70 888 8500).
9. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:
- TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit
- Role-based access controls limiting who can access what data
- Access to personal data limited to authorised team members
- Regular security monitoring
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours and affected individuals without undue delay.
10. Children
This website is intended for professionals aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe a child under 16 has submitted data through this site, please contact us at [email protected].
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in how we use data, our sub-processors, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will post the updated policy on this page with a new effective date.
Last updated: 26 June 2026 | Questions: [email protected]