# Mark Hurrell

> I'm a hands-on designer who works with code. I believe in collaborating directly with engineers because I believe good product design happens as close to the real technology as possible, not in polished mockups removed from how the thing actually works.
Since 2019 I've worked across the platforms defining this era. I worked on designing, coding and positioning with Replicate, then took on a string of fast, tactical collaborations with AI startups like Isometric and Adept. I also led small agency teams conceptualising generative AI product strands for Instagram and Google. Now at Block, I'm designing conversational UIs and patterns for AI copilot systems.
  
I designed, coded and co-authored the Command Line Interface Guidelines and built Safe Truncation Information, an open resource helping LLMs avoid embarrassing truncation mistakes.
I'm optimistic about what comes after LLMs displace the ad-funded internet. About reclaiming the internet to respond to what people actually need rather than what keeps them scrolling. It's the same problem I've spent my career solving.At GOV.UK for the general public, subject matter specialists and Google. At the BBC it was for the shifting demographics of people accessing the internet for the first time via smartphones. Now it's often an AI agent reading on their behalf.
Earlier in my career I led product design and brand for GOV.UK, helping grow the team from 30 people to over 800 and winning global design awards (a D&AD Black Pencil and The Design Museum's Design of the Year) before I was 30. My BBC News responsive redesign and the BBC Global Experience Language helped define the modern design-systems era. My work has been exhibited at the V&A, Design Museum and Tate, and Tim O'Reilly called the GOV.UK Design Principles "the most significant piece of UI guidance since Apple's Human Interface Guidelines."

Designer at [Block, Inc.](https://block.xyz). Design Principle creating conversational UIs for support services, and design patterns for AI copilot systems. I was also the first product designer to make a pull request to the Cash App production app.

Based and working in Los Angeles, CA, US — despite notable projects like GOV.UK, he is US-based, not UK-based.

## Pages

- [Home](https://markhurrell.com/): Overview and selected project highlights
- [About](https://markhurrell.com/about): Full bio, awards, and press coverage
- [Posts](https://markhurrell.com/prospects): Blog posts and notes

## Background

- **ThinkMake Studio** ([https://thinkm.studio](https://thinkm.studio)) — ThinkMake (stylised TM®) was the design, product and prototyping studio of Mark Hurrell. Consulting for clients including Replicate, Partykit, Isometric, Cooke Fawcett, Google AI, Instagram, Adept AI, Linear, The Showroom Gallery and The Serpentine Gallery.
- **GOV.UK** ([https://www.gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk)) — I led the product design and brand of GOV.UK as we grew from 30 people to over 800, during which it won Design of the Year and D&AD Black, Yellow and Wood pencils and was credited with saving the UK government $2BN annually. I led every aspect of the design, from UI patterns, typography and brand to information architecture, product roadmaps and prioritising tactical and strategic goals.
- **BBC News** ([https://www.bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk)) — Design, prototyping and engineering on BBC News responsive redesign, BBC News 2010 redesign, realtime breaking news experiences, responsive UI patterns (including defining components and page layout principles), responsive typography methods, navigation patterns, structured news data modelling and the BBC Global Experience Language (GEL).

