Hello,
I'm Stu

I improve the services provided by banks, investment platforms, insurers, and other types of financial services companies.

I do it by leading user-centred design teams, which I've done for 20 years.

We make financial services more accessible and relevant to consumers and intermediaries. That makes businesses more resilient and successful.

Here's what some people have said about that work.

I like to monitor emerging trends in financial services, and write about what I see.

Hello,
I'm Stu

I improve the services provided by banks, investment platforms, insurers, and other types of financial services companies.

I do it by leading user-centred design teams, which I've done for 20 years.

We make financial services more accessible and relevant to consumers and intermediaries. That makes businesses more resilient and successful.

Here's what some people have said about that work.

I like to monitor emerging trends in financial services, and write about what I see.

Experience

Experience Director

CXPartners (now part of Sopra Steria)

,

2018-present

Led a team of 25 user researchers, UX designers, service designers and UI designers, with responsibility for P&L, building capability, wellbeing, quality, business strategy, and planning.

Set vision for UX design in Financial Services – inspiring the team, building skills and insight, driving standards.

Championed using inclusive design to meet Consumer Duty obligations, address vulnerable customer needs, and solve complex user experience challenges in investing, insurance, and lending.

Shaped and steered programs that maximised the impact of design for large firms including NatWest, Hargreaves Lansdown, Cigna, AXA, and St James’s Place.

Experience Director

CXPartners (now part of Sopra Steria)

,

2018-present

Led a team of 25 user researchers, UX designers, service designers and UI designers, with responsibility for P&L, building capability, wellbeing, quality, business strategy, and planning.

Set vision for UX design in Financial Services – inspiring the team, building skills and insight, driving standards.

Championed using inclusive design to meet Consumer Duty obligations, address vulnerable customer needs, and solve complex user experience challenges in investing, insurance, and lending.

Shaped and steered programs that maximised the impact of design for large firms including NatWest, Hargreaves Lansdown, Cigna, AXA, and St James’s Place.

Experience Director

CXPartners (now part of Sopra Steria)

2018-present

Led a team of 25 user researchers, UX designers, service designers and UI designers, with responsibility for P&L, building capability, wellbeing, quality, business strategy, and planning.

Set vision for UX design in Financial Services – inspiring the team, building skills and insight, driving standards.

Championed using inclusive design to meet Consumer Duty obligations, address vulnerable customer needs, and solve complex user experience challenges in investing, insurance, and lending.

Shaped and steered programs that maximised the impact of design for large firms including NatWest, Hargreaves Lansdown, Cigna, AXA, and St James’s Place.

Design & Development Director

CXPartners

,

2016-18

Led community of practice, promoting agility and multidisciplinary collaboration (e.g. introducing user story mapping).

Ran and hosted meetups, published thought leadership and presented at conferences on unifying themes such as digital accessibility, inclusive design, user-centred agility, web performance and design systems.

Design & Development Director

CXPartners

,

2016-18

Led community of practice, promoting agility and multidisciplinary collaboration (e.g. introducing user story mapping).

Ran and hosted meetups, published thought leadership and presented at conferences on unifying themes such as digital accessibility, inclusive design, user-centred agility, web performance and design systems.

Design & Development Director

CXPartners

2016-18

Led community of practice, promoting agility and multidisciplinary collaboration (e.g. introducing user story mapping).

Ran and hosted meetups, published thought leadership and presented at conferences on unifying themes such as digital accessibility, inclusive design, user-centred agility, web performance and design systems.

Head of Development

CXPartners

,

2012-16

Developed centre of excellence in emerging fields of design systems, responsive design, and extensible, scalable CSS.

Embedded quality standards, including a coding style guide, web performance best practices, and WCAG guidelines.

Introduced continuous delivery workflow using Kanban, with automated tests integrated into the build pipeline.

Head of Development

CXPartners

,

2012-16

Developed centre of excellence in emerging fields of design systems, responsive design, and extensible, scalable CSS.

Embedded quality standards, including a coding style guide, web performance best practices, and WCAG guidelines.

Introduced continuous delivery workflow using Kanban, with automated tests integrated into the build pipeline.

Head of Development

CXPartners

2012-16

Developed centre of excellence in emerging fields of design systems, responsive design, and extensible, scalable CSS.

Embedded quality standards, including a coding style guide, web performance best practices, and WCAG guidelines.

Introduced continuous delivery workflow using Kanban, with automated tests integrated into the build pipeline.

Digital design agency founder

Block Interactive / Shopfront UI

,

2007-12

Co-founded and ran a digital agency, providing web design and build services for clients in the publishing industry.

Digital design agency founder

Block Interactive / Shopfront UI

,

2007-12

Co-founded and ran a digital agency, providing web design and build services for clients in the publishing industry.

