Head of Product Design · FTSE100 · educator · org-builder
A design leader with an engineering background, working on team building, design systems and how AI is actually used in the work
⸻ I also run a design school for +4,500 designers across thirty countries
Twelve years leading design across agencies and in-house. Currently Head of Product Design at The Times and The Sunday Times in London. Before that, EE, part of BT Group, leading design vision and innovation labs.
Companies I’ve worked with
Define what good means
I spend the first weeks understanding the product, the business, and what people want from it, because that is what tells me which problem I am actually looking at.
Define / Clear / Guide / Scale framework at Cazoo
Principal Designer profession at EE
95% accessibility score
Agreements, not process
A process describes what people should do. An agreement describes what they can expect from each other, and it survives a moved deadline.
Four design agreements at The Times
9-document design handbook
Career framework from junior to principal
The team owns the work
The team owns the day-to-day decisions and the accountability with them. Most of my job is guiding: opening paths and asking questions that show someone a door they haven't tried.
Strategic decisions sit with me
Delivery decisions with the team
Shared accountability, empowering designers
Report what design is learning
Design that only surfaces with finished work gets read as a cost. Reporting weekly on what the team is learning is the cheapest way I have found to change that.
Weekly design digest to product and exec
Monthly review in front of the executive
Design community engagement from 22% to 80% at EE
Build it to last beyond me
What continues after I leave matters more to me than what ships while I am there, so things get documented, owned by name, and made for whoever inherits them.
The Rolls-Royce design system still runs the live website years later
A year after I left EE, the homepage runs on the design language I defined
Testimonials
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What it's like to work with me, in the words of people who have.
VP Technology
"He has ideas, passion and an openness to challenge. He has also not shied away from the really difficult decisions: restructuring and changing ways of working."
Design Director
"One of the most exceptional design leaders I've ever encountered. His ability to blend visionary leadership with an unparalleled level of craft and product design expertise truly sets him apart."
Lead Product Designer
"AJ has a remarkable ability to tackle challenges head-on while bringing others along for the journey. He didn't just guide me; he invested in my growth. He leads with empathy, clarity, and a vision that brings out the best in his team."
Principal Product Manager
"He brings genuine AI-native advocacy, and it makes sure our ways of working keep up with our peers in the industry. The adoption of Figma Make is a standout example, as is the emphasis on research, prototyping and pace."
Principal Product Designer
"There's really good design, which is not an easy find to start with, and there's AJ level of great design. He is honest, direct and very driven, and he is very knowledgeable in organisational leadership, strategic thinking and product delivery."
Head of BA
"Sitting outside the design team, I have a lot of awareness of what they are working on through the demos and the design digest. He balances the short-term impact of the team with the long-term strategy brilliantly, and will always bring honesty to a conversation."
Speaking
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Talks on design leadership, quality, and AI in design. Available to speak.
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hi@apparicio.com
Writing
[03]
design.inbox, my personal newsletter on design, craft, photography and creativity. Written in Portuguese, for over 2,000 subscribers.
Ventures
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What I build outside the day job.