495 - Tom Ellis

Tom Ellis is a designer with over 20 years of experience. He initially got his start in digital design for brand agencies before moving into product design and the tech industry around 10 years ago.

His design career has involved him working on award-winning projects for clients including British Airways, World Economic Forum, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Google, Siemens, Absolut Vodka, Vodafone, Nissan, BMW, Mini and more.

He has been a design contractor for the past couple of years and spent most of that at Made by Many, where he is currently Design Director.

LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/tom-ellis

Tom's Workspace Tour

Daily Workspace Items

• Vitra Eames EA108 chair
• Custom desk with Tiptoe legs
• MacBook Pro (for main design work)
• Custom PC for Cinema4D
• 2 x Apple Studio Display
• Keychron Q1 Pro Keyboard
• B&W 686 speakers with Marantz amplifier
• Fuji X-T2 used as webcam
• Elgato Keylight
• Philips Hue ambient lights

Software

• Figma
• Cinema4D
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Logic Pro for audio production

What is the most recent item I’ve added to my workspace?

A small version of the main desk to put my amplifier on. This helps keep my main desk feeling spacious and free of clutter.

What is one change you’d like to make to your workspace?

Better cable management!

How do you spark creativity?

Music, art and books. I’ve always enjoyed having music playing while working, especially in agencies where we’d have collaborative playlists on so there was always new music being discovered. Design and art books are always a good source of inspiration and I enjoy building my collection.

What does your typical day look like?

I usually start around 9am with a big coffee and check emails/Slack for anything that’s come in overnight, especially if working with clients in different time zones. Stand-up meetings and team catch-ups usually happen in the morning and I like to keep the afternoons free for design work.

What do you enjoy most about WFH?

Definitely not having to commute and not having to live too close to the office which has resulted in huge cost savings. I’m lucky to have a bright, spacious workspace which is a stress free place to work away from distractions.