Digital design agency founder

Block Interactive / Shopfront UI

2007-12

Co-founded and ran a digital agency, providing web design and build services for clients in the publishing industry.

Designer & front-end developer

Contractor

,

2002-07

Led teams designing and building websites for record labels, charities & publishing companies.

Designer & front-end developer

Contractor

,

2002-07

Led teams designing and building websites for record labels, charities & publishing companies.

Designer & front-end developer

Contractor

2002-07

Led teams designing and building websites for record labels, charities & publishing companies.

LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn profile

Recommendations

From clients and stakeholders

  • “Stu brings a rare combination of deep expertise in user-centred design and an acute understanding of what it takes to operate effectively within a regulated industry.“

    Tom Moss

    Hargreaves Lansdown

  • “Stu brings a rare combination of deep expertise in user-centred design and an acute understanding of what it takes to operate effectively within a regulated industry.“

    Tom Moss

    Head of UCD, Hargreaves Lansdown

  • “Stu brings a rare combination of deep expertise in user-centred design and an acute understanding of what it takes to operate effectively within a regulated industry.“

    Tom Moss

    Hargreaves Lansdown

  • “Wise words, a clear plan of action and a route forward plus his client experience FS knowledge and context is second to none!”

    Matt Hall

    Director of Digital Experience, St James’s Place

  • “Wise words, a clear plan of action and a route forward plus his client experience FS knowledge and context is second to none!”

    Matt Hall

    Director of Digital Experience, St James’s Place

  • “Wise words, a clear plan of action and a route forward plus his client experience FS knowledge and context is second to none!”

    Matt Hall

    Director of Digital Experience, St James’s Place

  • “He helped us navigate ambiguous regulatory requirements and urgent commercial challenges — collaborating seamlessly with our internal teams to deliver real, tangible outcomes: increased revenue and more informed, satisfied users.”

    Stephen Allen

    Head of Design, Confused.com

  • “He helped us navigate ambiguous regulatory requirements and urgent commercial challenges — collaborating seamlessly with our internal teams to deliver real, tangible outcomes: increased revenue and more informed, satisfied users.”

    Stephen Allen

    Head of Design, Confused.com

  • “He helped us navigate ambiguous regulatory requirements and urgent commercial challenges — collaborating seamlessly with our internal teams to deliver real, tangible outcomes: increased revenue and more informed, satisfied users.”

    Stephen Allen

    Head of Design, Confused.com

From colleagues

  • “Stu led the Financial services team at CXPartners when I was a part of it, and he was fantastic. His passion for the finance sector and making finance accessible to everyone shone through in his leadership approach.”

    Chloe Langan

    Chloe Langan, Senior Designer, Made Tech

  • “Stu led the Financial services team at CXPartners when I was a part of it, and he was fantastic. His passion for the finance sector and making finance accessible to everyone shone through in his leadership approach.”

    Chloe Langan

    Chloe Langan, Senior Designer, Made Tech

  • “Stu led the Financial services team at CXPartners when I was a part of it, and he was fantastic. His passion for the finance sector and making finance accessible to everyone shone through in his leadership approach.”

    Chloe Langan

    Chloe Langan, Senior Designer, Made Tech

  • “Stu's deep sense of integrity shines through in everything he does and is the reason he elevates the quality of the things he's working on and the people he's working with.”

    Giles Colborne

    Director of Strategy, Sopra Steria Next UK

  • “Stu's deep sense of integrity shines through in everything he does and is the reason he elevates the quality of the things he's working on and the people he's working with.”

    Giles Colborne

    Director of Strategy, Sopra Steria Next UK

  • “Stu's deep sense of integrity shines through in everything he does and is the reason he elevates the quality of the things he's working on and the people he's working with.”

    Giles Colborne

    Director of Strategy, Sopra Steria Next UK

  • “He cuts straight to the heart of a challenge, sets a clear direction, and then trusts the team to excel.”

    Ruth Limb

    Program Director, CXPartners

  • “He cuts straight to the heart of a challenge, sets a clear direction, and then trusts the team to excel.”

    Ruth Limb

    Program Director, CXPartners

  • “He cuts straight to the heart of a challenge, sets a clear direction, and then trusts the team to excel.”

    Ruth Limb

    Program Director, CXPartners

More nice words
More nice words
More nice words

My thinking

I like to monitor emerging trends in financial services. To help me make sense of it, I write about what I see. And I try and explain it to other people if it looks important.

I'm most interested in how emerging technologies and changing regulations can be harnessed to make things better for people.

I like to monitor emerging trends in financial services. To help me make sense of it, I write about what I see. I try and explain it to other people if it looks important.

I'm most interested in how emerging technologies and changing regulations can be harnessed to make things better for people.

