Hello, I’m Jon.

For the past two decades, I’ve been delivering user-centred design services and leading digital projects. My approach is calm, clear, and focused on helping teams feel at ease while delivering their best work.

I’ve led more than 50 projects from discovery through to live, across the public sector, private organisations, and charities. I know how to keep teams motivated and supported, even when things get messy, and I care about making complex projects feel less daunting and more doable.

What I bring to teams

Here’s a snapshot of what I do, you can find more details over here.

• Leading delivery teams – From set-up to go-live, I stay close to the work and support teams every step of the way.

• Managing delivery – I’m present and involved, helping teams stay on track and removing blockers as they go.

• Coaching and mentoring – I support early-career delivery professionals by sharing what I’ve learned — the good, the tricky, and everything in between.

• Sharing what works – I offer honest, practical advice based on real project experience.

• Delivering GDS-aligned services – I’ve led Discovery, Alpha, Beta and Live phases, embedding the GDS Service Standard in teams and processes.

• Supporting service assessments – I help teams prepare for GDS assessments and guide them through the process with confidence.

Who I’ve worked with

I’ve worked with organisations across government, education, finance, healthcare and beyond helping deliver projects, support teams, and improve services, including:

• Department for Education

• NHS England

• London Luton Airport

• HSBC

• Direct Line Group

• Co-op

• University of Sheffield

• University of Salford

• Barnet Council

• SignHealth: The Deaf Health Charity

My background in delivery

I began my career in project management in 2007, working across a mix of organisations - global consultancies, local charities, startups and government departments - learning what helped teams succeed, and what held them back.

In 2016, I co-founded Paper, a user research and service design studio. For the last nine years, I worked as both Delivery Director and hands-on Delivery Manager, leading projects across the public and private sectors. Alongside this, I became a seasoned user researcher, something that’s shaped me into a more thoughtful, people-focused delivery professional.

Since 2017, I’ve worked closely with the Department for Education, delivering multiple services through discovery, alpha, and beta. I authored the Department’s Guidelines for delivering a service through its lifecycle, now used across teams to support consistent, practical delivery.

I also created ‘5 minutes with…’, a series a series of interviews with people working in delivery and project management. I’ll be moving them over to this site soon.

I’m currently on the Advisory Board for the Sheffield Methods Institute, part of the University of Sheffield.

Outside of Work

I live in Sheffield, where life is wonderfully hectic with my wife and our two kids. When I can carve out some spare time (there’s not much), you’ll find me walking in the Peak District.

I write about our family adventures on this blog.