Makers and Facilitators

Meet Ben – Designer, Mentor, and Advocate for Better Hardware Product Development For more than 30 years, Ben has been helping people turn good ideas into well-made, dependable products. He works alongside teams to improve how products are developed — making the process faster, more thoughtful, and more likely to succeed. Ben’s approach is built on experience. He has guided teams through everything from early-stage prototyping to full-scale production, always aiming to balance speed with rigour. Rather than relying on rushed trial-and-error, he encourages smarter design and testing methods that reduce risk, improve reliability, and lead to better results. Earlier in his career, Ben was part of the senior leadership at two of the UK’s most respected design consultancies — IDC and PDD — where he worked with researchers, psychologists, and engineers to champion Human-Centred Design. He helped shape company-wide systems that met global quality standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, ensuring good ideas could be turned into real-world products with confidence. Today, through his company Interactual Limited, Ben supports clients ranging from ambitious start-ups to established global brands. His work spans sustainable design, additive manufacturing, smart factories, and circular economy models. For start-ups and small businesses, he offers clear, practical guidance — from refining ideas to building and testing — helping them avoid costly mistakes, make the most of limited resources, and launch with confidence. Whatever the scale, he brings technical depth and a steady hand in turning complex challenges into commercially viable solutions. At heart, Ben values working with people who want to make things better — not just for the market, but for the world we share.