Design Systems Engineer, Accessibility Advocate,
& Professional Cloud Shouter
— A potted history of this rambling Lancastrian
About Me
I'm a principal-level design systems engineer based in Lancashire, UK. I've spent my career in the murky waters between design and engineering — building the systems, tokens, and foundations that make everything else coherent, and occasionally shouting about why the foundations matter more than most people realise.
Currently at Royal London as Lead Front-end Design Engineer, leading design system architecture with accessibility as a core quality baseline. Previously at AND Digital, cinch, Co-op, and Auto Trader.
Read more about me20+ Years Experience
From agencies to in-house, working with some of the UK's biggest brands.
Systems Thinker
Focused on system-level design craft — the architecture, naming conventions, and foundational decisions that determine whether a design system lasts or quietly falls apart.
Accessibility Champion
Co-founder of a11yMCR. Treating accessibility as a baseline for quality, not an afterthought.
— Ramblings, rants, and the occasional moment of clarity
Thinking out loud
2025 — That's a Wrap
A year that ground rather than broke. On flat pay, long commutes, and the things that kept me intact.
Accessibility Debt Is a Systems Problem
Accessibility failures aren't oversights — they're the accumulated interest on decisions made under pressure, invisible to the team and paid entirely by the people trying to use what the team built. Here's why retrofitting doesn't work, where it actually needs to live, and how to start.
Why I Write
Writing is how I figure out what I actually think. That's it, really — everything else on this site comes from that one thing.
— A career in the murky waters
Where I've been & what I've done
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Now
Royal London current
Lead Front-end Design Engineer
Leading design system architecture, token strategy, and design-to-code pipeline — with accessibility as a quality baseline throughout.
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Previously
AND Digital
Tech Principal – Front-end
Raising the bar for front-end craft and implementation-aware design thinking across client delivery teams.
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Previously
cinch
Engineering Practice Lead
Driving front-end standards and adoption across engineering — through influence, education, and trust rather than formal authority.
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Previously
Co-op
Lead Front-End Design Engineer
Lead engineer on the design system — building shared components, shaping contribution models, and helping teams ship consistently.
Looking for your next Design Systems Engineer?
I'm always open to interesting opportunities where design systems, architectural thinking, and front-end craft are genuinely valued — not just tolerated.
Get in touch