Sara Mansell
SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER
Hello.​
I am a Senior UX Researcher & Designer with over a decade of global experience helping organisations transform insight into innovation. Through evidence-based user research, design and strategic facilitation, I craft experiences that elevate organisations, empower users, and deliver measurable impact.
KEY SKILLS
Problem Refinement & Vision Setting
Quantitative User Research
Qualitative User Research
User Experience Design
Stakeholder Alignment
Design Sprint Facilitator & Trainer
EXPERTISE
User-Centered Design
I start with the user, validate assumptions through research, and align insights with business goals to create solutions that are both innovative and effective.
Design Thinking
I apply design thinking methodologies to solve complex problems, ideate innovative solutions, and iterate designs based on user feedback.
Collaborative Teamwork
I thrive in collaborative environments, working closely with cross-functional teams to create cohesive and impactful design solutions.
COMPANIES I HAVE WORKED WITH
June 2024-ongoing
Design Sprint Facilitator & Trainer
Design Sprint X (contract)
A trainer and facilitator of design sprints to help brands move from a problem space to a validated solution, at speed.
Jan 2023- Nov 2024
Senior Product Designer
British Gas, Centrica (contract)
A design lead across the website, app, and support channels. I partnered with Product Owners on vision setting, roadmapping and championed a Design Thinking approach. Guiding cross-functional teams through service design, design sprints, and iterative prototyping. Ensuring evidence-based, user-centred outcomes by using mixed research methods.
April 2022 - Dec 2022
Product Design Consultant
BP (contract)
I was one of the journey lead Product Designers for a new product offering. My role consisted of bringing a user-centred approach to ways of working, aligning the team around users’ jobs-to-be-done and creating evidence-based designs through user research and data analytics.
Nov 2019 - April 2022
Senior UX Researcher
Kainos
Led the UX research within a multi-disciplinary agile team to deliver user-centred Government Digital Services, overseeing planning, execution, and synthesis of research into actionable insights.
April 2019 - Nov 2019
Lead User Researcher
Barclays (contract)
Led a team of UX researchers and designers to generate valuable insights and user journeys to shape future product propositions. Facilitated cross-functional workshops using Jobs-to-be-Done to align five business units on priorities and direction. Oversaw research operations, including budgeting, vendor management, recruitment, and data analysis. Mentored junior team members to build capability within the organisation.
Nov 2017 - Oct 2018
Product Design Consultant
British Gas (contract)
Responsible for the user research and design for the B2B meter reading and payment journeys of the British Gas website. This included included journey mapping, field research, wireframes, prototyping and behavioural data analysis.
Oct 2011 - Nov 2017
User Researcher & Designer
IBM
I held a number of different roles within my time at IBM including Lead User Researcher and Design Lead. I worked on a number of projects validating solutions, aligning stakeholders, creating design concepts and teaching design thinking across the globe internally and externally.