Hey, I’m Simon.

A dad, a Geordie, and a designer who helps B2B SaaS teams turn confusing products into experiences people actually enjoy using.

I’ve worked on 30+ products, collaborating closely with founders, product managers, and engineers to fix the UX problems that cost customers and revenue.

I don’t do long research reports or get hung up on processes for the sake of it.

My approach is flexible and pragmatic: we figure out what the problem is, wireframe solutions, iterate to high-fidelity prototypes, and launch fast.

Always keeping the user front and centre.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

- 25% uplift in paid conversions + 2X ACV (SendX)
- 30% revenue increase (SiteGuru)
- Upsold existing clients + converted new customers (RealTyme)
- Faster launch to win early customers (Ring4)

I love the variety of projects I get to work on: from payroll to email marketing software. And I love seeing founders and teams get excited about their product again.

It’s rewarding to know that the work I do not only improves the product but rejuvenates the entire team.

When I’m not designing, you’ll find me in Newcastle with my family, following football (I’m a recovering Manchester United fan), testing new tech, or spotting great, and sometimes terrible, UX in the wild.

If you want to fix your UX and create a product that actually converts and retains customers, DM for a chat.

Simon McCade

Canva’s done an incredible job democratising design, but this dashboard is crying out for a spring clean. Cut the clutter, bring back the personality, and give users more control.

It’s busy, repetitive, and oddly impersonal for a brand that prides itself on creativity and clarity. 

Here’s where it could do with a serious tidy-up. 👇 

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱.
If Canva wants teams to collaborate, why hide the button in grey? Make it loud and proud.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸.
For a tool that’s all about speed and flow, one button for everything is a pain. Split it out so users can jump straight into the right type of design.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰.
What will you design today? is fine, but where’s the warmth? A simple greeting with a name would make it feel like Canva actually knows who I am.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀.
Doc? Sheet? What do they actually do? A few hover tooltips would fix that in minutes.

𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁.
Why can’t I reorder the top design types? It’s 2025 people work differently, let them customise it.

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝘀. 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀.
I shouldn’t have to squint to work out what’s mine and what’s shared. It’s confusing and slows people down.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀.
A static question mark buried in the corner isn’t helping anyone. Make it contextual, make it useful, or remove it entirely.

Canva’s a great product, no question. It’s slick, it’s powerful, and it’s made design accessible to millions. 
But let’s be honest: the dashboard feels like it’s been designed by committee.

It’s not about changing what Canva is, it’s about helping it live up to its own promise of being beautifully simple.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments: 👇 
__

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
📌 Repost if you found this useful
📌 DM me for a chat

The SaaS UX guy | Turn more users into long-term paying customers

Everyone thinks good design comes AFTER growth. But, in my experience, good design CREATES growth. This client is the perfect example of that:

A few years back, RealTyme got in touch. 

They’d built a secure communication platform used by some of the most security-conscious organisations in the world. Governments, global enterprises, defence teams. 

But as the platform grew, so did the challenge of keeping everything clear, consistent, and easy to use. 

It’s something I see quite often, a great product that’s evolved quickly, and now needs to bring the design up to the same level as the tech.

So we took it one step at a time. Over three and a half years, I worked closely with their team to:

🔸Redesign the product experience end-to-end
🔸Establish a new visual language so everything felt consistent
🔸Build a design system to help their engineers move faster and more confidently
🔸Gradually shift the product from being sales-led to product-led

None of it happened overnight. But bit by bit, the experience started to feel purposeful, cleaner, and more connected.

The result was a product that not only looked better, but worked better. 

Users could get started faster, support requests dropped, and RealTyme saw a real commercial impact. Happier customers, stronger retention, and more conversions.

As their CEO, Onur, said afterwards:
'We not only gained competitive advantage but also increased customer satisfaction which started to pay off commercially by upselling through existing clients and converting new ones.'
__

Hey, I'm Simon!

I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
📌 Repost if you found this useful
📌 DM me for a chat

I’ve never seen a discount fix a value problem in SaaS. 
Yet every November we give it another go... 🙄 

Every year around this time I see the same thing happen across SaaS. 

Big Black Friday discounts like this one from Adobe start flying about and for a moment it all feels a bit frantic. 

I get why teams do it. It brings people in the door quickly and it gives the numbers a short term lift. The trouble is what happens next.

When someone signs up because of a heavy discount, their expectations rarely match what the product is actually worth. Retention becomes harder. The relationship starts off on the wrong foot. 

One SaaS company that seems to understand this better than most is Notion. 

They never run Black Friday sales. They hold the line on their pricing because they know the value they deliver and they stick to it. 

For SaaS founders this is worth thinking about. When you start cutting money off the price, even with the best intentions, you might be training customers to wait for the next offer rather than building a stable long term relationship. 

Holding your ground on price can feel uncomfortable in the moment but it often pays off in the quality of the users you attract and keep.

__

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
📌 Repost if you found this useful
📌 DM me for a chat

Founders often come to me feeling stuck. They’ve reached the  ‘Something feels off but we can’t put our finger on it’ stage. Design has become a bottleneck. Here’s why:

The front-end engineers are doing their best to make it look good and make it work, but design isn’t really in their wheelhouse. 

Things slow down. Progress stalls.

