Speaker and panellist information for Design System Day 2024
Speakers
Greg Macoy, Matchstick Creative
Greg Macoy co-founded Matchstick Creative, a purpose-driven creative agency in Liverpool, with a mission to create a more equal world through stories and shared experiences. Matchstick Creative is now a certified B Corp company and takes an active role in progressing the conversation around what good, ethical business can be across Liverpool and beyond.
Chikako Masuda, Digital Agency, Government of Japan
Chikako Masuda joined the Digital Agency in 2021.
She is responsible for planning and managing the service design community, as well as leading intelligence research in the Corporate Strategy department. She co-authored an academic paper with the Oxford Internet Institute on the evolution and current state of digital policy in Japan (2024).
Before joining the Digital Agency, she was a Principal Researcher at the Digital Government Research Institute. She contributed to a comparative analysis of design systems in foreign governments (2021) and wrote a handbook on promoting design management in the private sector (2020).
She specialises in linguistics, public policy and service design.
Zainab Daodu, Writech Hub
Zainab Daodu is a seasoned Software Engineer, Technical Writer and founder of Writetech Hub. She is passionate about open source and a top 10 Continuous Delivery and DevOps contributor who empowers women in tech. She has led initiatives impacting over 300 African women, notably at She Codes Africa 2020.
Leyla Kee-McParlin, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Leyla is a Lead Content Designer at DEFRA, directing a team working on borders and trade services. She’s a service assessor, a Civil Service Social Mobility Ambassador, and does voluntary work with schools in the Liverpool City Region.
Lammy Jones, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
Lammy is an accessibility lead at HM Revenue & Customs and former content strategist for Leeds City Council. He introduced open content standards and applied minimalist methods to make the council’s website a simpler and more inclusive experience.
Helen Nickols
Helen is a senior content designer for Justice Digital at the Ministry of Justice. She works on the MoJ Design System. Previously she worked at the Government Digital Service on the GOV.UK website.
Duncan MacGruer, Scottish Government
Duncan MacGruer has worked with the Scottish Government Digital Publishing team for 2 years and in digital publishing for many years before that.
In performance analysis, he has worked with content, service and policy teams to understand user interactions with existing web presences, and to set goals and targets for future ones.
Michael Palmer, BBC
Michael Palmer is the Product Person on the BBC’s WebCore Design System team. He is a keen runner, dog and cat enthusiast and failed vegan.
Alessandra Balliana, GoBubble
Alessandra Balliana is the Creative and Product Design Lead at GoBubble, where she develops Emotion AI experiences to create a safer, more inclusive digital world, free from online hate. As a Design Systems Specialist, she has launched design systems for small teams and startups, promoting strong communication and collaboration within cross-functional teams.
Ishmael Burdeau, Department for Work and Pensions
Ishmael is the Lead Sustainability Business Architect for DWP. He enjoys working on the intersections of global heating, environmental damage and digital services. He is a vegan, ultra-runner and professional endurance cyclist.
Kelly Lee, GOV.UK Design System
Kelly is a delivery manager on the GOV.UK Design System team. Before joining the Government Digital Service, she worked at Jobcentre Plus in a variety of roles including business coach, performance team leader and financial assessor.
Trang Erskine, GOV.UK Design System
Trang is product manager on the GOV.UK Design System team at Government Digital Service (GDS). She leads the team to build and maintain a Design System that helps users design and develop consistent, usable and accessible services on GOV.UK. She is particularly interested in system thinking - making sense of complex parts and making them work as a whole.
Need help?
If you’ve got a question about the GOV.UK Design System, contact the team.