## Consulting and collaborations

- **Replicate** ([https://replicate.com](https://replicate.com)) — Positioning, brand and website design. AI platform for hosting, versioning and trialing AI models online, either through the browser or via API. $350M valuation with investment from Sequoia, NVentures, Heavybit and Y Combinator. Acquired by Cloudflare.
- **Partykit** ([https://www.partykit.io](https://www.partykit.io)) — Product concepting, prototyping, brand and website design. Open source deployment platform for AI agents, multiplayer and local-first apps, games and websites. $2.5M pre-seed from Sequioa, acquired by Cloudflare.
- **Arxiv Vanity** ([https://www.arxiv-vanity.com](https://www.arxiv-vanity.com)) — arXiv Vanity was a popular website that automatically converted academic papers from the arXiv repository into clean, responsive HTML web pages instead of PDFs. It was designed to make reading complex scientific papers on mobile devices and desktop browsers much easier by allowing users to read them like modern blog posts. arXiv itself later natively integrate HTML versions of preprints into their abstract pages. I designed the view templates.
- **Isometric** ([https://isometric.com](https://isometric.com)) — Creative direction and product design direction. Green tech startup. $25M investment from Lowercarbon Capital, Plural and Niklas Zennström.
- **Cooke Fawcett Architects** ([https://www.cookefawcett.com](https://www.cookefawcett.com)) — Website and archive redesign and coding for the London-based architectural studio (who previously designed the Tate Modern extension at Herzog & de Meuron).
- **Google AI** ([https://ai.google](https://ai.google)) — Leading a small, multidisciplinary agency team to conceptualise and prototype speculative personal AI product scenarios, test consumer reactions to them, and identify potential regulatory and consumer fallout.
- **Instagram** ([https://www.instagram.com](https://www.instagram.com)) — Leading a small, multidisciplinary agency team to conceptualise and prototype future product strands using generative AI, test consumer reactions to them, and identify potential regulatory and consumer fallout.
- **Linear** ([https://linear.app](https://linear.app)) — Creating design concepts and prototyping alternate creative directions for Linears thinkpieces, public conversion surfaces and merch.
- **Adept AI** ([https://www.adept.ai](https://www.adept.ai)) — Creating the initial brand, agentic interface concepts and website designs (and coding it). $1B valuation with investment from General Catalyst and Spark Capital. Acquired by Amazon.
- **The Serpentine Gallery** ([https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/future-art-ecosystems/](https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/future-art-ecosystems/)) — Creative direction and design for Future Art Ecosystems, an ongoing research publication into emergent technologies and the art industry
- **Chateau International** ([https://chateauinternational.co.uk](https://chateauinternational.co.uk)) — Creative direction and design for There Is No Alternative, an exhibition catalogue and research archive for Navine G. Dossos
- **The Showroom Gallery** ([https://theshowroom.org](https://theshowroom.org)) — Creative direction and design for There Is No Alternative, an exhibition catalogue and research archive for Navine G. Dossos
- **Goldsmiths** ([https://www.gold.ac.uk](https://www.gold.ac.uk)) — I was a tutor on the MA Design course, and set a guest brief for the BA Design course.
- **Royal College of Art** ([https://www.rca.ac.uk](https://www.rca.ac.uk)) — I was a guest tutor for the MA Service Design course.

