Strategic design leader

I’m a designer, leader, strategist and former agency founder with a passion for crafting digital experiences that drive real impact. I help businesses transform and scale customer experience through strategic design, product innovation, and systems thinking.

Innovation, strategy & design

I work at the intersection of business strategy, technology, and human-centred design, building sustainable, high-performing teams and creative cultures that drive innovation, deliver exceptional products and services, and transform organisational practices.

  • Strategic Vision & Product Innovation

    Helping organisations define future-focused digital experiences that align customer needs with business goals. I craft experience visions that drive meaningful engagement, shape innovative products, and ensure seamless, user-centric solutions that stand the test of time.

  • Digital Transformation & Design Leadership

    Leading businesses through design-driven transformation to improve user experiences at scale. I establish scalable processes, governance frameworks, and collaborative cultures that position design as a strategic driver for growth and innovation.

  • Coaching, Mentorship & Advisory

    Supporting designers, teams, and businesses in scaling their capabilities. Whether coaching individual practitioners, mentoring design leaders, or advising organisations, I provide tailored guidance on everything from career development to optimising design operations and embedding design into business strategy.

The British Museum
Film Victoria
Telstra
Origin Energy
Beyond Blue
The Alfred Hospital

Design leader & former agency founder

I'm Ben Tollady; a designer, design leader, strategist, company founder, drummer and occasional writer & speaker. I founded one of Australia’s pioneering UX agencies, Thirst Studios, in 2008 and ran it for over a decade. Now I lead a team of 30 designers at Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company.

A strategic, visionary, results-driven leader with extensive depth of knowledge, proven experience and strong commercial acumen acquired through a 30-year career intersection of design & technology. I’m proficient in building, inspiring and leading high-performing, experiment-led teams that solve genuine customer problems and innovate across the entire product development lifecycle.

Newsletter

I occasionally write a newsletter with thoughts and ideas around UX, design, strategy, leadership, business and technology.