Hi there, I’m Thomas.

Here’s me in Lanchester, County Durham where I grew up (2019)

I’m a Principal Product Designer with over 15 years’ experience crafting usable and inclusive products and services.

Trained at the BBC, I’ve worked in partnership with some of the world’s leading brands, including VISA, UPS, Virgin and TK Maxx, as well as many SMEs throughout the UK.

I graduated with First Class Honours in Fine Art from Newcastle University in 2008, winning the prestigious Hatton Gallery Prize. Shortly after, I gained a Masters Degree in Research in Digital Media, specialising in emerging technologies and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in artistic practice.

I have always sought to instil a collaborative and explorative design ethos, led by user insight and driven by a relentless commitment to measurably improving user experience and business outcomes.

My design principles

Over 15 years, I’ve been guided by these foundational principles:

  1. If you’re not designing inclusively, you’re not designing As a partially sighted designer, I have a deep, personal awareness of the lifelong and situational challenges posed by accessing technology.

  2. Do the hard work to make it simple Making stuff easy to use is hard work. Be prepared to challenge orthodoxy, working practices and technology.

  3. Root out bias and assumptions Question your own design decisions and those of others. Substitute bias regarding context, technology, users and usage with user research and analytics data.

  4. Design in the open Always involve others on your design journey. Talk to everyone, seek out allies and nurture an environment in which everyone feels able to contribute.