Large-scale regulated enterprise · Internal systems · NDA-restricted

Enterprise operational

governance at scale

Enterprise operational

governance at scale

Client:

Heathrow Airport

Domain:

Enterprise incident reporting & operational systems

Role:

Lead Product Designer

Focus:

Risk reduction, system clarity, multi-role workflows

Status:

Delivered under NDA

Client:

Heathrow Airport

Domain:

Enterprise incident reporting & operational systems

Role:

Lead Product Designer

Focus:

Risk reduction, system clarity, multi-role workflows

Status:

Delivered under NDA

Client:

Heathrow Airport

Domain:

Enterprise incident reporting & operational systems

Role:

Lead Product Designer

Focus:

Risk reduction, system clarity, multi-role workflows

Status:

Delivered under NDA

This project focused on improving an internal incident reporting system used in Heathrow Airport's live operational environment. The work prioritised clarity, auditability, and decision support across multiple operational user roles, operating under time pressure and strict regulatory constraints.

This project focused on improving an internal incident reporting system used in Heathrow Airport's live operational environment. The work prioritised clarity, auditability, and decision support across multiple operational user roles, operating under time pressure and strict regulatory constraints.

This project focused on improving an internal incident reporting system used in Heathrow Airport's live operational environment. The work prioritised clarity, auditability, and decision support across multiple operational user roles, operating under time pressure and strict regulatory constraints.

Enterprise systems

Enterprise systems

Enterprise systems

Systems thinking

Systems thinking

Systems thinking

NDA-restricted

NDA-restricted

NDA-restricted

Regulated environments

Regulated environments

Regulated environments

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This project was delivered under a strict NDA. The content below focuses on design decisions, system logic, and outcomes rather than proprietary UI or implementation details.

This project was delivered under a strict NDA. The content below focuses on design decisions, system logic, and outcomes rather than proprietary UI or implementation details.

This project was delivered under a strict NDA. The content below focuses on design decisions, system logic, and outcomes rather than proprietary UI or implementation details.

Challenge

Designing internal systems for a global aviation organisation requires balancing clarity, reliability, and speed under strict regulatory constraints.

Designing internal systems for a global aviation organisation requires balancing clarity, reliability, and speed under strict regulatory constraints.

The challenge was to improve an existing platform while respecting established operational practices, working within technical limitations, and avoiding disruption to critical enterprise workflows. The goal was not transformation for its own sake, but measured improvement that could scale responsibly.

The challenge was to improve an existing platform while respecting established operational practices, working within technical limitations, and avoiding disruption to critical enterprise workflows. The goal was not transformation for its own sake, but measured improvement that could scale responsibly.

My role &

scope

I led discovery and solution shaping in close collaboration with stakeholders, delivery, and engineering teams.

I led discovery and solution shaping in close collaboration with stakeholders, delivery, and engineering teams.

  • Structuring workflows to support governance and accountability

  • Improving hierarchy and system clarity

  • Shaping scalable, repeatable governance patterns

Key

design

decisions

Rather than focusing on surface-level redesign, the work prioritised system structure and governance patterns.

Rather than focusing on surface-level redesign, the work prioritised system structure and governance patterns.

Designing for structure, not novelty

Designing for structure, not novelty

Design decisions emphasised reliability and clarity over visual change, ensuring the system supported confident use in a regulated environment.

Design decisions emphasised reliability and clarity over visual change, ensuring the system supported confident use in a regulated environment.

Clarifying roles and responsibilities

Clarifying roles and responsibilities

Clear role separation and hierarchy were introduced to reduce ambiguity and support consistent decision-making across internal teams.

Clear role separation and hierarchy were introduced to reduce ambiguity and support consistent decision-making across internal teams.

Supporting repeatable governance patterns

Supporting repeatable governance patterns

I shaped workflows to support accountability, consistency, and repeatability to encourage accountability, consistency, and oversight, enabling governance to scale beyond individual use cases.

I shaped workflows to support accountability, consistency, and repeatability to encourage accountability, consistency, and oversight, enabling governance to scale beyond individual use cases.

Outcome

  • Positive stakeholder feedback

  • Improved confidence in internal tooling

  • Clearer governance and oversight patterns

  • Follow on engagement to explore future R&D initiatives

Impact was measured through trust, clarity, and adoption rather than surface-level change.

Impact was measured through trust, clarity, and adoption rather than surface-level change.

Retrospective

  • Systems thinking is essential in regulated enterprise environments

  • Trust is built through clarity, consistency, and restraint

  • Good design often means knowing what not to change

  • Governance can and should be intentionally designed

Further details regarding Heathrow partnership and cloud governance.

Further details regarding Heathrow partnership and cloud governance.

Further details regarding Heathrow partnership and cloud governance.

Want to know more?

If you're working on something complex, high -stakes or creative, I'd be interested to hear about it.

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Currently available: For selected projects starting Q1 2026

© Sam Jones 2026

Want to know more?

If you're working on something complex, high -stakes or creative, I'd be interested to hear about it.

Copy email

Currently available: For selected projects starting Q1 2026

© Sam Jones 2026

Want to know more?

If you're working on something complex, high -stakes or creative, I'd be interested to hear about it.

Copy email

Currently available: For selected projects starting Q1 2026

© Sam Jones 2026