Formal education supercharged by
real world experience
Harry is nothing short of an exceptional design talent. He is entrepreneurial, collaborative, and an asset to any organisation lucky enough to have him.
— What
4 year programme
Education and real-world application
22 design modules
7 international clients
Strengthened problem-solving, confidence, and technical mastery
— How
Unfiltered access
Daily 1-1 mentorship and guidance
Hands-on experience with real clients, projects, and software
Structured bi-monthly sprints at university
Coaching and career strategy
Shared collaborative office space
🏆 Outcomes
Harry’s mentorship journey led to him to achieving a First-Class Honours degree with distinction, and now becoming a highly compensated, independent design consultant. His network expanded, unlocking collaborations with elite designers and new opportunities.
Together, we mastered 10x delivery and built the profile of a high-performance design duo, proving the impact of structured, hands-on coaching.
From humble beginnings
In April 2020, during the first COVID-19 lockdown, Chancellor Rishi Sunak stood before Parliament and announced measures to support British businesses. One of these initiatives aimed to upskill an entire generation through digital apprenticeships.
I recognised this as an opportunity to share my expertise.
I invited Harry, a family friend, to shadow me while I was consulting at Tesco. Harry had no formal experience with the digital world but was ambitious, curious, and a blank slate.
After our first week together, Harry was hooked. We secured his place at Manchester Metropolitan University, which would blend formal education with hands-on experience, laying the foundation for his design career.
Hours of collaboration
Global clients
Design disciplines learned
Designers worked with
Partnering with Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University provided Harry a rigorous academic framework, combining design theory with hands-on industry exposure. The programme ensured structured learning with week long sprints, on-site in Manchester, every 8-weeks.
Academic outline
Integrated academic study with practical application
Structured mentorship and performance reviews
Skills coaching aligned with industry best practices
Portfolio-building and real-world project assessments
Learning from real clients in real time
Over four years, Harry had unfiltered access, working with seven of my personal clients across industries including, data, mobility, sport, fintech, and energy; gaining hands-on experience in the full end-to-end of design disiplines, including, research and strategy, service design, product design, user experience, design systems and interface design.
Exposure to both startups and global corporations sharpened Harry's ability to adapt, problem-solve, and deliver impactful design in high-stakes environments. Designers we've collaborated with estimate Harrys experience has given him a career jump of approximatley 10 years.
Designing the foundations
Mastering the basics
Before stepping into client facing work, Harry focused on learning the fundamentals, understanding how design works at scale within organisations, mastering industry-standard software, and observing how to manage stakeholders.
He learned how to facilitate collaboration, plan and execute projects, and contribute to key deliverables like journey maps, prototypes, and design systems, skills that became critical to his later success.
Stepping into the spotlight
As Harry’s expertise grew, he transitioned into a client-facing role at BP, supported by experienced leadership and a hugely talented design team who bought into our vision.
This engagement expanded his network, he delivered service excellence, mapping an end-to-end fleet management programme, and refining his soft skills. He later led workshops and presented to over 100 cross-fuctional colleagues, gaining confidence in high-profile environments.
Freelance Projects
Beyond structured learning and corporate clients, Harry and I worked on highly compensated freelance projects, including:
Gamification of a crypto exchange platform
At Coingen, we enhanced design maturity creating accessible design systems and prototypes to empower novice and professional traders.
Product design for retail innovation in Africa
At Uzapoint, we refined end-to-end retail experience through collaborative research, service and product design winning awards for innovation.
Moving money without borders app
We delivered a global money transfer app by conducting user research, polishing design systems, and journey mapping for iterative prototyping.
Becoming a strategic designer
Understanding and using service design
Beyond UX, Harry learnt and applied design strategy, utilising skills from his MMU apprenticeship and my mentorship to tackle complex challenges. He employed methods like user research, service prototyping, and journey mapping across projects at British Gas and BP. This enabled him to deliver accessible, user-centred services, demonstrating practical application of theory to create services grounded in real-world research, scenarios, and user needs.
Applying academic theory
Harry consistently applied the academic theory gained from his MMU apprenticeship to practical design challenges. He translated theoretical frameworks into actionable solutions, enhancing project outcomes through evidence-based insights.
This included applying user-centred design principles, ethical considerations, and systematic UX methods, ensuring that theoretical learning directly informed his design processes across projects.
Working with design leaders
Harry developed significantly by learning from experienced design leaders, translating mentorship into practical leadership skills. Huge thanks to Tom Edward Lane, Ed Santana, Steve Wood, Rodger Rohatgi and The Bro's for believing in our vision and buying into our mission.
Working alongside these design leaders enabled Harry to refine his soft skills like stakeholder management, storytelling of insights, and confidently apply design principles across projects.
Outcomes
Graduating with a First Class Honors with Distinction
Harry graduated his apprenticeship degree with the best mark possible. His rapid career progression represents around ten years of typical design experience. Now an independent design consultant, Harry tackles some of the world's toughest challenges, designing solutions and receiving remuneration that truly reflects his exceptional talent.
"I gained years of experience working with some of the best designers in the industry. Sitting by Ross’s side every day, I learned from the very best - he was patient, open to all my questions, and truly invested in my growth. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat."
I can help you become a better designer.
Shape your path.
Master your craft.
Lead with confidence.
Mentoring options
Strengthen your portfolio and position yourself for better opportunities.
Gain feedback and refine your design process with expert guidance.
Learn how to stand out, network, and secure your next role.
Define your growth path and transition into more strategic roles.
Develop the skills to lead projects, mentor others, and drive impact.
Elevate your thinking, improve collaboration, and make stronger design decisions.
Develop executive presence, lead with confidence, and drive business success.
Gain clarity in high-stakes decisions and navigate complexity with precision.
Influence, motivate, and align teams with clear, compelling leadership.
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