Systems, people, and the spaces in between
Systems, people, and the spaces in between
Spoiler
Spoiler
01 / 07
Everything is a system.
Leadership taught me that every system needs to tell a story.
My work is to see what that story could become, and help the people inside it write a version that is more valuable, more resilient, and more enduring for everyone who builds it, and everyone it serves.
I work with startups and global corporations like Shell. Different scales. Different contexts. The same underlying challenge: building the capability to adapt.
I'm a maker who thinks strategically. So yes I'm still on tools where I need to be.
Technology changes constantly. Principles tend to endure.
Strategy isn't something I present. It's something I build. Whether it's an operating model, a leadership capability, a learning ecosystem, a framework, a podcast or a book, making ideas tangible is how I discover whether they're worth keeping.
I leave places in better shape than I found them. Commercially. Culturally. Structurally.
I live by my three E's: Experience, Expertise, and Enthusiasm. Like helium balloons, all three need regular topping up.
What the CV does not always show is that before all of this I was a session musician and a specialist in avionics test systems. Both taught me things no boardroom ever could. How to listen. How to work under pressure. How complex systems either hold together or quietly fail.
Get the structures and operating models right and culture is prepared to follow. Lasting change comes from building and nurturing people, teams and capabilities that can sustain it.
I am also a committed cocktail aficionado. Generally tequila based. For me it has always been about the complete experience. The glass. The aromas. The venue. The quality of the ingredients. Great cocktails, like great experiences, rarely succeed because of one thing alone. That instinct runs through everything I do.
Connery was Bond. Craig did well. The rest is detail.
My consultancy lives at experienceartisan.com.
The work moves you forward. My old site is here.
Everything is a system.
Leadership taught me that every system needs to tell a story.
My work is to see what that story could become, and help the people inside it write a version that is more valuable, more resilient, and more enduring for everyone who builds it, and everyone it serves.
I work with startups and global corporations like Shell. Different scales. Different contexts. The same underlying challenge: building the capability to adapt.
I’m a maker who thinks strategically. So yes I’m still on tools where I need to be.
Technology changes constantly. Principles tend to endure.
Strategy isn’t something I present. It’s something I build. Whether it’s an operating model, a leadership capability, a learning ecosystem, a framework, a podcast or a book, making ideas tangible is how I discover whether they’re worth keeping.
I leave places in better shape than I found them. Commercially. Culturally. Structurally.
I live by my three E’s: Experience, Expertise, and Enthusiasm. Like helium balloons, all three need regular topping up.
What the CV does not always show is that before all of this I was a session musician and a specialist in avionics test systems. Both taught me things no boardroom ever could. How to listen. How to work under pressure. How complex systems either hold together or quietly fail.
Get the structures and operating models right and culture is prepared to follow. Lasting change comes from building and nurturing people, teams and capabilities that can sustain it.
I am also a committed cocktail aficionado. Generally tequila based. For me it has always been about the complete experience. The glass. The aromas. The venue. The quality of the ingredients. Great cocktails, like great experiences, rarely succeed because of one thing alone. That instinct runs through everything I do.
Connery was Bond. Craig did well. The rest is detail.
My consultancy lives at experienceartisan.com.
The work moves you forward. My old site is here.
F.R.A.M.E.™
F.R.A.M.E.™
I created F.R.A.M.E.™ a governance-backed Design Thinking system supported by AI. It is the methodology that underpins everything I do through Experience Artisan.
F.R.A.M.E.™ was built because most design and transformation frameworks were not designed with accountability in mind. It brings structure, rigour and human judgement together in a way that holds up under scrutiny and scales with the organisation.
You can find out more about F.R.A.M.E.™ at experienceartisan.com.
I created F.R.A.M.E.™ a governance-backed Design Thinking system supported by AI. It is the methodology that underpins everything I do through Experience Artisan.
F.R.A.M.E.™ was built because most design and transformation frameworks were not designed with accountability in mind. It brings structure, rigour and human judgement together in a way that holds up under scrutiny and scales with the organisation.
You can find out more about F.R.A.M.E.™ at experienceartisan.com.
What's been said
What’s been said
Real feedback from people who trusted me to deliver.
Real feedback from people who trusted me to deliver.
