I'm a hands-on product design and research leader with nearly two decades of experience solving complex problems through design thinking.
I build teams, shape strategy, and craft impactful solutions that bridge disciplines.
As the first designer in several organisations, I've built design and research capabilities from the ground up—from fast-paced start-ups, to a growing digital agency, and a large corporate.
While design and research are my bread and butter, I've also got strong experience in areas like product management, content strategy, and data.
It means I can join the dots and deliver solutions that don't just look good—they actually work.
Builds teams, processes, and solid ways of working
Conducts research and creates design strategies
Crafts impactful design solutions
Gets stuck in to help businesses grow
2023 - Present
Leading design in a hands-on leadership role. Introduced scalable design processes, improved delivery speed, and helped ship key features.
2019 - 2023
Hired as the first Product Designer. Built the design and research function from the ground up—defining practices across Product and the wider org. Scaled the team to support strategic and user-driven decision-making.
Dive into the details2014 - 2019
Founded the UX and research discipline within the agency and grew it's value 50x. Advocated for design's strategic value across projects, and built a high-performing team of six through coaching and mentorship.
See case studies
2011 - 2014
User Experience Specialist focused on driving a customer-first mindset. Helped the digital and product teams adopt more user-centred practices, leading to more effective delivery over.
View the projectsI've been lucky to work with brilliant people. Here are some of the kind things they've shared about our work together:
Federico Gerardi, Engineer, Resource Guru“Mike is the best designer I've ever worked with. He brings pragmatic solutions, listens deeply, and runs meetings that are both efficient and energising. It's rare to find someone so strong technically and interpersonally.”
Co-Founder, Resource Guru“In all my years, I don't think we've ever had a design team functioning at this level. We're breaking new ground here.”
Jose Viso, Senior Product Designer, Snowplow“Mike is a living example of how Design Thinking can create meaningful impact. He laid solid foundations for our team—establishing and evolving our design system, research tools, and processes. Everything was thoughtful and intentional.”
Kevin McKinless, Senior Product Designer, Snowplow“Mike has a rare skill for empowering people to take ownership. He encouraged us to take risks, explore ideas, and express ourselves. He personally helped me out of a rut and gave me back my confidence.”
Co-Founder, Resource Guru“I've never worked with anyone who throws themselves into work with such grit and care. Mike tackled every gap that came up—wrestling problems into submission with creativity and humility.”
Yali Sassoon, Co-Founder & CPO, Snowplow“Mike always considers the bigger picture, how decisions affect other teams, and how to build relationships across the organisation. I don't think he realises how empowering his presence has been.”
Chief Product Officer, Snowplow“He's always thinking a few steps ahead, always looking for better ways to do things, whether in leadership, design, or business strategy. I've never worked with someone so solutions-focused.”
