Innovative and accomplished Design Leader with over 20 years of experience, including a decade in leadership roles. I bring honed skills in leading teams to deliver exceptional experiences. Highly skilled in navigating organizational structures, I drive growth and foster cultures of inclusivity and creativity. Classically trained and digitally re-mastered, I have a proven track record of delivering large-scale projects on time and within budget, benefiting clients

Defining the future and making it happen.

Available

London

Seattle

Stockholm

Guiding design-focused strategies to define new futures and deliver market-changing ideas.

_Launch businesses and products
_Drive sustainable, profitable growth
_Uncover new market opportunities
_De-risk the path to innovation
Efficiency-focused functions to build stronger design teams and amplify, the value of design in organisations.
_Define the numbers of success
_How to attract and nurture talent
_Determine functional structures
_Connect talent with processes
Senior-level designer experience and a proven track record. I am happy to be parachuted into interim roles — no matter what the circumstance.

Straight forward

I'm not driven by shiny awards—though I've collected over 300 of them along the way. What motivates me is achieving tangible goals by aligning user needs, business objectives, and technical realities. I know how to create measurable competitive advantages and deliver ROI through thoughtful design.

Been there, done it

As an Independent Design Consultant, I’ve led cross-functional teams and tackled complex challenges across industries. My experience spans from crafting design strategies to building ventures from the ground up. I've designed and launched venture accelerators for banks, developed an inclusive FinTech platform in Nigeria, and created synthetic AI presenters for global broadcasters. I've also led the development of AI tools for healthcare diagnostics and implemented scalable design systems for some of the world’s most recognized brands.

No-nonsense

I'm a versatile, no-nonsense leader who gets things done. Whether it’s strategizing at the fuzzy front-end or rolling out design at scale. I think design, I do design, and I make design work—everywhere it counts.

Recommentations

It has been a while since the last time someone really surprised me. One always knows when James is part of a team, whether he's there physically or not and it usually has to do with the wow-level thinking and ideas. He is a force of (a creative) nature to a degree that can take on any business- tempest (or even "sharknado") without missing a beat.

Christian
Lazopoulos

CIO - Newtons Laboratory

James amazes his peers and team with his creativity, wit, and strong creative leadership. He is razor-sharp, always providing valuable input along with inspiring encouragement and wisdom. He is a relentless hard worker, known for consistently generating the most seductive and stunning ideas that captivate clients and leave a lasting impression on both colleagues alike.

Layla
Keramat

Partner EMEA - Prophet

James is the kind of person with whom you can speak openly and frankly. He always wants to hear your point of view and is open to suggestions and criticisms for the greater good of the project and the working environment. Whether one-on-one or in a group, he will work to unite everyone, inspire and encourage them to achieve something amazing.