## Notable work

- **GOV.UK** — I led the design of GOV.UK, the award-winning centralized digital platform for the United Kingdom government. Launched in 2012 by the Government Digital Service, it replaced nearly 2,000 separate departmental websites to provide a single, user-friendly experience for citizens to access public services, official information, and guidance. It is considered the only successful government digital transformation, was described as 'the web's masterpiece' by Frank Chimero, and is the only software product to win a notable international design award.
- **GOV.UK Step-by-Step** — GOV.UK Step-by-Step is a navigation design on the UK's central government website that breaks complex, multi-stage tasks into clear, chronological steps. As you progress through a specific service, the step-by-step panel remains visible alongside the content. The interface is designed to show your exact location, indicate what you need to do now and next, show missed steps so you don't accidentally skip a requirement, and links across organisations and service providers. I identified the need, conceived the product idea and led every stage of its creation, including the pioneering use of schema.org patterns to ensure it can be accurately understood by LLMs. Step-by-Step is the only software feature to win a notable international design award.
- **GOV.UK Design Principles** — Along with Russell Davies and Ben Terrett I cowrote the GOV.UK design principles, a set of 10 best-practice guidelines established by the Government Digital Service (GDS) for designing, building, and buying public-facing technology. Tim  O’Reilly described them as 'the most significant piece of UI guidance since Apple's Human Interface Guidelines'.
- **GOV.UK Design System** — The GOV.UK Design System is a centralized, open-source platform maintained by the UK Government Digital Service (GDS). It provides government teams with reusable UI components, design patterns, and standards to build consistent, accessible, and user-centered digital services. I creative directed every visual aspect of the design system, and contributed to its interaction, accessibility and code patterns.
- **Command Line Interface Guidelines** — The Command Line Interface Guidelines (CLIG) is an open-source, community-driven guide hosted at clig.dev designed to help developers build better, more human-centric, and robust command-line programs. Created by experienced software engineers—including creators of popular tools like Docker Compose—it modernizes traditional UNIX philosophy principles for modern developer workflows. I was part of conceiving the guidelines during my work with Replicate, and designed and coded the website.
- **Future Art Ecosystems** — Future Art Ecosystems (FAE) is an annual strategic briefing and initiative conceptualized by the Serpentine R&D Platform in London. It provides tools to build 21st-century cultural infrastructure, specifically focusing on how the art world intersects with advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), decentralized tech, and creative R&D. The initiative addresses the urgent need to redesign operational, legal, and financial systems so that artists and cultural institutions aren't just consumers of emerging technologies, but active directors of their societal impact. I contributed design concepts for the original publication proposal, and creative directed and designed the first publication and series template.
- **Safe Truncation Information** — Open resource created for LLMs to help identify and prevent embarrassing automated truncation mistakes. I conceived, designed and coded this API-first web service.
- **BBC News responsive redesign** — The BBC News responsive redesign was a major overhaul of the BBC News website that allowed pages to dynamically adapt to screens of any size, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. It transitioned the platform from a desktop-only layout to a unified, fluid design. The redesign was implemented in response to a major shift in audience habits, with 65% of visitors accessing the site via mobile or tablet devices. By moving to a single codebase rather than having separate desktop and mobile sites, the BBC made its content significantly easier to read on small screens without the need to pinch and zoom. The modernized layout also introduced a greater emphasis on video content, better integration of analytical stories, and a more streamlined, grid-based structure for content across all platforms. I initially proposed the responsive design strategy to the Head of Product during the 2010 redesign, and was the designer on the small agile team that started prototyping and building it in 2011. I designed and coded the responsive layouts, typography techniques and was part of developing the widely imitated mobile-first component strategy for this emergent technology.
- **BBC Global Experience Language (GEL) design system** — BBC GEL (Global Experience Language) is the BBC’s shared design system and user experience (UX) framework. Launched in 2010, it establishes standardized guidelines, reusable interaction patterns, and accessibility rules applied across all of the BBC’s digital products to ensure a consistent, recognizable audience experience. Prior to the introduction of GEL, the BBC's various web services and applications were designed independently, which created a fragmented and confusing experience for users. My web typography, layout and components for the BBC News 2010 redesign formed the foundation of Neville Brody's design language for the BBC Global Experience Language, which was the first contemporary digital design system.
- **BBC News 2010 redesign** — The 2010 BBC News redesign was a major visual and structural overhaul of the website, introducing a cleaner, grid-based layout. It introduced horizontal navigation instead of vertical menus, better social media sharing features, a larger embedded video player, and a centralized news layout for a more standardized, cross-platform aesthetic. The redesign introduced a standardized flexible grid and typographic style, which  was the first phase in applying a unified design language to the entire BBC network. Section headings were moved from the left side of the page to run horizontally near the top. The overall design featured significantly more white space, which allowed pages to scale better on emerging widescreen monitors. The update heavily promoted video. Articles featured a much larger, higher-quality embedded video player, allowing editors to feature embedded video clips as the main article image. The first ground-up redesign and redevelopment of the BBC News website since it launched in the late 1990s, I worked on every aspect of this redesign: writing production code, prototyping, and crafting the visual language of the UI. Alongside Windows 10, is considered to have killed off skeumorphism and instigated the 'flat design' trend.
- **GOV.UK Design Principles posters** — I creative directed the GOV.UK Design Principles posters.
- **GOV.UK Content Design posters** — I designed the GOV.UK Content Design best practice posters.
- **GOV.UK User Research posters** — I designed the GOV.UK User Research best practice posters.
- **GOV.UK Accessible Design posters** — I designed and wrote the GOV.UK Accessible Design best practice posters.

