Hi, I'm Mikey, a freelance interaction and service designer who loves design, people, and good coffee. I’ve been doing this for nearly 20 years, leading design work across the public & private sectors on all sorts of projects — from the NHS and HMRC to DWP, DEFRA, FCA, Sky Bet, British Airways, Royal Mail, AstraZeneca, Sky Sports, Argos, Jet2… and yes, probably a few I’ve forgotten. These days, I’m Lead Interaction Designer at DWP. I’ve worked as both a contractor and permanent team member, always slotting in smoothly and delivering genuinely useful services that deliver. Day-to-day, I’m all about making complex things simple and championing user-centred design, which usually includes: • Interaction design & prototyping (Figma, HTML/CSS/JavaScript) • Service mapping & user journey definition • Accessibility, design systems & aligning teams around a shared UX vision • Leading services from discovery to live, I've worked on all phases and got the Assessment badges • Line management & coaching for design teams I’m known for being the calm one in the room, turning policy and complexity into services that actually work for real people. I love sharing what I’ve learned — offering mentoring and career support for designers and creative folks who need a bit of a boost (or just someone to bounce things off of). Whether it’s tackling burnout, building confidence or figuring out your next move, I’m always up for a chat. I am available for freelance UX, interaction, and service design contracts and am always up for a chat about mentoring, coaching, or design leadership. Check out my work at www.michaelcattell.com or drop me a line: hello@michaelcattell.com. Selected achievements: • Led the design and national rollout of a politically charged welfare service, uniting teams to create an innovative digital experience for transitioning from old benefits to new systems • Grew a team of 40+ designers — rewriting career paths and launching an Academy training program • Designed the first DWP design system, delivering consistent experiences across government services • At FCA, led the first design system and design principles — securing buy-in and bridging design and development • Improved NHS patient record accuracy (mobile numbers, email addresses) — boosting data integrity nationally • At DEFRA, designed a digital service to complement phone-based support, enhancing inclusivity and environmental response efforts • Established new ways of working at Sky Bet, fostering collaboration and industry-leading web apps • Led design for two Apple-featured iOS apps