Danny Hearn – Deeply Human Design Ltd

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About me

I’ve developed deep expertise over 20 years in a diverse career, mastering a range of tools and methodologies. My real superpower is adapting to the distinct needs, personalities, and complexities of any project or challenge.

Read more about me below
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Career highlights

  • 20yr+ experience with high street brands, startups, charities and organisations

  • Design leader at John Lewis, Fitflop and Clarks

  • Lobbied, created and ran the first John Lewis hackathon

An approach shaped by experience

Adaptability

Every project and client is unique. I tailor my approach to fit the team’s dynamics, capabilities, and maturity—always choosing what works best for you.

A focus on relationships

I believe great work comes from strong relationships. My approach is always collaborative, building trust and understanding to help teams and organisations thrive.

Outcome focused

I care about real results—not just ticking boxes. My work is driven by meaningful outcomes that make a measurable difference.

My career

Methods (for Dept for Transport)

Mar 2025 - June 2025

Senior User Researcher

Methods (for Dept for Transport)

Adora Health

Oct 2023 - Mar 2025

Design Strategist / Service Designer

Adora Health

Ministry of Justice (via MadeTech)

Apr 2023 - July 2023

Lead User Researcher

Ministry of Justice (via MadeTech)

Ofgem (via madeTech)

Feb 2023 - Apr 2023

Lead User Researcher

Ofgem (via madeTech)

Future Foundry

Jul 2022 - Jan 2023

Design Director

Future Foundry

Nomensa

Apr 2022 - July 2022

Princpal UX Consultant

Nomensa

Sopra Steria

Jan 2022 - Apr 2022

Lead User Research & Service Designer

Sopra Steria

DOT Project

Apr 2020 - Dec 2021

Design Mentor and Consultant

DOT Project

Clarks

Jul 2018 - Dec 2019

Head of UX

Clarks

Beauty Pie, Fitflop

Oct 2017 - Apr 2018

Lead UX Design Consultant

Beauty Pie, Fitflop

Fitflop

Nov 2016 - May 2017

Senior Design Consultant

Fitflop

Burberry (via Clearleft)

Apr 2016 Sept 2016

User Research Consultant

Burberry (via Clearleft)

John Lewis

Feb 2011 - Apr 2016

UX Manager

John Lewis

Splendid

Apr 2009 - Dec 2010

Senior UX Consultant

Splendid

Eurostar

Feb 2005 - Dec 2007

User Experience Manager

Eurostar

STA Travel

Feb 2003 - May 2005

Web Designer

STA Travel

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Grounded in methodology

I’m a big fan of Strategyzer’s Value Proposition Design approach.  The book inspired me to develop ideas at John Lewis and give a talk on the topic.

Having designed and shipped software in many organisations, I’m very comfortable working with development teams, using LEAN and Agile frameworks.  I’m a new convert to Jobs for research to be done as a useful tool in the bag when looking at qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Manual of me

A ‘manual of me’ aims to help you work with me so we might do great things together. This feels a little vulnerable to share, so I hope you can recognise my desire to build a positive relationship with you.

My values

I do my best work when I feel in alignment with my values and the people I’m working with. 

  • Valuing strong relationships

    Creating space to understand and build trusting relationships based on a shared understanding with the organisations I work with is deeply woven into the value and impact I want to create with you.

  • Being myself

    I believe in creating an understanding based on honesty and transparency. I will always be professional and find it valuable to bring my human side into work too.

  • Move lightly and quickly

    Sticking to plan no matter what can get you seriously stuck in a rut. I value adaptability and the flexibility to pivot in any direction that best suits an emerging need of the project.

  • Proudly curious

    I’m a naturally inquisitive person, and the way my mind works is to ask lots of questions. I love to challenge and work in environments where this is encouraged.

