About

Hi, I’m Gareth Spenceley. I’m a Head of Product Design with over seventeen years design industry experience; shaping brands, building digital products, and leading high-performing design teams.

I help companies connect with customers through experiences that are crafted with care, backed by strategy, and built to scale.

Over the years, I’ve designed everything from mobile apps and brand systems to airport installations, packaging, and global B2C platforms. And along the way, one thing has stayed constant:

• Great design is about connection

• Connecting people to products

• Connecting businesses to opportunities

• Connecting ideas to moments that actually matter

I created this site to bring clarity to who I am, what I care about, and how I work. It's much more than a portfolio, it's a platform to share my thinking, showcase meaningful work, and start conversations with the kinds of businesses and collaborators I want to work with next. It’s a constant reminder to write about what’s on my mind and to share it with the world.

The professional side

My design education progressed into a career in graphic design. As the world’s digital products evolved, so did my focus. As the years passed by, I spent more and more time working in specialist areas of UX, service design, design systems, and naturally, leadership.

Today, as Head of Product Design, I lead teams across:

• UX and brand experience design

• UI, interaction, and visual design

• Scalable design systems and design ops

• UX research and product validation

• Design and business strategy

• Team leadership, coaching, and culture-building

I believe design should be at the table early, influencing strategy and growth.

Good design isn’t about trends, noise, or perfection. It’s about solving the right problems with honesty, restraint, and a relentless commitment to clarity.

I’ve helped early-stage startups find their footing, guided SaaS businesses through scaling pains, and elevated the voice of design within global organisations.

I lead with purpose: empower teams, elevate quality, and align great work with real business outcomes. It’s as simple as that.

Clients & collaborations

Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of designing for some of the world’s most iconic and trusted brands, leaders in their industries.

I've worked extensively across outdoor sports, alcohol and spirits, technology, automotive, insurance, and luxury sectors, often at the intersection of brand and product, where design directly shapes perception and value.

Outdoor & adventure

Arc'teryx, Patagonia, Scarpa, Grivel, Outdoor Research, Deuter, Rottefella, Blackcrows, Goal Zero, Rab, and many more in the outdoor sports, performance products and expedition space.

Alcohol & spirits

G.H. Mumm, Beefeater Gin, Olmeca, Absolut, Jameson, Monkey 47, Perrier-Jouët, Chivas Regal, Pernod Ricard, Martell, Havana Club, Aberlour, The Glenlivet, and many more boutique and global labels.

Technology

Microsoft, Cisco and other leading-edge tech firms.

Luxury & lifestyle

Sunseeker Yacht Charters, luxury watches and jewellery, and other premium lifestyle brands where experience and aesthetic are inseparable!

Automotive & insurance

Williams F1, Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Pirelli, American Automobile Association, Direct Line Group, Progressive, Aviva, Munich Re, Plymouth Rock, and a growing list of mobility innovators.

These collaborations reflect not only the breadth of sectors I’ve worked in, but also the depth of trust placed in design to deliver brand-aligned, high-performing digital experiences. And this is just a snapshot, the list goes on.

Creative mindset

When I’m not deep in product strategy or mentoring teams, you’ll probably find me somewhere feeding the same curiosity that drives my work.

I find inspiration everywhere:

The mechanical poetry of watches, the texture of letterpress typography, the quiet elegance of architecture and interiors, the energy of city streets, the palette of a well-lived city; the honesty of great design many don't even notice. It all fights for my attention.

Travel fuels a lot of this, wandering through new cultures, observing how environments shape people, and how people, in turn, shape experiences.

I'm drawn to places where creativity lives in the details: from Seattle’s coffee shops to Copenhagen’s cycle lanes, to mountain towns where design meets nature at a slower, more intentional pace.

Cycling through new landscapes, hiking mountain trails, or just being out in nature recharges my perspective and sharpens my thinking. These are more than pastimes, they’re part of the process.

I value sustainability, thoughtful design, and building products and cultures that aren't just innovative, but also responsible and rooted in the real world.

To me, the best creative leaders aren’t just skilled, they’re observant, open, and fuelled by a genuine sense of curiosity.

Relocation opportunities

Right now, I'm based in the UK, but I'm actively exploring relocation opportunities. I’m currently exploring Europe and the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle, or San Francisco).