What Does a Digital Systems Designer Actually Do?

When I tell people I'm a digital systems designer, I usually get one of two responses: a polite nod followed by a subject change, or a genuine "what does that actually mean?" This post is for the second group.

The short version: I sit in the gap between web designer and developer, with a layer of operational thinking on top. I don't just make things look nice or write code — I look at how a business actually runs digitally, find the gaps and inefficiencies, and build the systems that fix them.

Let's start with what I'm not

The gap in the middle is where most small businesses fall down. They hire a designer who produces something beautiful that doesn't convert. Or a developer who builds exactly what was asked for — but it's the wrong thing. Or they use off-the-shelf tools that don't quite fit, bodged together with workarounds.

What digital systems design actually involves

A "digital system" is any combination of tools, automations, websites, and workflows that a business uses to operate. Most businesses have one — they've just never thought of it as a system. It's usually a mix of Google Drive, a CRM they barely use, a website that was built three years ago, a booking tool, and WhatsApp for client communication.

My job is to look at that and ask: what's working, what's missing, what's breaking, and what could be much better?

"Most businesses aren't broken. They're just running on systems that were set up quickly and never properly joined together."

Then I build the missing pieces. Sometimes that's a new website. Sometimes it's an automation that connects three tools that should have been talking to each other for years. Sometimes it's a custom app that replaces a spreadsheet everyone hates. Often it's all three.

Who needs a digital systems designer?

You probably don't need one if your business is genuinely simple — a single service, one or two clients at a time, low volume. Off-the-shelf tools will do the job.

You probably do need one if:

• You're spending more than a few hours a week on admin that should be automatic
• Your tools don't talk to each other and you're copying data by hand
• Your website was built years ago and you've outgrown it
• You have an idea for a tool or platform but no idea how to build it
• You're scaling and your current setup is starting to crack under the weight

The difference experience makes

Here's the thing most people miss when they hire a developer or designer: technical skill is only half the picture. The other half is understanding how businesses actually run.

I spent fifteen years in TV production, ran my own small business, worked as a BDM, and spent time as a VA working inside multiple businesses at once. That experience means I can diagnose a problem before I start building. I'm not just executing a brief — I'm questioning whether the brief is right.

A developer who's never run a business will build exactly what you ask for. A digital systems designer who has will tell you when what you're asking for isn't actually what you need.

What working with one looks like

A typical engagement starts with a conversation — not a quote. I want to understand what you're trying to achieve, what's not working, and what the right solution actually looks like before we talk about price.

From there: a scoped proposal with a fixed price, a clear timeline, and regular check-ins through the build. Everything is handed over documented, and you own it completely.

If you're not sure where to start, the Digital Health Check is designed exactly for that — a thorough look at your current setup with a prioritised action plan at the end.