I’m Elsa, a product design manager, including DesignOps, UX leadership, Design system creation and maintenance and product strategist. In short: I like to make things better for the people using them—because improving stuff is both fun and important.
I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and in that time I’ve learned that the bigger the challenge, the more interesting the solution. I thrive on working with complex systems, translating information-dense products into intuitive experiences, and grounding decisions in user research.
The internet is a powerful tool, and I believe everyone should have the opportunity to use it—regardless of their circumstances. Accessibility and inclusion aren’t add-ons for me; they’re part of the foundation of good design. Mindful design gives us a way to make technology more forgiving, empowering, and fair.
Along the way, I’ve:
Spoken at events:
- How UX and game design can learn from each other
- Design 101 – Core UX principles for
devseveryone - Tales from a UX Veteran
Written for Adobe about applying Game design lessons into UX (2018)
Collaborated with IDEO in New York on human-centred innovation.
Introducing UX in Engineering and finance companies; building scalable design systems and guiding products from concept to launch.
Founded UX Notts (2016-2020), a community meetup for designers, researchers, and technologists.
Awards, including creating a tool for reporting harassment that went on to inspire local initiatives.
About this site
This is my little corner of the web, and it’s as eclectic as I am. You’ll find plenty of geekery here—mostly on UX, tech, and gaming—with a side of art eye candy to keep my soul smiling.
If that mix doesn’t suit, no worries: you can filter the content by category and dive into the topics that interest you most.