Tom Ellis

Designer living in London, England

Issue #495 August 2, 2025

About

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.

Photos

8 images

Gear

10 items

Chair Vitra Eames EA108 chair Buy

Desk Custom desk with Tiptoe legs

Computer MacBook Pro (for main design work)

Computer Custom PC for Cinema4D

Monitor 2 x Apple Studio Display Buy

Keyboard Keychron Q1 Pro Keyboard Buy

Speakers B&W 686 speakers with Marantz amplifier

Webcam Fuji X-T2 used as webcam

Lighting Elgato Keylight Buy

Accessories Philips Hue ambient lights Buy

Software

4 apps

Figma

Cinema4D

Adobe Creative Suite

Logic Pro for audio production

Interview

4 questions

› 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.

› 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.