Skyscanner appoints Skype’s former principal design director

The former principal design director at Skype is joining Skyscanner in the newly-created role of global design director.

The former principal design director at Skype is joining Skyscanner in the newly-created role of global design director.

Steve ‘Buzz’ Pearce will head the travel search site’s expanding worldwide team of 27 designers across ten offices.

Pearce, who is based in the tech company’s London office, will recruit further design talent to the existing team during the year.

He is responsible for ensuring coherence in design across Skyscanner’s offerings while also developing new, “bar-raising” initiatives.

Chief executive, Gareth Williams, said: “We’re a data driven technology company at our heart, and Steve combines scientific and artistic nous with an exceptional track record in crafting products that are embedded in our daily lives.

“As Skyscanner continues to grow and develop at pace, Steve will steer the product design and direction of our brand, ensuring a coherent experience for users.”

Pearce said: “Shaping the future of a company growing so rapidly – over 50 million users – is incredibly exciting.

“The opportunities for a designer at Skyscanner are massive and varied, from conceptual modelling, codifying signature interactions, to atomic design systems and tooling, and mass experimentation.

“We continue to build a design team who understand the power of design thinking and tight collaboration.”

Skyscanner welcomed five new investment partners to support further global growth in January, and reported its seventh year of double digit growth in February, seeing revenues increase to £120 million.