Entertaining audiences for hundres of years

At DC Thomson, home to Beano, Stylist, and more, I combine strategy, creativity, and collaboration to deliver design solutions that align user needs with business goals.

Antonio Rego

Head of UX Design

Developing the

.Design Practice

Multiple Brands & Digital Transformation

Designers

Top Brands

Communities

Subscribers

.Building the Practice

The Approach

Discovery

This phase builds empathy for our challenges and aligns with our goals.

Competitor analysis, user interviews, and journey mapping used to uncover needs and pain points. Projects begin with clear evidence and alignment between user goals and business objectives.

Validation

Validate whether the concept from the discovery phase is ready for development.

Rapid prototyping and usability testing applied to validate ideas early. Concepts refined before build, reducing risk and ensuring intuitive, user-friendly, commercially viable solutions.

Refinement

Refining concepts based on feedback, ensuring designs are ready for handover.

Designs improved through feedback and analytics, with attention to usability, accessibility, and interactions. Iterative cycles raised product quality and delivered measurable impact.

Idea Generation Toolkit

Empowering cross-functional teams with the right tools and people to drive faster, smarter delivery from concept to execution.

70%

of prototypes validated before build phase.

Tracked via usability test feedback and validation sessions against business/user success criteria.

25+

Cross-functional workshops facilitated over the years.

Bringing design, product, editorial, and engineering together.

95%

Of Design outputs met delivery deadlines.

Tracked against agreed sprint goals and release timelines.

Turning insight into impact

I help drive DC Thomson’s digital transformation, embedding user-centred design into product development and shifting the company toward a digital-first mindset. By championing research, prototyping, and testing, I enable teams to deliver faster, smarter, and more impactful digital products.

Data-Driven

Analytics + Insights
Spotting behaviour patterns

Metrics that Matter
Tracking retention + engagement

Closing the Loop
Iterating with real data

FAQs

What’s your leadership style?

I lead with collaboration and empowerment. My focus is on creating clarity of vision, giving teams the space to explore, and guiding them with constructive feedback. I believe the best design outcomes come from a culture of trust, curiosity, and shared ownership.

How do you balance business goals with user needs?

I treat them as interconnected. By starting with user insights and validating solutions through testing, I ensure the design delivers measurable impact for users. At the same time, I align design outcomes with business priorities so that products achieve both customer satisfaction and commercial success.

What’s been your biggest achievement at DC Thomson?

Evolving the design practice itself. Beyond delivering successful products, I’m proud of establishing repeatable research and testing processes, building a design system that scales across brands, and mentoring a high-performing UX team that consistently raises the standard of work.

How do you approach collaboration with non-design stakeholders?

I see collaboration as essential. I work closely with product managers, engineers, editors, and commercial teams to ensure design fits seamlessly within wider business objectives. My approach is transparent and inclusive, bringing people into the design process through workshops, prototypes, and open communication.

How do you keep your skills and knowledge up to date?

I stay engaged with the design community, attend industry conferences, and continuously experiment with new tools and methods. I also learn from my team. Mentorship is two-way, and encouraging exploration helps me stay adaptable and informed.

Case Studies

From Downloads to Daily Players

Building Habits in the Puzzler App

View Case Study

The First Word in Energy

Expanding the marketplace • Crosspollination

Coming soon...