David Stevens
Product, Experience & Service Design Leader and Coach
"Built one of the most talented, global design teams I’ve been a part of; from 3 to hundreds of multi disciplines in 5 years. Where the influence of design teams goes beyond look, feel and even experience, but informs strategy in key parts of the business. Knows who to partner with and how to get things done. One of the best examples of a true people-first leader I’ve experienced "
Dug Fulby
Service Design and Strategy Director
"Built a design culture, and robust communities of practise inside a global mega-corp. He has secret super powers that bridge technology, business and design. If I was a CEO at a global corp I’d want him on my c-suite"
Maya Sellon
Inclusive Design & Digital Accessibility. CPWA, CPACC, WAS-IAAP
"Joel shifted design from an externally sourced function to a thriving internal organisation of hundreds of practitioners across Asia, Europe, and North America, delivering millions in cost savings"
Robert Powell
Product and Service Design strategist
"I keep a very small, very selective list of people I would work with again regardless of money. He sits at the very top of that list. When people talk about Design leaders who genuinely enable and improve businesses, he’s the face I see."
Abhai Bhargava
Senior Delivery Manager - Shell
"He introduced Experience Design into the vocabulary of Shell. One of the most experienced and capable design leaders that I know of. The volume and talent of the multi disciplined capability he built is truly amazing"
Stuart Preece
UI / UX / Product designer / Mover of pixels
"Without a shadow of doubt one of the most inspirational people that I have been fortunate to work with in my career. He not only understands the value of design, but also has the skill to take that and build a community of like-minded people around him to make it a reality"
Jag Sira
Founder & Creative Director at Studio Jag Sihra
"He takes on the most complex tasks and makes them appear effortless. As a colleague he was always considerate and humble - always willing to go the extra mile to get the job done whilst being mindful of others' needs. I have no hesitation in recommending both him and his work."
Daniel Gower
Programme Director
"Joel is one of the rare breed that possess really strong perception, coupled with a client-friendly insight that combine to bring sense and logic to the most complex of digital projects."
Hakan Gonen, Ph.D.
Service Design strategy
"I highly recommend Joel for his outstanding leadership and maturity in advancing Design practices. His contributions have been invaluable, and any organization would greatly benefit from his expertise and guidance."
Irina Damascan
Innovation Strategist. Mobility expert
"Joel is an inspirational leader. He’s taking storytelling to the level of art and gives intentional insights and masterful diplomacy in handling the most complex stakeholder relationships. After being in leadership courses on the design executives of organizations of the future (DEO’s), I got to meet one in person."
Stories That Matter
Stories That Matter
DHABA is my podcast, though it has grown into something more than that. It is part of a broader passion for building community and creating spaces where remarkable stories get told. From Michelin starred chefs to Premier League football agents, from teenagers striving to become F1 drivers to leaders reshaping industries. DHABA exists for the people whose craft speaks louder than their credentials.
DHABA is my podcast, though it has grown into something more than that. It is part of a broader passion for building community and creating spaces where remarkable stories get told. From Michelin starred chefs to Premier League football agents, from teenagers striving to become F1 drivers to leaders reshaping industries. DHABA exists for the people whose craft speaks louder than their credentials.
Thinking
Thinking
Sharing knowledge and contributing to communities that matter has always been central to how I work. Alongside the podcast I write and curate content across Substack, LinkedIn and Medium, building a wider ecosystem of ideas and conversation. Some long-form provocations, as well as industry perspectives and reflections that sit at the intersection of design, AI and the systems we build.
This summer I am releasing my first book — a Kindle edition exploring how the people who truly drive change are so often written out of the story. Available soon.
Sharing knowledge and contributing to communities that matter has always been central to how I work. Alongside the podcast I write and curate content across Substack, LinkedIn and Medium, building a wider ecosystem of ideas and conversation. Some long-form provocations, as well as industry perspectives and reflections that sit at the intersection of design, AI and the systems we build.
This summer I am releasing my first book — a Kindle edition exploring how the people who truly drive change are so often written out of the story. Available soon.
More Flavour
More Flavour
Before the strategy and the frameworks, there was music. There still is. Here's my studio below. It's taken years to put together. My latest project is to find interesting footage. Strip the audio completely, then write and record entirely new music. No samples. No shortcuts. Every note composed and played from scratch. The visuals belong to their creators. The music is mine.
Before the strategy and the frameworks, there was music. There still is. Here’s my studio below. It’s taken years to put together. My latest project is to find interesting footage. Strip the audio completely, then write and record entirely new music. No samples. No shortcuts. Every note composed and played from scratch. The visuals belong to their creators. The music is mine.
Blade
Existing footage. Every note replaced. A new score built from scratch — layered, cinematic, entirely original.
King
The visuals stayed. The music started over. A composition written to the picture, not borrowed from it.
Work with me
Work with me
All engagements run through Experience Artisan, my consultancy. You will find everything you need there: the services, the methodology, the sector experience and how we get things done.
All engagements run through Experience Artisan, my consultancy. You will find everything you need there: the services, the methodology, the sector experience and how we get things done.
