Chris Allen

Hi, I’m Chris

Design leader & builder.

I lead design teams and help shape where products go next. I’m still a designer at heart, and I still build things myself.

I ask a lot of questions before I design anything.

I’m a UX and product design leader. My best work has come from understanding who we’re designing for and getting the right people in the room.

Where I’ve been

I began in hands-on design. At a small agency I did everything from visual design to front-end build, and over the last eight years at Fueled I’ve moved into leadership.

What I do

I work across UX, research and product strategy. Mostly, I help teams decide what to build and why, weighing what users need against what the business needs.

What I bring

I’m curious and practical, and I lead by working alongside people. I’m as happy questioning a big decision as I am getting stuck into the detail.

Selected work

Case studies 04

01 Personal project · Designer and builder

Wonderwordle: a daily Oasis song-guessing game

A daily Oasis song-guessing game I dreamt up over breakfast, built as a side project, and watched 923 people play on day one.

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02 Publix · Design lead

Publix’s journey to stand-alone microsites

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03 The Nobel Prize · Design system lead

The Nobel Prize: designing for discovery and celebration

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04 Google Site Kit · Research lead

Google Site Kit: rethinking onboarding through user research

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View case study

What do I like to do?

UX & product design

I love working out what the real problem is and what people actually need. I enjoy all of it, from early discovery to the small details of the final design.

Product discovery & direction
UX research & testing
Interaction & experience design

Leadership, teams & culture

I manage a team of designers and researchers, and I enjoy helping each of them grow. I want a team where people are curious, work well together and feel free to share early ideas.

Design leadership & mentoring
Building high-performing teams
Design culture & collaboration

Design systems

A good design system takes care of the repeat work, so designers can spend their time on new problems. I’ve built them for Publix and The Nobel Prize, and I make sure they’re practical to use and grow with the product.

Scalable design systems
Design standards & governance
Cross-team adoption

Strategy & facilitation

I design and run workshops for groups of up to 20 stakeholders. They often arrive with competing priorities, and I help them leave with a direction they all agree on.

Product & experience strategy
Workshops & problem framing
Insights into action

Stakeholder communication

I regularly present design decisions to senior leaders and clients. I make the reasoning easy to follow, so people can agree on a decision and move forward.

Presenting to senior leadership
Building client relationships
Communicating design rationale

Still want to know more?

I’m always up for a chat about design, product thinking, building teams or a tricky problem worth solving.

Email me Find me on LinkedIn
Based in Lancashire, UK
When I'm not designing I'm wrangling twin boys, playing drums, renovating our house, going to gigs and running half marathons.
My 15 minutes of fame I once had my bedroom turned into an Egyptian tomb on TV. I designed the bedspread too, so technically my first ever deliverable. Watch it
Favourite tool Figma and FigJam for the craft, and Claude for the thinking. I'm a little obsessed with what AI can do for design.
Fun fact I can solve a Rubik's cube and I'm slowly working my way towards a world record attempt. Slowly.
Currently listening to My taste is all over the place. Have a listen for yourself. Listen
Chris Allen © 2026