Some great things people have said

Danny is a passionate, intelligent, and hardworking team member with a wide range of UCD expertise. The excellent work he did to set up a large, diverse user panel at DfT will have a long term impact, helping us and the client carry out quality research for a long time to come. Thank you Danny!
Methods (for Dept for Transport)

Paul Tait

Senior Delivery Manager

Methods (for Dept for Transport)

Danny was exactly what our early-stage startup needed. He brought a hands-on, strategic, and detail-oriented approach to product and design, with a genuine investment in our success, particularly in the critical area of women’s health and menopause solutions. 
Adora Health

Ann O'Niel

Co-Founder | CEO

Adora Health

Danny was instrumental in shaping our health app, contributing to both graphic design and user experience. Over a year, he refined our UI, improved usability through user testing, and helped create a visually engaging product. His creativity, attention to detail, and collaborative approach made a real impact. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a designer who combines aesthetics with user insight.
Adora Health

Ed Smith

Co-Founder | CEO

Adora Health

Working alongside innovation strategists and insight leaders, Danny has been crucial in identifying and architecting a number of disruptive new digital and retail propositions for our most senior clients.
Future Foundry

Katy Sephton

Co-Founder & COO

Future Foundry

I have learnt so much from working alongside Danny at DOT PROJECT as have the incredible charities we support. Danny has taken on so many new challenges with such focus, commitment, energy, but most importantly empathy.
DOT Project

Annie Leggie

Co-Founder

DOT Project

Danny is a joy to work with – he is a highly skilled UX professional who is passionate about bringing the best of that discipline to drive consumer-centric transformation – he is tenacious, compassionate and has a relentless drive to make things happen. 
Clarks

Lucy Calver

Director of Digital

Clarks

Danny is by far the best consultant in his category that I have ever worked with. Truly great digital experts, for me, have been hard to come by. Danny is different. He is principled, rolls up his sleeves, has a plan, sticks to it, is flexible, but knows his science, and OWNS the deliverable as if he’s a part of your business. I would have him back in a heartbeat.
Beauty Pie, Fitflop

Marcia Kilgore

Entrepreneur, Investor, Founder

Beauty Pie, Fitflop

Danny brought fantastic and such valuable insight to the Fitflop Digital re-platform. His approach to understanding the required customer experience and interpreting it through our digital platform has been first class.
Fitflop

Simon Wright

Chief Operating Officer and Board Director

Fitflop

Danny introduced innovative ways of working, demonstrated solid and imaginative design thinking and built a good rapport with our clients. 
Burberry (via Clearleft)

Richard Rutter

Co-Founder

Burberry (via Clearleft)

Danny was instrumental in helping to push the product development process forward. It was impressive to see how he was able to introduce and embed a range of innovative tools and methodologies. I would highly recommend him for guidance, coaching and leadership with product design teams.
John Lewis

Duncan Turner

Product Manager

John Lewis

Danny is an energetic and passionate UX leader. He has a tenacious attitude and won’t accept the status quo when there is opportunity to do things better. He is a positive agent for change, brings people with him and is a great manager widely respected by his team. 
John Lewis

Lewis Badcock

Head of Product

John Lewis

I have worked on several projects with Danny now and would highly recommend him for large, complex, goal driven UX projects. He has a great ability to work alongside the client, develop a rapport, gather requirements, keep the design focused and deliver results.
Splendid

Simon Parbutt

Head of User Experience

Splendid

Danny is extremely bright and versatile and was able to turn his hand to almost anything. He always championed excellence in user experience and produced high quality detailed documentation suitable for technical specs. Design savvy and technically competent he’s a very useful guy to have around.
Eurostar

Nicky Drake

Product Manager

Eurostar

Danny has a clear talent for user centric design and customer experience, founded on a genuine interest in consumer needs. He is an articulate and sensitive communicator.  Danny’s motivation and infectious enthusiasm were unrelenting during his time in my team. A real find!
Eurostar

John Davies

Head of Ecommerce

Eurostar

I never thought someone who is used to working in a corporate environment would be able to engage 40 teenage girls for 2 days in a fun and interactive way, teaching them ideation, UX, prototyping tools and programming using Scrum and Agile.  Our hackathon would not have been the success that it was without Danny.
Acorn aspirations

Simon Wright

Elena Sinel

Acorn aspirations