Q&A with Phil Hammel, our Principal Product Designer
There are tons of articles and debate around the IC v Management career path in tech companies. But it’s never a one-size fits all idea and still a (relatively) new approach to getting the best out of people and building high-performing teams.
I sat down with Phil Hammel, our Principal Product Designer to learn a bit more about what a Principal Designer does at Deliveroo and how he approaches the role
Hey Phil! Who are you?
Hey folks, I’m Phil. A Product Designer currently based in London. I’ve been in the industry for about 15ish years and come from a graphic design and advertising background. I got into product design about 9 years ago and never looked back.
I have a 4 year old son who occupies most of my time but I do try to find time to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which I’m extremely passionate about. I also like hiking, baking sourdough, the odd bit of climbing and I’m always on the hunt for great coffee. I’m basically the classic designer cliche.
Thanks for the intro! So, what’s your favourite thing about working for Deliveroo?
First is obviously the people. I know everyone always says this, but the difference here is that I actually mean it. I work with a whole bunch of super talented, humble people who care about what they’re working on, why they’re working on it, and how they approach that work.
Second is the tangible impact that I can have on the product. While growing rapidly, Deliveroo is still at a size where you can see the impact of the work you do in a pretty short space of time. Being able to have an idea, then work with your peers and counterparts to prioritise and ship that work, all within a sprint or two, never gets old.
How would you explain your role as Principal Product Designer to someone outside of the organisation, or a dummy like me?
I generally get to float around the organisation, sticking my nose into a bunch of places I think are interesting and where I think I can add value.
What that means in practical terms is that I cover a wide variety of projects, collaborating with cross functional peers to provide design thinking, helping define the future experience we want to deliver and providing input on the strategy of how we might get there.
I also collaborate with other designers across the org, producing hands-on design work, jamming on ideas, identifying opportunities based on research and data, and provide regular feedback to make sure we’re delivering the highest quality work possible.
We’re hiring for another you, you know.. What do you think people should know before applying?
First of all, the last thing Deliveroo needs is another me. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. That aside, the thing people should know about this role is that it’s super ambiguous. Nobody can really tell you what you’re supposed to do, but everyone has super high expectations so the accountability is real. It’s kinda incumbent on you to define your role and figure out how to deliver the most impact for the business and our customers.
There are 4 key areas that you need to be competent in to be successful in this role. Leadership, craft, business awareness and communication and you have to be really comfortable flexing between these areas regularly. If you hate ambiguity, struggle with context switching and love clearly defined scope, then this role isn’t for you.
You’re one of our key guardians for the craft, what are they essential things you look for in people joining the organisation?
Generalists. Having a broad range of skills means you can have impact on many different projects at different stages to help drive progress forward.
Detail oriented. Having a high level of care and attention in anything you’re doing. Writing documentation, communicating with stakeholders, working out complex user flows or crafting beautiful interactions, attention to detail is critical.
No brilliant assholes. I strongly believe that you can be nice and still get great shit done, and the folks at Deliveroo make this statement 100% accurate.
Introspection time. What’s the last thing that inspired you?
Honestly, my son inspires me every day. Watching him explore the world and learn new things every day is both exhausting and rewarding. His determination, his bravery, his playfulness, his kindness, his desire to learn, all inspires me to be a better person and someone he is proud of. Also, literally everything Brené Brown says is an inspirational gift to the world.
I asked other members of the Experience team how they see the Principal role at Deliveroo, and where it adds value;
Stuart Frisby — Design Director;
“A Principal Designer is a pretty special role within a team like ours. Someone operating at that level has demonstrated that they are able to consistently produce incredibly high-quality design work, often in less than ideal circumstances, whilst doing lots of stakeholder management and engaging with other technical disciplines and working with other designers to help move the work along, whilst balancing often competing business objectives and complex user needs.
This is a daunting set of things to have to juggle, and in most cases what sets someone apart and makes them a Principal is actually this juggling and not the design work itself.”
Ruth Gamble — Senior Design Manager;
“Phil spends his time leading by example to ensure the experiences we produce are seamless & cohesive. Whether its collaborating with designer managers/ stakeholders to set the design direction/ vision, establishing & promoting our design language, connecting the dots across teams and designers or sharing his knowledge skills to drive best practice — his role involves many hats!”
Lydia Riddell — Senior Product Designer
“The most senior of product design ICs at Deliveroo are a rare breed that live both deep in the weeds of Figma files, and out in the open representing the rest of us to the wider company.”
“On an individual level, I look to the Principal to actively identify ways they can help me become a better designer. I count on Phil to have 20:20 vision, helping me understand how my work fits into the bigger picture both stylistically and strategically, and supporting my development in areas such as UI consistency.”
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We’re always on the lookout for talented designers, managers, and brilliant but humble people. If these words have resonated with you, and you’re interested in working with Phil and the rest of our amazing Experience team, then you can send in an application below or reach out to me directly via email; dominic.moss@deliveroo.co.uk