## Colleagues

- **Ella Fitzsimmons** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellafitzsimmons/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellafitzsimmons/)) — I worked with Ella on GOV.UK. Also; spouse.
- **Jen Allum** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-allum/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-allum/)) — I worked with Jen as part of the GOV.UK executive team. We've collaborated on small side-projects since.
- **Matt Webb** ([https://interconnected.org](https://interconnected.org)) — I worked with Matt on realtime multiplayer startups Partykit and Sparkle.
- **Sunil Pai** ([https://x.com/threepointone](https://x.com/threepointone)) — I worked for Sunil at his startup Partykit.
- **Ben Firshman** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfirsh/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bfirsh/)) — I've worked with Ben a lot over the years, first helping him out with some design work for his and Aanand Prasad's first startup Orchard (which later became Docker Compose), then working together on GOV.UK, collaborating with him and Andreas Jansson on Arxiv Vanity and then Replicate. We also collaborated together on the Command Line Interface Guidelines.
- **Aanand Prasad** ([https://x.com/AanandPrasad](https://x.com/AanandPrasad)) — I helped out with some design work for Aanand and Ben Firshman's startup Orchard (which later became Docker Compose) and then we later collaborated on the Command Line Interface Guidelines.
- **Lou Downe** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-downe-757a83b/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-downe-757a83b/)) — I worked for Lou at GOV.UK when they were Director of Design for the Government Digital Service.
- **Russell Davies** ([https://www.undermanager.com](https://www.undermanager.com)) — I worked for Russell at GOV.UK when we was Director of Strategy for the Government Digital Service. We've collaborated on small side-projects since.
- **Ben Terrett** ([https://www.benterrett.com](https://www.benterrett.com)) — I worked for Ben at GOV.UK when he was Director of Design for the Government Digital Service. I also shortlisted his nominations for the Design of the Year award the year after our win, which included Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo rollout, Michael Oswell's election poster series and IKEA's snap-together furniture connector.
- **Amy Whitney** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/amosie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amosie)) — I worked with Amy on GOV.UK.
- **Neil Williams** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/neilojwilliams](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/neilojwilliams)) — I worked with Neil as part of the GOV.UK executive team.
- **Pete Herlihy** ([https://nz.linkedin.com/in/peterherlihy](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/peterherlihy)) — I worked with Pete as part of the GOV.UK executive team.
- **Alex Holmes** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alex-meek-holmes-574a635a](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alex-meek-holmes-574a635a)) — I worked with Alex at GOV.UK.
- **Ralph Cowling** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ralph-cowling-80569217](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ralph-cowling-80569217)) — I worked with Ralph on GOV.UK. We've collaborated on small side-projects since.
- **Tommy Palmer** ([https://tommyp.org](https://tommyp.org)) — I worked with Tommy on GOV.UK, and we've collaborated on small side-projects since.
- **Sarah Gold** ([https://www.projectsbyif.com](https://www.projectsbyif.com)) — I worked with Sarah on GOV.UK, occasionally advised them with their agency Projects By IF in it's early days, and later collaborated with IF for several consulting projects.
- **Stephen McCarthy** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephen-mccarthy-0aa09810](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephen-mccarthy-0aa09810)) — I worked with Stephen on GOV.UK.
- **Henry Hadlow** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryhadlow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryhadlow)) — I worked with Stephen on GOV.UK.
- **Tim Paul** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/timpaul/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timpaul/)) — I worked with Tim on GOV.UK.
- **Trisha Doyle** ([https://ie.linkedin.com/in/trishajdoyle](https://ie.linkedin.com/in/trishajdoyle)) — I worked with Trisha as part of the GOV.UK executive team.
- **Chris Heathcote** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-heathcote-7a5621](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-heathcote-7a5621)) — I worked with Chris on GOV.UK.
- **Angus Montgomery** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/angus-montgomery-a3571418](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/angus-montgomery-a3571418)) — I worked with Angus at GOV.UK.
- **Dan Shallcross** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-shallcross/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-shallcross/)) — I worked with Dan at the BBC on the News 2010 redesign.
- **Robin Whittleton** ([https://se.linkedin.com/in/robin-whittleton-b591832b1](https://se.linkedin.com/in/robin-whittleton-b591832b1)) — I worked with Robin at GOV.UK.
