Matt Pearce
Creative Director & UX/UI Designer
Over 20 years designing products, brands and experiences that genuinely work – from apps used by millions to award-winning rebrands for some of the world's most recognised organisations.
Profile
I work at the intersection of craft and strategy – equally comfortable setting the creative direction for an entire product as I am pixel-pushing in Figma. My background spans UI/UX design, product design, creative direction, graphic design, branding, illustration, and animation, delivered across digital products, apps, games, websites, and print.
Throughout my career I've built and managed design teams, mentored junior designers, and worked closely with developers, strategists, and senior stakeholders to ship work that makes a genuine difference. I believe the best design comes from listening carefully, thinking clearly, and never treating good enough as good enough.
I've worked across healthcare, education, gaming, finance, travel, and the public sector. Notable clients include the BBC, NHS, The Metropolitan Police, Hays Travel, National Geographic, CBBC, Cbeebies, Channel 4, TOPPS, Deloitte, and the University of Sheffield.
On AI
I'm not afraid of AI – I think that's the wrong instinct entirely. The designers who will thrive over the next decade are those who learn to work with it fluently, not those who treat it as a threat to be ignored. In the right hands, AI accelerates everything: ideation, iteration, production, copy, code. In the wrong hands, it produces mediocre work at mediocre speed.
What AI can't replicate is judgement – knowing what a brief actually needs, when a design direction is truly right rather than just technically competent, and how to push work beyond the expected. Those are skills built over years of practice, failure, and client work. AI sharpens the tools; it doesn't replace the person holding them.
Used well, AI allows a single designer to operate at the output level of a much larger team, without the overhead. That's a genuine competitive advantage – for clients who get better work faster, and for studios that can stay lean without compromising quality. I see it as one of the most significant shifts in how design gets made in my career, and I'd rather be leading that shift than catching up with it.
Experience
Lead designer across a portfolio of software projects, websites and applications in both the public and private sector. Responsible for end-to-end UX/UI design from research and wireframing through to high-fidelity delivery.
Lead designer for games, software, apps and websites, collaborating with developers, 3D artists, writers and clients to create rich, engaging user experiences for children and young audiences worldwide.
Responsible for developing and executing creative concepts across marketing and web solutions for leading pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. Managed the design team and collaborated closely with client services and technology to ensure outstanding creative was realised and delivered.
Led design across cross-platform digital and print material. Produced static visuals, functioning HTML mock-ups, wireframes, prototypes, and UI/UX design for a broad range of clients including the BBC, NHS, and the Metropolitan Police.
Skills
Software
Education
| Course | Level | Date | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Design | Degree | June 1995 | 2.1 |
| Graphic Design | BTEC Diploma in Design | June 1992 | Distinction |
| Art & Design | GCSE | July 1988 | A |
| Design Technology | GCSE | July 1988 | B |
| Media Studies | GCSE | July 1988 | B |
| Graphical Communications | GCSE | July 1988 | B |
| Photography | GCSE | July 1988 | B |
| Maths | CEE | July 1989 | C |
| Business Studies | GCSE | July 1988 | C |
| Photography | GCSE | July 1988 | C |
| English | GCSE | July 1989 | D |