Ben Ellis - Design Systems & UX Consultant
Freelance UX designer helping brands design faster, more consistently and with measurable results, through design systems, AI-assisted workflows and data-driven UX.
Highlights
Highlights
Expertise
- 25+ years in digital - Combining UX design with a front and back-end development background.
- Design systems - From early UI libraries to co-architecting and now owning a 13-brand design system for Greene King.
- AI-assisted design in practice - Audited and documented a production design system with the Figma Agent, and built working Figma Make prototypes with dynamic data.
- Data-driven UX and CRO -Designs test variants with CRO specialists and data analysts, from hypothesis to results.
- Industry sectors - From luxury fashion (Mulberry, Carolina Herrera, Moncler) to Nokia's network engineering tools and a hospitality platform behind 1,000+ venues.
- Trusted lead and mentor - Presents to stakeholders up to C-suite, onboards designers across agencies, and mentored for Designlab. Published in Design Systems Collective, Bootcamp and Prototypr.
Key Skills
- Design systems - Token and variable architecture, multi-brand theming and modes, responsive components, slots, documentation and governance. Figma; previously Sketch.
- AI-assisted workflows - Figma Agent for audits and documentation; Figma Make for working prototypes, acceptance criteria and test scripts; Claude and ChatGPT.
- Design and UX - End-to-end UX: research, strategy, journeys, IA, wireframes, prototypes and usability testing. Figma.
- Research and CRO - A/B testing, usability testing, analytics (GA4, Contentsquare, Clarity, Hotjar), competitor research.
- Delivery - Agile, waterfall and continuous improvement. Azure DevOps, Jira, Confluence, Miro.
- Technical foundation - HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, WordPress. A developer's eye for feasibility and handover.
Tools/Process
Analytics
Analytics
Analytics
Personas
User Journeys
Sitemaps
Wireframes
Figma
Prototyping
Maze
Optimizely
Confluence
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
PHP
WordPress
Select Testimonials
Joana Flor
Senior Interactive Producer, MPC
"Ben's input on the project was absolutely essential. He is a dream to work with: great attitude and a totally expert in his craft. He makes the UX design process attainable to client and team. Can't rate him enough. I'm looking forward to working back together."
Ben Bashford
Group Director of Experience Design, Critical Mass
“Ben was the first freelance hire I made at a new job. He not only delivered work that was above and beyond the quality expected of him but also actively improved our relationship with a key client. Incredibly professional, diligent and craft-driven, I'd jump at having him back on my team.”
Andrew Cowley
Growth Strategy and Innovation
"I can recommend him very highly. He is very conscientious and attentive to detail around design itself, but also has a bigger-picture view of what we were trying to achieve as a business. Great client communication skills, and also a good guy to have around on the team for long stints on client site."
Nine 'Fun' Facts
For those who want to find out what else makes me tick.
#1 - Travel
I love to travel and experience new cultures, so much so that I married a Brazilian and spent the past 10 years visiting Brazil and learning Portuguese.
#2 - Fitness
I'm an active person, whether that's going to the gym, pool or running. Here's a picture of my trainers to prove it!
#3 - Surfing
I'm obsessed with surfing, stand-up paddling, open-water swimming, anything that keeps me in the water for as long as possible.
#4 - Surf-skating
When I can't be in the water, this is the next best thing.
#5 - I'm Social
No, I don't mean I'm on social media, whether it's at the counter in the supermarket or boarding a plane to somewhere tropical, I love a bit of small talk!
#6 - Guitar
I've been playing the guitar since I was about 14 and still love picking it up, whether it's plugged-in or an accoustic.
#7 - Music Production
Bored with the monotony of life in lockdown, I taught myself the basics of music production. Endless YouTube tutorials and a few indulgent spends on Amazon, I've produced a number of tracks.
Check out my music website and SoundCloud.
#8 - Cooking & Craft Beer
I love food, cooking and craft beer. I occasionally attempt to brew my own (with only the one explosion to date).
#9 - Street Art
Street art, graffiti, call it what you want, I dig it. São Paulo has some of my favourite pieces.