Thyme WardRésumé
Close view of soft green herb foliage catching low daylight.

Design Systems & Interface Craft

Thyme Ward

Design Systems Lead

I build the shared component layer that lets product teams ship consistent, accessible interfaces without re-deciding the basics every sprint.

  • Remote — GMT+1
  • Open to lead roles
  • Nine years in product
View selected work Get in touch

Profile

I lead design systems work where design and engineering meet — component libraries, token pipelines, and the documentation that makes both worth using. My focus is adoption: a system nobody reaches for is just a second backlog.

I work best embedded with product teams rather than beside them, pairing with engineers on implementation and running the accessibility review that catches problems before they reach a release branch.

Selected work

Three projects

Orchard UI

Component library

A cross-platform component library for a logistics suite whose four product squads had each grown their own button, table and form patterns.

Role
Lead — architecture, API design, contribution model
Outcome
One reviewed source for core interface patterns, with squads contributing components back instead of forking them.

Token relay

Design tokens

A token pipeline carrying colour, type and spacing decisions from design files into web and native builds without a manual hand-off step.

Role
Design lead, paired with two platform engineers
Outcome
Theme changes ship in a single pass, and contrast rules are checked at build time rather than at review.

Reader accessibility audit

Accessibility

A full keyboard and screen-reader pass across a long-form reading product, rewritten into a checklist the team now runs each release.

Role
Auditor and remediation partner
Outcome
Focus order, landmarks and live-region behaviour corrected across the core reading flow.

Experience

Design Systems Lead

Marrow & Fen

2022 — Present

  • Own the shared component library used by four product squads, from API design through deprecation policy.
  • Run a fortnightly contribution review so squad-built patterns enter the system properly documented.
  • Set the accessibility baseline for new components and pair with engineers on implementation.

Senior Product Designer

Halloway Reader

2019 — 2022

  • Designed the reading and annotation surfaces for web and tablet, including typography and density controls.
  • Led the accessibility audit and remediation programme for the core reading flow.
  • Introduced the first shared pattern documentation the team maintained past launch.

Product Designer

Cardamom Studio

2017 — 2019

  • Worked across client engagements in publishing and logistics, from discovery to handed-off build.
  • Built the studio's reusable prototype kit, cutting repeated setup on every new project.