Résumé

Gareth Spenceley

Current Role: Head of Product Design

Location: United Kingdom

Website: www.garethspenceley.com

LinkedIn: in/garethspenceley

Leadership Deck: View the deck here

Profile

Creative, strategic, and people-first design leader with 17+ years of design industry experience; driving product innovation across SaaS, automotive, and insurance tech. Proven track record of building high-performing design teams, implementing scalable systems, and leading design as a strategic partner across organisations. Passionate about shaping human-centred digital experiences that balance business impact with user delight.

Core Skills

Design Leadership & Strategy

  • Vision-setting for cross-platform design initiatives

  • Driving product design strategy aligned with business and user goals

  • Championing user-centered design across the organization

  • Leading design org structure, hiring, and team culture

UX & Product Design Excellence

  • End-to-end product design: discovery to delivery

  • Strong UX research foundations (qualitative & quantitative)

  • Scalable UI design for complex systems and platforms

  • Design system governance and operations

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Deep experience working with Product, Engineering, Data & Marketing

  • Agile & Lean UX practices (MVPs, rapid iteration, continuous discovery)

  • Facilitating workshops and decision-making frameworks

Coaching & Mentorship

  • Team development: goal-setting, feedback, growth plans

  • Building a culture of psychological safety and creative excellence

  • Mentoring junior designers and emerging leaders

Multi-Disciplinary & Global Design Expertise

  • Background in branding, print, packaging, and experiential design

  • B2B, B2C, and B2B2C product experience

  • Designing for international markets (localisation, cultural nuance)

Tools

Design & prototyping: Figma, Miro, Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, Protopie

Design team ops: Notion, Jira, Confluence

Design system documentation: Zeroheight, Storybook

Project & collaboration: Mircosoft, Google, and Apple products, Slack, Miro, Trello,

UX research & testing: BallparkHQ, UserTesting, Hotjar

Relevant Experience

Head of Product Design

The Floow – Global Telematics & Mobility Solutions Provider
Sheffield, United Kingdom - Remote/Hybrid
Dec 2020 - Present (4 years 6 months+)

  • Lead strategic design initiatives across mobile and web platforms, aligning user experience with core business outcomes in a data-driven, fast-paced SaaS environment.

  • Built and scaled a high-performing multidisciplinary product design team, improving retention by 40% and doubling output year-over-year.

  • Embedded AI and machine learning into the insurance lifecycle, launching a globally adopted risk scoring platform with 30% improved customer retention.

  • Delivered a B2C mobile app from concept to launch, surpassing engagement targets by 150% and receiving multiple industry awards.

  • Established and scaled a centralised design system improving time-to-market by 25% and increasing cross-team consistency across platforms.

**Key clients include: Aviva, Direct Line Group, American Automobile Association (AAA), CSAA, Pirelli, Progressive, Plymouth Rock Assurance, MunichRe, ERGO, Definity, Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Škoda

Product Design Team Lead

The Floow - Global Telematics & Mobility Solutions Provider
Sheffield, United Kingdom - On-site
Oct 2018 - Dec 2020 (2 years 3 months)

  • Transitioned a graphic design-focused team into a mature product design function; introduced modern tools, user research practices, and scalable processes.

  • Partnered with product, engineering, and commercial teams to embed design within product squads and agile workflows.

  • Mentored and coached designers through structured development plans and goal setting.

Senior Product Designer

The Floow - Global Telematics & Mobility Solutions Provider
Sheffield, United Kingdom - On-site
Jan 2018 - Oct 2018 (9 months)

  • Led UX/UI for key insurance products, focusing on usability, accessibility, and visual cohesion across multi-platform interfaces.

  • Contributed to early design system work and supported stakeholder education around product design best practices.

Design Team Lead

The Space People (Now Begin Agency) - Brand Marketing Agency
Leeds, United Kingdom - On-site
May 2015 - Jan 2018 (2 years 9 months)

**Key clients include: Pernod Ricard, Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Jamesons, Chivas Regal, G.H.Mumm, Martell, The Glenlivet, Havana Club, Perrier-Jouët, Aberlour, Olmeca, Spot Whiskeys, Monkey 47, Plymouth Gin, Kahlua, Campo Viejo, Jacobs Creek, Leeds United FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC, Williams F1, Cisco Systems

Design Team Lead

Reflow Studio (Sold) – Full Service Creative Agency
Hathersage, Peak District, United Kingdom - On-site
Jun 2012 – Jun 2014 (2 years 1 month)

**Key clients include: Deuter, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, Grivel, Scarpa, Blackcrows, Edelweiss, Lorpen, Goal-Zero, Outdoor Research, Rab, Rottefella, Go Outdoors, Microsoft

Senior Designer

Hammer Design – Full Service Creative Agency
Hathersage, Peak District, United Kingdom - On-site
Jun 2009 – Jun 2012 (3 years)

**Key clients include: Wild Country, Jagged Globe, The Climbing Works, Mule-Bar, Cape Wrath Ultra, Dragon’s Back Race, Rab Mountain Marathon

Current Role Highlights

  • Built and scaled a high-performing product design team from the ground up, increasing design output by 200%, improving team retention by 40%, and transforming design from a support role to a strategic partner in business planning.

  • Designed and launched a multi-award-winning consumer app for a major automotive brand, achieving 150% of engagement targets and positioning the company as a serious player in the B2C mobility tech space.

  • Developed and implemented a company-wide design system, cutting production time by 25% and unifying UX/UI across a fragmented product suite, improving brand consistency and user satisfaction at scale.

  • Pioneered the adoption of design thinking across product teams, leading to a 50% reduction in rework, a 35% improvement in cross-functional alignment, and a measurable lift in product quality and customer feedback scores.

  • Led the digital transformation of a legacy graphic design team into a modern, agile product design function, introducing user research, agile rituals, and data-informed design practices.

  • Directed global design initiatives across B2B, B2C, and B2B2C product lines, aligning user experience with business strategy across insurance, automotive, and mobility sectors.

  • Consistently championed design as a strategic driver of innovation, presenting design-led solutions to C-suite stakeholders and contributing to long-term product vision and roadmap planning.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design

Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
2007 - 2010