Hello

I'm Fearghal. I design AI experiences for enterprise users of tax compliance software. It's more interesting than you'd think, and definately very rewarding.

I've spent 15 years working across retail, finance, and enterprise SaaS, designing for companies like Commonwealth Bank, MYOB, Lane Crawford, and InterNations. My work has reached millions of users, high-net-worth clients, and people who've never had access to financial services before.

Right now, I lead design strategy for Sovos in EMEA, where I'm trying to make indirect tax technology less painful for the people who have to use it every day.

How I Work

At MYOB, I was the only designer. I spent two years proving that design could actually move the needle. By the time I left, I'd hired a team of four and uncovered enough research insights to keep the company busy for years. One study in particular (looking at how people actually got started with the product) revealed service gaps nobody had noticed before.

I've lived and worked in seven countries, which has taught me there's rarely just one way to solve a problem. That perspective makes it easier to challenge assumptions, even uncomfortable ones, at any level of an organization.

I design research sessions that feel more like conversations than interrogations. When people are comfortable, they tell you what they actually think, not what they think you want to hear. I've run these sessions in Hong Kong, South Africa, Germany, New Zealand, and remotely across time zones.

About Portfolios

I don't have one here. Most of what I work on is confidential: banking platforms, tax software, enterprise systems. Not exactly portfolio material.

If you want to know how I work and what I've done, let's just talk. I can share relevant samples on a call. It's a better conversation anyway.

Side Projects

Since 2012, my wife and I have run Montessori Commons, a free resource for Montessori teachers. She writes the content, I build and maintain the site. It gets about 7,000 visitors a month, all organic. Building something niche and sustaining it for over a decade teaches you things you don't learn in product work.

Background

MSc in Leadership and Innovation (with distinction) from University of Dundee. BSc (Hons) in Design and Communication from Ulster University. Certified in Accessibility-First Design and as a Mental Health First Aider. Based in London (ish).

Let's talk. Coffee, virtual or in-person, your call.