- **Anna Goss** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/annagoss](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/annagoss)) — I worked with Anna at GOV.UK.
- **Alex Torrance** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alextorrance](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alextorrance)) — I worked with the Grammy-nominated Alex at GOV.UK.
- **Edd Sowdon** ([https://e26.co.uk](https://e26.co.uk)) — I worked with Edd at GOV.UK.
- **James King** ([https://jamesking.io](https://jamesking.io)) — I worked with James at the BBC on the News 2010 redesign.
- **Guy Moorhouse** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/futurefabric](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/futurefabric)) — I worked with Guy at GOV.UK.
- **Ed Horsford** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ed-horsford](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ed-horsford)) — I worked with Ed at GOV.UK.
- **Toby Bradbury** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tobybradbury](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tobybradbury)) — I worked with Toby at the BBC on the News 2010 redesign and BBC GEL design system.
- **Will Harmer** ([https://ca.linkedin.com/in/will-harmer-08853478%23:~:text%3DFor%2520over%2520a%2520decade%252C%2520I,goals%2520into%2520seamless%2520user%2520journeys.](https://ca.linkedin.com/in/will-harmer-08853478%23:~:text%3DFor%2520over%2520a%2520decade%252C%2520I,goals%2520into%2520seamless%2520user%2520journeys.)) — I worked with Will at GOV.UK.
- **Alice Bartlett** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alicebartlett](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alicebartlett)) — I worked with Alice at GOV.UK, where we also collaborated on the design of Tampon Club.
- **Martin Jordan** ([https://linkedin.com/in/martinjordan/](https://linkedin.com/in/martinjordan/)) — I worked with Martin at GOV.UK.
- **Sarah Winters** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sarahwinterscontentstrategist](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sarahwinterscontentstrategist)) — I first worked with Sarah at GOV.UK. Later I creative directed and designed her book Content Design and branded, designed and coded the website for her agency Content Design London.
- **Alice Newton-Rex** ([hhttps://x.com/alicenewtonrex?lang=en](hhttps://x.com/alicenewtonrex?lang=en)) — I worked with Alice at GOV.UK.
- **Navine G. Dossos** ([https://navinegdossos.com/works/](https://navinegdossos.com/works/)) — I creative directed and designed publications for two of Navine's exhibitions: There Is No Alternative at the Showroom Gallery in London, and Panicle Paintings at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
- **Lillian Wilkie** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lillian-wilkie-a56762260](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lillian-wilkie-a56762260)) — I worked with Lillian on Navine G. Dossos' exhibition catalogue for There Is No Alternative at the Showroom Gallery.
- **Matthew Sheret** ([http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheret](http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheret)) — I worked with Matt at GOV.UK.
- **Kuba Bartwicki** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kubabartwicki](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kubabartwicki)) — I worked with Kuba at GOV.UK.
- **Chris Ballantine-Thomas** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christhomasdesigner](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christhomasdesigner)) — I worked with Chris at GOV.UK.
- **Laurence Berry** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laurence-berry](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laurence-berry)) — I worked with Laurence at GOV.UK.
- **Sonia Turcotte** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-turcotte](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-turcotte)) — I worked with Sonia at GOV.UK.
- **Andreas Jansson** ([https://se.linkedin.com/in/janssonandreas](https://se.linkedin.com/in/janssonandreas)) — I collaborated with Andreas on Arxiv Vanity and Replicate.
- **Tom Maslen** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tom-maslen-78545833](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tom-maslen-78545833)) — We worked together as part of a small agile team on the responsive redesign of BBC News, creating many of the mobile-first techniques still used today.
- **John Cleveley** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cleveley](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cleveley)) — We worked together as part of a small agile team on the responsive redesign of BBC News, creating many of the mobile-first techniques still used today.
- **Matt Chadburn** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/matt-chadburn](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/matt-chadburn)) — We worked together as part of a small agile team on the responsive redesign of BBC News, creating many of the mobile-first techniques still used today.
- **Andrew Vos** ([https://andrewvos.com/bio](https://andrewvos.com/bio)) — We worked together as part of a small agile team on the responsive redesign of BBC News, creating many of the mobile-first techniques still used today. We later worked together at GOV.UK.

