Portrait of Tom Mearns

    Building clarity from complexity.

    I'm an Interaction Design Consultant specialising in user experience (UX), prototyping, and complex digital services.

    I have 25 years of digital design experience, with the past 12 spent delivering services for government organisations including the Home Office, HM Passport Office, UK Export Finance, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). I focus on clarifying complex journeys, building fast and accurate, production-like prototypes using the GOV.UK Prototype Kit and Design System, and supporting multidisciplinary teams to make confident, evidence-based decisions.

    Before my government work, I spent more than a decade in agencies and creative studios, designing websites, digital campaigns, interactive microsites, and early 2D motion work. My experience ranged from visual design and brand systems to rich interactive content and animation, including Flash-based projects. This blend of creative craft and user-centred problem-solving gives me a balanced, practical approach to modern service delivery.

    I've recently been developing anAI-enhanced workflowusing tools such as Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini 3, and ChatGPT, enabling faster prototyping, clearer documentation, and more efficient exploration of design solutions.

    Across every project, my aim is simple: create services that are clear, accessible, and grounded in real user needs.

    Core Capabilities

    Policy into product

    Turning complex requirements and business rules into simple, linear user journeys. I synthesize requirements, SME input, and user research to create logical flows.

    Visualising the problem

    I map out the journey first. I use screen flows to define the logic and high-fidelity designs to verify the content. This aligns the team on the solution before we commit to code.

    Inclusive design

    Designing to WCAG 2.2 AA standards by default. I ensure services work for everyone, including users with assistive technologies, low literacy, or low digital confidence.

    Code-based prototyping

    Building production-ready prototypes in the GOV.UK Prototype Kit using GOV.UK Design System patterns and components. I test logic early, reducing risk before engineering handover.

    AI-accelerated delivery

    Leveraging an AI-enhanced workflow for rapid flow modelling. This allows me to iterate at speed, refining the solution logic to ensure the highest quality output.

    Visual craft

    Bringing over a decade of high-end design principles to government work. I ensure services aren't just compliant – they are clear, simple, and easy to use.

    Technical Stack

    Design

    • Figma
    • Sketch
    • Adobe Creative Suite
    • Mural / Miro

    Prototyping

    • GOV.UK Prototype Kit
    • HTML / CSS / JS
    • Axure
    • Invision

    AI workflow

    • Cursor
    • Github Copilot
    • Gemini
    • ChatGPT

    Delivery

    • Agile / Scrum
    • Jira / Confluence
    • Service Assessments