About Me

With a vivid imagination cultivated from a young age, I have always been drawn to creative pursuits. Over the past 18 years, this passion has evolved into a deep commitment to solving problems and crafting meaningful experiences. I specialize in digital product design and design systems, with a focus on delivering intuitive solutions that address user needs.

Beyond user-centered design, I am also passionate about aligning design with business objectives. My experience spans across a range of organizations, from startups to corporate M&A firms, where I’ve gained insight into where exceptional design can truly create value.

Outside of work, I enjoy snowboarding, mountain biking, and exploring the mountains.

Mark
Photo of whiteboard and sticky notes from evaluative research session

My Design Principles

Do you know, or do you think you know?

Always ask this question - lack of insight leads to product failure. Research is often skipped due to workload and deadlines, but data-driven decisions are essential. Conduct research and fully understand the problem.

Don’t suffer “paralysis by analysis”

At some point, you must decide. The simplest solution is often best. Be bold, avoid analysis paralysis, and support your decisions with data.

Impact the user and the business!

Prioritize solving user problems, but ensure solutions drive business growth. Your role is to grow the business through exceptional design.

Continually collaborate

Engage with users - call, video chat, or meet in person. Continuously collaborate, seek feedback, find mentors, and share your work.

My Leadership Principles

Put People First

Put people first - understand their needs and support their success. Recognize life outside work and lead with empathy.

Listen & observe

Not everyone voices their struggles. Listen closely, observe actions, and offer support when needed.

If you can measure it, you can manage it!

Assess workload and team capacity through feedback, effort measurement, and pipeline management.

Be clear, direct & deliver

Regardless of team size, clear direction is essential. Ensure everyone understands expectations - clarity drives successful outcomes.

Praise and promote

Recognize and celebrate your team’s success. Share knowledge, support growth, and help them achieve their ambitions.

Group photo of Mark with EcoOnline Prism DS & Platform teams.Mark leading a whiteboard session with Prism DS team.Mark presenting Prism to EcoEHS workshop team.

Testimonials

"I had the privilege of managing Mark for four years while he led the design system team at EcoOnline. His impact on the business was immense, driving impressive velocity in rolling out a consistent and intuitive design across multiple products. Mark’s approach to problems is always lean-in and can-do, and he is a master craftsman at creating excellent designs and communicating them effectively. He led a talented team of designers and developers, and his ability to articulate user and business impact was truly exceptional. Beyond his professional expertise, Mark was a true friend and invaluable colleague. I will miss working with him and highly recommend him to any organization"

Arnfinn Hushovd (VP Platform & Design @ EcoOnline)

"Mark is a talented designer and has been instrumental in the success of the Airsweb AVA product launched in 2018. AVA is a design-led software product with a strong emphasis on UI/UX. The product is consistently praised for its "look and feel"and ease of use; elements that Mark has embedded in all AVA product development. EHS is a serious business but Mark has helped to create a product that truly stands out, including a real "wow" factor in some of the supporting marketing collateral. Apple, you've missed a good one!"

Mark Swithenbank (CEO @ Airsweb)

"Mark is an outstanding leader, and working with him at EcoOnline was a complete delight. He successfully created a strong, scalable design system from scratch that served as the foundation for a wide variety of EcoOnline applications. Most impressively, Mark managed to build this without compromising on the look, feel, or functionality of the system - something consistently reflected in our user satisfaction metrics.

Mark also drove the creation of his own team, which accelerated the adoption of the design system across the organization. He is an effective leader, but most importantly, he is a joy to work with: always calm, always kind, and always supportive despite an incredible workload. Never too busy to make time for local issues and help solve problems efficiently. I strongly recommend Mark as a talented, caring, and visionary design leader who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and do all the magic of his craft."

Maria Shendinapia (UX Researcher @ EcoOnline)

"Mark's work is of an exceptional standard, and he is an absolute asset to the company. His designs for AVA have helped to set us apart in the market as well as provide a fresh, modern and engaging experience for our users.

He's skilled at understanding what problems users are having and interpreting that into something simple and effortless in design, and has done this through working very closely with the Product Team and joining working groups with users.

Mark also moved the team forward by establishing a design system for the business as well as playing a large part in the production of key system metrics that could be used by the Product Team.
Very open minded, a great team player and always up for a challenge."

Carla Jarrett (Product Director @ EcoOnline)