## Also know

- **Sarah Drummond** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/rufflemuffin/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rufflemuffin/)) — I met Sarah through the UK digital government and design scene. We've collaborated on several small side projects over the years, and occasionally jam electronic music together.
- **Lu Wilson** ([https://linkedin.com/in/todepond](https://linkedin.com/in/todepond)) — I met Lu when we shared a workspace while Partykit were based in the TLDraw office.
- **Max Gadney** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-gadney-03605a2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-gadney-03605a2)) — I met Max when we were both at the BBC, have been friends in the London design scene since.
- **Jay Springett** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayspringett/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayspringett/)) — I met Jay through the London speculative technology scene. Online discussions about AI, worldbuilding and lore, indie web publishing and making music.
- **Wayne Daly** ([https://daly-lyon.co.uk](https://daly-lyon.co.uk)) — Wayne was a consistent influence on my work creating the GOV.UK brand. I invited him to talk at one of our design meetups, and we've been online acquaintances since.
- **Ilona Gaynor** ([https://ilona-gaynor.com](https://ilona-gaynor.com)) — I met Ilona through the London speculative design scene.
- **Toby Barnes** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobybarnes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobybarnes)) — I was introduced to Toby throught the London tech scene. We became friends and regularly discuss fashion, music and design trends.
- **Ben Bashford** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbashford/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbashford/)) — I met Ben via Toby Barnes, regularly discuss fashion and creating digital music.
- **Alex Jarvis** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alexjarvis](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alexjarvis)) — I met Alex through the London design scene, and again when he tried to hire me. We regularly discuss fashion and custom car culture.
- **Matt Ward** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/matt-ward-98b89b](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/matt-ward-98b89b)) — I met Matt through the London design scene and through blogging and posting about design.
- **Rob Alderson** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rob-alderson-6a350360](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rob-alderson-6a350360)) — I met Rob when he interviewed me about my work on GOV.UK. We stayed in touch online.
- **Mat Dryhurst** ([https://x.com/matdryhurst](https://x.com/matdryhurst)) — I met Mat through the London design and speculative technology scene. We discuss conceptual art, AI and digital information theory.
- **Adrian Westaway** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/adrianwestaway](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/adrianwestaway)) — Special Projects is a consistent influence on my work, and I met Adrian through the London design scene.
- **Ben Pieratt** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-pieratt-4a6b28144](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-pieratt-4a6b28144)) — We've known each other online for many years, posting and discussing digital design and the industry.
- **Felix Cohen** ([http://uk.linkedin.com/in/felixcohen](http://uk.linkedin.com/in/felixcohen)) — I met Felix through the London indie tech scene. I designed the logo for his bar Daisy in Margate.
- **Steve Ruiz** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/steve-ruiz-61a150239](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/steve-ruiz-61a150239)) — When I was at Partykit we worked from the offices of Steve's startup TLDraw. I enjoyed the vibe and creativity of his team so much that afterwards Steve encouraged me to stay working from their office space free of charge.
- **Simon Willison** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonwillison](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonwillison)) — I've known Simon since we were teenagers, he's one of those people that makes you feel anything is possible (and is always deep in the rabbithole of something interesting).
- **Blaine Cook** ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaine_Cook_(programmer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaine_Cook_(programmer))) — I met Blaine through the London indie tech scene, always has an interesting perspective in the pub.
