Hi, I’m Dan

I’m a Product Design Leader with 12+ years’ leadership experience building and scaling design, research, and design operations within complex, data-rich product organisations.

I partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data, and senior stakeholders to shape design strategy, discovery, and ways of working that help teams make better decisions and deliver meaningful outcomes. I’m most effective in environments where clarity is needed. Aligning teams, simplifying complexity, and helping design contribute in a way that genuinely supports product goals.

What I do

I lead multidisciplinary design and research teams embedded within product organisations, supporting multiple squads and partnering with product leadership to improve how teams operate and deliver.

My role spans shaping design direction, building and supporting teams, and putting the right structures in place so design can scale without losing quality or focus. At Abcam, this meant growing design into a multi-disciplinary function supporting eight product squads, with Search and Engagement as priority, revenue-critical areas, and using research insight to inform roadmap decisions and trade-offs.

How I work

My approach is grounded in customer insight, evidence-led decision-making, and designing for clarity, confidence, and outcomes across end-to-end journeys. I sit at the intersection of strategy, discovery, and delivery.

A core part of my work is identifying where teams are getting stuck. Often this is less about design quality and more about alignment, prioritisation, or unclear ways of working. I use research, audits, and delivery insight to surface these issues early and focus teams on what will have the greatest impact.

One example was identifying search complexity as a major cause of customer friction and abandonment, and reframing success around a clear product goal: right product, first time.

Leadership approach

My leadership style is practical and collaborative.

I operate as a strategist and integrator, shaping direction with product partners, aligning disciplines, and building the conditions for teams to do good work consistently. I spend less time on grand messaging and more time working through problems with the people closest to them, helping teams make sense of complexity and move forward with confidence.

Creating a healthy design culture matters to me. One where people feel supported, clear on expectations, and able to contribute meaningfully to product outcomes.

What I’m known for

• Building and scaling product design and research teams

• Embedding discovery into everyday product decision-making

• Improving alignment across product, design, and engineering

• Helping teams navigate complexity without over-engineering solutions

• Being a steady, trusted partner to product leadership

Culture and environment

I’m effective in cultures and environments where design partners closely with Product and Engineering, and where there’s scope to improve alignment, clarity, and delivery across the product environment. I’m drawn to roles where there’s space to improve clarity, collaboration, and outcomes.

Let’s connect

If you’re looking for someone who can take responsibility for improving how product teams operate, bring clarity to complex challenges, and strengthen delivery through design, I’m always open to a conversation.