Paul O'Brien
Product design partner
I take products from unclear to shipped.
I turn difficult product decisions into working software, designing and building from first principles through to release. I partner with founders and product leaders who need one senior person to bring clarity and keep the work moving.
Available from December 2026
Latest work
802 Labs
Bose Professional · Lead UX · with Further
Bose Professional left Bose to become 802 Labs, an independent pro-audio company. The new positioning, pro audio made human, had to reach the software engineers use every day, not just the logo.
I led the UX, redesigning the control software around human-centred logic, tactile visuals and motion-guided interaction — turning the brand strategy into the product.
Hardware, software, service and culture brought into one brand, launched as 802 Labs.
Read the full case study at Further ↗
How I work
- Decide
- Identify the product decisions that materially change the outcome.
- Craft
- Design in Figma, then build in code, so the product can be tested and refined immediately.
- Ship
- Stay with the work through implementation rather than handing over a static specification.
Background
- 2020–now
Independent · Product design partner
R/GA · BBH · Wayflyer · Toptal · Planes Studio · Further
- 2019
QuantumBlack, McKinsey · Senior Product Designer
- 2018–19
Rightmove · Senior Product Designer
- 2018
Deliveroo · Product Designer
- 2016–18
Habito · VP Design
- 2015–16
Salary Finance · Lead Product Designer
Have an important product that's still unclear?
Tell me what you're trying to get shipped.