Design
Starting in visual and digital design before moving into UX and product design, with a strong eye for how products work and communicate.
About
A little bit more about me.
I’m Stu, a senior product designer with a background that spans visual design, digital and product.
I’ve always been interested in understanding why something isn’t working and finding a simpler, pragmatic way through it. That’s taken me from designing how things look and communicate to shaping products, journeys and systems.
Understand what matters before adding more.
Start with the problem, not the solution.
Approach
Evidence before assumptions.
I start by understanding what we’re trying to solve and why it matters. I look at qualitative insight, product data, existing journeys, technical constraints and the wider business context before deciding what needs to change.
From there I shape journeys, explore ideas, prototype, test and refine. I stay involved through build and design QA too, working closely with engineering because good thinking only matters if the experience we ship lives up to it.
In practice
Strategic enough to shape the direction. Hands-on enough to deliver it.
I work across the full product lifecycle: discovery, proposition development, information architecture, journey design, UI, prototyping, testing, iteration and optimisation.
I’m comfortable leading design, challenging assumptions and helping teams make difficult decisions, but I’ve never believed seniority means stepping away from the work. I’m at my best close to the problem, the product and the people building it.
Experience
Design, product and leadership.
Product
Designing digital products across financial services, manufacturing and construction, from individual journeys to broader propositions and systems.
Leadership
Leading designers, setting direction, raising standards and helping multidisciplinary teams work with greater clarity and consistency.
Career
More than 20 years in design.
UX Designer to Head of Design
Progressed through product design and leadership roles, working across banking, credit, rewards and money management while staying hands-on across strategy, research, journeys and delivery.
UX Designer
Designed and improved digital journeys, using customer insight and testing to simplify complex vehicle leasing experiences.
Senior Graphic & E-commerce Designer
Led visual and e-commerce design across digital customer journeys, online retail content and commercial campaigns.
Graphic / Web Designer
Designed websites, digital content and brand communications across online and traditional channels.
Graphic Designer
Created visual communications and marketing materials across print, brand and early digital work.