# John Furness > Product Design & Systems Consultant | Design Systems, Process Optimisation, AI Integration Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Profile: https://flows.cv/johnfurness I've spent 20+ years designing products, building systems, and leading teams—first running Simple Square for two decades, then as Director of Product Design at TOOLBX, and most recently as Staff UX Designer and Design System Lead at Dash Social. I'm currently working independently while looking for the right permanent role. What I do well: I build design systems that teams actually use. I create documentation that people follow. I spot where AI can help designers work more efficiently without compromising creativity or autonomy. I translate between designers, engineers, and stakeholders. I mentor junior designers on system thinking and help them level up quickly. What drives me: Continuous learning keeps me engaged—I love trying new tools, processes, and approaches. After running my own business for 20 years, I need independence and autonomy in my day-to-day. I get fulfilment from passing on knowledge and seeing others improve. What I'm looking for: A Staff or Principal IC role at a design-led SaaS company where design systems matter, mentoring is valued, and there's space to think strategically rather than just react. I want to work with experienced leadership, have autonomy over my work, and join a team that values quality over constant urgency. Open to consulting projects and the right permanent opportunity. ## Work Experience ### Product Design & Systems Consultant @ Unknown Jan 2025 – Present | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Working with early-stage and growth companies on design systems, operational efficiency, and AI workflow integration while exploring the right permanent role. I help startups: - Build and govern scalable design systems from scratch - Document and systematise processes that actually get followed - Implement AI workflows that enhance productivity while preserving craft and designer autonomy - Structure design teams and cross-functional collaboration - Implement quality assurance systems that don't slow teams down After 20+ years building products and leading design teams (including running my own consultancy for two decades), I know what works when you need to move quickly without breaking things. I'm particularly good at translating between technical and non-technical stakeholders, creating lightweight documentation systems, and mentoring designers on system thinking, component architecture, and UX design best practices. Currently open to consulting projects and exploring Staff/Principal IC roles at design-led SaaS companies that value independence, continuous learning, and thoughtful systemisation. ### Staff UX Designer - Design System Lead @ Dash Social Jan 2025 – Jan 2025 | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Design Team Advisory - Guide design team on workload balance and performance optimization - Lead team meetings and 1:1s to address challenges and foster collaboration - Implement strategies to enhance team productivity and quality - Build relationships with product teams to improve workflows Design System Lead - Lead system planning, development, implementation, and governance - Own design and execution of system components - Ensure system scalability and alignment with brand guidelines and UX standards - Collaborate with technical teams on Figma component implementation - Partner with teams to integrate system into development process - Drive system adoption through training and resources - Align system goals with platform objectives - Create documentation and usage guidelines ### Senior Product Designer - Design System Lead @ Dash Social Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Design Team Advisory - Guide design team on workload balance and performance optimization - Lead team meetings and 1:1s to address challenges and foster collaboration - Implement strategies to enhance team productivity and quality - Build relationships with product teams to improve workflows Design System Lead - Lead system planning, development, implementation, and governance - Own design and execution of system components - Ensure system scalability and alignment with brand guidelines and UX standards - Collaborate with technical teams on Figma component implementation - Partner with teams to integrate system into development process - Drive system adoption through training and resources - Align system goals with platform objectives - Create documentation and usage guidelines ### Senior Product Designer @ Dash Social Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Modern Social Listening - Community - Design Lead - Led comprehensive UX/UI redesign initiative, driving innovation and modernization of core product features - Conducted extensive customer interviews and research sessions to gather insights, pain points, and user requirements for informed design decisions - Implemented design thinking methodologies to develop innovative solutions, focusing on user-centered approaches and iterative improvements - Orchestrated thorough user testing sessions and design validation processes to ensure optimal user experience and functionality - Maintained close collaboration with technical teams throughout development cycle to ensure precise implementation of design specifications and maintain design integrity Design Ops - Established and implemented comprehensive time-tracking processes for the design team, enabling more accurate project timeline estimations, improved resource allocation, and enhanced visibility into workload distribution across multiple concurrent work streams and initiatives Creator Management Initiative - Design Lead - Executed comprehensive market research to uncover emerging trends and growth potential within the creator economy landscape - Gathered critical insights through customer interviews and workflow analyses, helping shape MVP features and development priorities - Designed and developed an innovative Creator Management prototype featuring modern design patterns, which inspired a complete platform redesign ### Director of Product Design @ TOOLBX Jan 2023 – Jan 2023 | Canada - Guided a team that rapidly built a full-featured e-commerce platform and customer management tool from 0-1 over the course 8 months - Defined and maintained a culture of design and how that relates cross-functionally throughout the organization - Mentored and coached a product team consisting of 1 other product designer, 4 product managers, and 12 engineers - Design system and content guide creation to establish solid foundations for quick prototyping and consistent design deliverables - Internal design wiki creation detailing a culture of design-led product discovery and roadmapping - Created a well defined Design Quality Assurance process, stressing the importance of pixel perfect implementation and shortened the Quality Assurance process by 1 day per sprint - Ongoing research, testing, and iteration of designs to ensure product market fit ### Lead Product Designer @ TOOLBX Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | Canada - Established a cascading voice for design from Senior Management down - Built and managed a small but mighty team that was able to output high quality, well documented designs at little sacrifice to speed - Design system management and style guide creation to establish solid foundations for quick prototyping and consistent design deliverables - Maintained the highest quality of output possible via extensive Design QAs and collaboration with the Engineering team - Ongoing research, testing, and iteration of designs to ensure product market fit ### Owner/Operator @ Simple Square Jan 2001 – Jan 2021 | North America - Exceptionally skilled in bridging the gap between designers and developers with 20-years of experience as team-lead, principle designer, and senior project manager - Managed timelines, budgets, and resources - Tested and validated designs based on client needs assessment and user insights to find the balance between user, business, and technical needs - Created and presented design strategies and concepts to clients - Communicated priorities cross-functionally to an internal team of project managers, designers, and developers - Led development team from hand-off through development with a detailed QA and refinement process for high-level output ### Co-Founder & Chief Surf-Work Officer @ Unleash Surf Jan 2017 – Jan 2021 | Americas My partner and I developed the world’s first remote-work, travel and co-living experiences for surfers. I did all the design of our brand, image as well as marketing, sales, HR, purchasing, financial management, pop-up co-work space development and surfing program & equipment management. Our clients were successful entrepreneurs, freelancers, owners, journalists and creatives from Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. ### New Media Engineer @ TriFocal Communications Jan 2000 – Jan 2002 | Barrie, Ontario, Canada ## Education ### Graphic Arts Georgian College ### Design Communications Northern Lights College ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/simplesquare - Portfolio: https://simplesquare.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/johnfurness JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/johnfurness/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-31