My thinking

I like to monitor emerging trends in financial services. To help me make sense of it, I write about what I see. And I try and explain it to other people if it looks important.

I'm most interested in how emerging technologies and changing regulations can be harnessed to make things better for people.

Selected blogs

Published on my Medium account.

The curse of knowledge – ready to break the spell?

We’re all under a spell: we think that other people know what we know. There’s no shame in it, but it's holding Financial Services back. Here's a remedy.

The curse of knowledge – ready to break the spell?

We’re all under a spell: we think that other people know what we know. There’s no shame in it, but it's holding Financial Services back. Here's a remedy.

The curse of knowledge – ready to break the spell?

We’re all under a spell: we think that other people know what we know. There’s no shame in it, but it's holding Financial Services back. Here's a remedy.

Transforming advice with Open Finance: three UX strategies

Three UX strategies that will help you to integrate Open Finance into wealth, pensions, mortgages, or debt management advice services.

Transforming advice with Open Finance: three UX strategies

Three UX strategies that will help you to integrate Open Finance into wealth, pensions, mortgages, or debt management advice services.

Transforming advice with Open Finance: three UX strategies

Three UX strategies that will help you to integrate Open Finance into wealth, pensions, mortgages, or debt management advice services.

Push the button 1: a surprisingly small test, to keep your delivery train on the tracks

Who knew you could de-risk a software delivery plan so quickly and cheaply?

Push the button 1: a surprisingly small test, to keep your delivery train on the tracks

Who knew you could de-risk a software delivery plan so quickly and cheaply?

Push the button 1: a surprisingly small test, to keep your delivery train on the tracks

Who knew you could de-risk a software delivery plan so quickly and cheaply?

What’s delightful about sustainability regulation

New regulation is rarely described as delightful. That’s why many will miss the opportunity provided by new anti-greenwashing measures from the FCA.

What’s delightful about sustainability regulation

New regulation is rarely described as delightful. That’s why many will miss the opportunity provided by new anti-greenwashing measures from the FCA.

What’s delightful about sustainability regulation

New regulation is rarely described as delightful. That’s why many will miss the opportunity provided by new anti-greenwashing measures from the FCA.

Why are customers ignoring offers to help?

Financial services firms urgently need to talk to their most vulnerable customers. But often those customers don’t trust them enough to respond. How can you fix a broken dialogue?

Why are customers ignoring offers to help?

Financial services firms urgently need to talk to their most vulnerable customers. But often those customers don’t trust them enough to respond. How can you fix a broken dialogue?

Why are customers ignoring offers to help?

Financial services firms urgently need to talk to their most vulnerable customers. But often those customers don’t trust them enough to respond. How can you fix a broken dialogue?

It's time for a different approach to design in financial services

When risk of buyer's remorse is high, getting product selection right requires a different mentality and different tools from the 'don't make me think' approach that most UX follows.

It's time for a different approach to design in financial services

When risk of buyer's remorse is high, getting product selection right requires a different mentality and different tools from the 'don't make me think' approach that most UX follows.

It's time for a different approach to design in financial services

When risk of buyer's remorse is high, getting product selection right requires a different mentality and different tools from the 'don't make me think' approach that most UX follows.

Don't make identification your main vulnerability strategy

If you want best outcomes for more customers for less cost and risk, lay an inclusive baseline first. Too many firms get this wrong.

Don't make identification your main vulnerability strategy

If you want best outcomes for more customers for less cost and risk, lay an inclusive baseline first. Too many firms get this wrong.

Don't make identification your main vulnerability strategy

If you want best outcomes for more customers for less cost and risk, lay an inclusive baseline first. Too many firms get this wrong.

The rewards of solving knotty problems

Mojos can be found in unexpected places. If you’re at all inclined towards systems thinking, or love problem solving, or if you seek mastery and purpose then you should think about joining our Financial Services design team.

The rewards of solving knotty problems

Mojos can be found in unexpected places. If you’re at all inclined towards systems thinking, or love problem solving, or if you seek mastery and purpose then you should think about joining our Financial Services design team.

The rewards of solving knotty problems

Mojos can be found in unexpected places. If you’re at all inclined towards systems thinking, or love problem solving, or if you seek mastery and purpose then you should think about joining our Financial Services design team.

Exclusive design excludes real people

Consumers in vulnerable circumstances are not edge cases. The FCA believes that 50% of us may have a “vulnerability” affecting how we manage our money.

Exclusive design excludes real people

Consumers in vulnerable circumstances are not edge cases. The FCA believes that 50% of us may have a “vulnerability” affecting how we manage our money.

Exclusive design excludes real people

Consumers in vulnerable circumstances are not edge cases. The FCA believes that 50% of us may have a “vulnerability” affecting how we manage our money.

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