Matthew Cocker

Experience

Over the past 9 years I've worked across fintech, eCommerce, leisure, and transport. I've had the pleasure of collaborating and working alongside some incredible individuals and clients along the way.

I bring a hybrid skillset that spans discovery, research, and end-to-end design through to front-end delivery — and I'm most effective in teams where design and code need to speak the same language.

Accomplishments

• Re-architected Bright's Design System to support design efficiency, engineering hand-off, and accessibility at scale — leading to an 85% reduction in component detachment, 95% improvement in design-to-engineer hand-off efficiency.
• Led front-end development of an enterprise CMS re-platforming project for a major UK leisure chain.
• Designed an end-to-end solution that supports 1.5m S.E.N.D students in finding work experience placements with some of the UK's biggest employers.
• Designed a multi-layered SaaS solution for an Amazon #1 best-selling accountancy book that empowers finance professionals across the globe to price with confidence, using a customisable quote builder.
• Designed a bespoke logistics platform that processes the end-to-end delivery of 100,000s of orders per year, which is powering growth of 1200% for an industry-leading manufacturing business.

Motivators

I'm energised by complex problems that don't have obvious answers, and by the process of building trust and momentum around a shared vision. I care about making collaboration feel productive — helping stakeholders give feedback they feel confident in, and working closely with engineers and project managers to turn ideas into reality.

Advocating for users and championing accessibility aren't boxes I tick; they're central to how I think about what good work looks like. And I find real satisfaction in the craft side too — particularly in building Design Systems that give teams the tools to move faster and more consistently.

Philosophy

I believe design starts with presence — meeting people in their context, not mine. Designers are toolmakers, and the best tools come from questioning assumptions, defining the right problem, and staying curious enough to keep iterating. Failure is part of the method. Feedback is a gift. Play is serious work. I try to hold the bigger picture in view while staying grounded in the detail, knowing there's always more than one solution worth exploring.

And through all of it, the most important reminder I carry: I am not my user. Empathy isn't a soft skill — it's the difference between a product that works and one that resonates. Universal design isn't a constraint; it's just the ethical baseline. Good design belongs to everyone.

Out of hours

Designing and building at the intersection of AI, design systems and design operations.