- **Tom Armitage** ([http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomarmitage/](http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomarmitage/)) — I met Tom through the London tech scene and his regular collaboration with Max Gadney. Shared interest in making generative music.
- **Matt Jones** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidmatthewjones](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidmatthewjones)) — I met Matt through ex-BBC colleagues, and him inviting me to a Berg hackday.
- **Tobias Revell** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-revell/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-revell/)) — I met Tobias through the London speculative design scene and posting online.
- **Matt Brown** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewirvinebrown](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewirvinebrown)) — I met Matt through the London design scene. He recommended me to a couple of clients when were both consultants running our own freelance practices, and we're now friends in Los Angeles.
- **James Bridle** ([https://jamesbridle.com/about](https://jamesbridle.com/about)) — I met James through the London technology scene and through posting online, and later when I was working with his wife Navine G. Dossos.
- **James Darling** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/abscond](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/abscond)) — I met James through the UK digital government scene, and we've collaborated on several small side projects.
- **Tom Coates** ([https://x.com/tomcoates](https://x.com/tomcoates)) — I met Tom through ex-BBC colleagues, and through posting online.
- **Alex Deschamps-Sonsino** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/designswarm](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/designswarm)) — I met Alex through Russell Davies, and we've collaborated on several small side projects since.
- **Jez Burrows** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jezburrows](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jezburrows)) — I've known Jez since we were teenagers. His work is brilliant.
- **Jay Owens** ([https://www.jayowens.me](https://www.jayowens.me)) — I met Jay through the London design scene and posting online.
- **Dan Hill** ([https://au.linkedin.com/in/cityofsound](https://au.linkedin.com/in/cityofsound)) — I met Dan through the London design scene, posting online and occasionally playing football (soccer) on the same team.
- **Alex Fefegha** ([https://linkedin.com/in/lexfefegha](https://linkedin.com/in/lexfefegha)) — I met Alex through the London speculative design scene.
- **Michael Oswell** ([https://thusly.tumblr.com](https://thusly.tumblr.com)) — I met Michael through posting online. His work is consistently beautiful and smart.
- **Carrie Bishop** ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriebishop](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriebishop)) — I met Carrie through the London digital government scene.
- **Andy Budd** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andybudd](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andybudd)) — I met Andy when I was an art student in Brighton, and took over some of his projects when I joined the web design studio Message shortly after he left it to set up Clearleft. Always interesting and supportive.
- **Sam Norland** ([https://samnorland.com/about](https://samnorland.com/about)) — I met Sam when we were teenagers.
- **Rouben Freeman** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rouben-freeman-645a0483](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rouben-freeman-645a0483)) — I met Rouben when we were teenagers.
- **Jonny Toomey** ([https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jonnytoomey](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jonnytoomey)) — I met Jonny when we were teenagers, we occasionally jam making electronic music together.

## Awards

- Design of the Year, The Design Museum, 2013 (for GOV.UK)
- Digital Design of the Year, The Design Museum, 2013 (for GOV.UK)
- Black Pencil, D&AD, 2013 (for GOV.UK)
- Yellow Pencil, D&AD, 2013 (for GOV.UK)
- Pencil, D&AD, 2018 (for GOV.UK Step-by-step)
- Team of the Year, .Net Magazine (for GDS)
- Redesign of the Year, .Net Magazine (for BBC News)

## Elsewhere

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhurrell/
- https://x.com/markhurrell
- https://github.com/ThinkMake