Home :: Richard Sparey

Richard Sparey

Player-coach design leader. Architecting complex enterprise software.

I lead multidisciplinary design and research teams while staying hands-on in the tools. From tokenised design systems and agentic workflows to high-stakes B2B platforms, I turn technical complexity into clear, usable software.

20+ years of experience Enterprise SaaS E-commerce Connected Hardware Congleton, UK 🇬🇧 info@richardsparey.com

My core strengths

Coaching & leadership

Leading senior designers and researchers. I focus on sharpening critical thinking, establishing rigorous critique rhythms, and giving talented people the autonomy and clarity they need to excel.

Hands-on complex problem-solving.

Whether embedded in a sprint team or untangling legacy workflows solo, I turn messy, highly regulated business logic into straightforward, human-friendly tools.

Scalable system architecture.

Hands-on in the tools. I build and govern tokenised, enterprise-grade design systems in Figma and code—eliminating technical debt, accelerating engineering handoffs, and ending component sprawl.

Pioneering next-gen product lifecycles.

Partnering to architect the shift toward agentic product development and defining the experiences where autonomous systems augment human workflows reliably and transparently.

What it’s actually like to work with me.

Words from the teams I've led and built with

“Richard is both a strong design leader and a highly skilled practitioner.”

"He struck the right balance between guiding the team’s direction and empowering us to experiment and deliver with confidence. Beyond setting principles and rituals, he played a central role in shaping our design system, token structure, and colour palette to ensure scalability across the platform."

Raphael Diftopoulos // Senior Product Designer // 90POE

“A go-to person whenever we faced tough UX or complex product decisions.”

"Richard was always on point—delivering high-quality design work, challenging assumptions, and constantly pushing for innovation. His ability to combine user research, design thinking, and leadership consistently stepped up complex initiatives under tight deadlines."

Alin Stanescu // Technical Product Manager // 90POE

“A remarkable ability to translate business requirements into functional, intuitive UI.”

"He deeply understands business requirements and translates them into intuitive, visually appealing, and highly functional interfaces—always on time and with great attention to detail. He brings positivity, collaboration, and empathy to every project."

Luca Segafredo // Tech Owner // 90POE

“Always pushing what’s possible, but pragmatic about what is achievable in an MVP.”

"A detail-focused designer with a keen understanding of digital, mobile, and physical product design. He combines high ambition with real-world technical pragmatism."

Paul Marden // CEO // Carbon Six Digital

“He leads by example, setting a high bar for craft while remaining supportive.”

"He’s been a huge influence on the designer I am today. As Lead Designer, he driven the team to become more consistent with our design system while offering weekly constructive guidance that pushed our skills and critical thinking."

Hannah Munt // Mid Weight Product Designer // 90POE