Bart Wijsmuller
UX Design Architect
I help teams design with clarity. With nearly a decade in digital product design, I’ve learned how to bring focus to complex work.
About Me
// 01
I’ve led UX on high-impact platforms across fintech, SaaS, and e-commerce. I’ve worked on 0 to 1 mobile apps, banking journeys for thousands of users, and introduced scalable design systems across teams. I take pride in bringing order to ambiguity and helping teams build with clarity and focus.
I’ve always been drawn to how things work. As a teenager I was building drones, restoring motorbikes, and designing carbon-fibre parts before commercial kits existed. That instinct for making, testing, and understanding became the foundation for my design career.
I began studying mechanical engineering but quickly realised it wasn’t engineering itself I was chasing. It was design with purpose, the intangible experience that emerges from good engineering that I wanted to master. I left university, joined C5 Alliance, and found a mentor in Noel Mallet (an internationally recognised designer and co-founder of an award-winning design agency called MalletCrane) he pushed me to think critically, work with precision, and stay curious.
My first major breakthrough came in 2019 when I was asked to lead a multi-brand digital product redesign for Lloyds Bank International. It was a complex project with limited design maturity, but it was my first major project where I learned how to navigate constraints, map flows, and shape a digital experience that worked for hundreds of thousands of customers. That project showed me what user experience design could really do, and it was the moment I knew this was the work I wanted to focus on.
My Thinking
// 02
Personality
I’m calm by nature and energised by challenge. I like pressure because it sharpens my thinking and speeds up collaboration. I ask a lot of questions, and I listen closely.
Outside of work I spend time on the water, in nature, or reading philosophy and design. I’m a fan of first principles thinking, respectful debate, and creating systems that help people thrive.
My approach to work is simple: keep learning, take ownership, and improve everything I work on with care and intent.
I aim to be a teammate people are motivated to work with, someone who is collaborative, reliable, and always invested in the shared outcome.
Unique Perspective
I believe the best design is engineered, not styled.
My background in mechanical engineering taught me to think in systems, look for first principles, and solve problems from the ground up. I take inspiration from nature, philosophy, and technology, not just to make things usable, but to make them meaningful.
I approach UX as both science and craft. I care deeply about what users feel but also how and why systems behave the way they do. Design, like nature, is a system. It works best when we observe carefully, test deliberately, and remember that every interface carries human meaning. That’s the perspective I bring to every project and why I love my work.
Design Process
// 03
My design process adapts to the type of challenge, the maturity of the product, and the shape of the team.
Depending on the challenge and context, I choose the right tools, frameworks, and methods to uncover insight, build momentum, and deliver meaningful value.
For Concepts & Undefined Challenges
When working with early-stage ideas or tech with no clear UX precedent, I use generative research, co-creation, and rapid prototyping to understand context and uncover user needs.
At this stage, the goal isn’t polish - it’s progress.
Clear requirements, research and prototyping are key to reduce risk, build shared understanding and align teams. I use models like Design Thinking and the Double Diamond to explore possibilities, validate assumptions, and make sense of unstructured challenges.
This is where I can help shape product vision and translate abstract ideas into clear, testable concepts while identifying what matters most to users.
Active Products & Defined Work
When goals are well understood or delivery is already in motion, I focus on efficiency, consistency, and the quality of design.
I have experience working in both dual-track agile environments (where discovery and design run alongside delivery) and single-track teams (where design is integrated into the same sprint cycle as development).
In both cases, I aim to keep the team aligned, reduce friction, and ensure the work we deliver is valuable and usable.
Here, I aim to de-risk development, reduce complexity, and ship usable, trustworthy experiences, especially where technical challenges or user anxiety are high.
Other Skills
// 04
Advanced Interactive Prototyping
Service Design
Agile & Lean UX
UI Design
Interaction Patterns
Heuristic Evaluation
Accessibility Audits
Design Documentation
Team Mentorship
Creative Brainstorming & Storyboards
Infographics & Diagram Design
Presentation Design
Document Template Design
Graphic Design
Editorial Design
Brand Asset Design
Digital & Press Advert Design
Corporate Profile & Advert Photography
GIF Animation
Print Production
Image Library Management