If you’re running a SaaS, but growth is slowing, design isn’t just about polish. It’s a growth lever.

And by the time I get involved, it’s usually reached the ‘stuck’ stage.

Here’s what I’ve learned after 12 years of helping teams through this:

📌 Early design decisions compound. 
What starts as a quick fix can turn into design debt that’s hard to unravel later.

📌 Founders put off design for too long. 
It feels non-essential at first, but once you’ve got users, design is growth. 

It’s what reduces friction, shortens time-to-value and helps turn trial users into paying customers.

📌 Calm comes from clarity. 

Once we map out the product experience, founders go from feeling “stuck” to feeling in control again.

Make your product easier to use, quicker to learn, and it’ll start doing more of the heavy lifting for you.
__

Curious if you’ve felt that same “bottleneck” moment?
What helped you move past it?

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
📌 Repost if you found this useful
📌 DM me for a chat

Oliver Catt

The Cattalyst

Since starting my own consultancy I have been lucky enough to work with some of the best businesses and companies in the sales industry. 

Some of my big wins include:
•	Increasing sales in one business by over 250% through training needs analysis, coaching, mentoring and additional training
•	Creating a bespoke, extensive skills program for every department and location to enable cross-skilling and protect the business from staff churn resulting in an overall attrition reduction of 33% and internal department transfers increase of 12%
•	Decreasing recruitment costs by more than 25% by introducing intensive senior leadership training to equip leaders with the necessary skills to train, coach and support their teams increasing internal promotions, tenure and employee satisfaction
•	Reduction in compensation and goodwill gestures needing to be offered by more than 17% by hosting calibrations between departments and encouraging information sharing for trends to be established and remedial action implemented

Want to see how we can work together to get similar results? Get in touch and let’s get the ball rolling.

Founder

Call Center Confidence with Cutter & Catt

Running a call center is tough.
Leading a sales team is a challenge.
And there is the fun of having a call center sales team.

Luckily we know what it takes to succeed.
Welcome to the Call Center Confidence Show with Cutter and Catt.

If you own or lead a telesales team - you are in the right place.

If you work in sales and aspire to move into a leadership role, then tune in, take notes, and learn how to create a successful call center sales team.

Each week we will bring you topics to help scale your team, increase profits, and actually feel like you are winning, resulting in a call center you can be proud of.

What you can expect from your two guides - conversations that won’t be overly scripted, definitely not salesy or boring - just filled with as much value as possible.

Co-Founder

RevGenius

Founding Member

Unique Vacations, Ltd.

Employed by UVL to redesign, restructure and direct the learning and development department to create change and to increase business turnover with innovative training and strong leadership. Whilst working for UVL my key responsibilities and achievements include:

•	Directing a team of 8 trainers and 2 training managers across 5 countries (UK, Grenada, St Lucia, Jamaica, Bahamas)
•	Increased revenue business-wide by over 15% in 12 months through a series of coaching, upskilling and sales leadership training
•	Training & development of staff at all levels from front line service personnel to senior management to ensure consistency
o	Extensive skills program created for every department and location to enable cross-skilling and protect the business from staff churn.  Overall attrition down by 33% and department transfers increased by 12%
o	Introduced intensive managerial training to equip leaders with the necessary skills to train, coach and support their teams increasing internal promotions and decreasing recruitment costs by approx. 10%
•	Held weekly leadership development workshops to review the performance of their direct reports and devise training strategies that could be put in place immediately to improve performance 
•	Weekly training calibrations held with QA department to ensure training which was being implemented is fit for purpose and to share trends.  This reduced financial errors (generally consisting of room misquotes and goodwill gestures) by 17%
•	eLearning platform implemented across all sites to create a blended learning program for all employees in order to consume content on the go, be more efficient and save time
•	Responsible for creating revolutionary in-house video content to adapt to all learning styles and needs of the individual trainees and specific departments
•	Multi-site presence to ensure consistency in training design, delivery, strategy, methodology and results

Director of Learning and Development

XLN | for small business

Whilst working for XLN my key responsibilities and achievements include:

•	Leading a team of 7 trainers
•	Weekly, monthly and quarterly reporting of training department results to demonstrate the impact of training vs. sales, quality and CSAT results
•	Increase sales business-wide by over 250% in the last 18 months through training needs analysis, coaching, mentoring and additional training
•	Maintain levels of knowledge and improve speed to competency 
•	Implemented an eLearning system and designed new digital content to align the training of staff across two sites alongside our UK based sales teams
•	Redesigned and delivered an extensive skills training program for the entire business across multiple sales channels and locations
•	Coaching at all levels to ensure that any training undertaken is delivered to a high standard and knowledge is retained by all staff
•	Support the training and development needs of the business and affiliates 
•	Introduced work-based qualifications for all levels to increase the tenure of staff and reputation of the business which has assisted in the reduction of attrition by 7% 
•	Designed and facilitated intensive managerial training package including “Buddy to Boss” coaching and mentoring for peer to management internal promotions
•	Led the training implementation of a new technical services department that had been outsourced for over 5 years
•	Project managing the launch of our new sales partners who are working alongside XLN – both within the UK and internationally
•	Multi-site presence to ensure consistency in training design, delivery, strategy, methodology and results
•	Responsible for XLN wide training needs analysis for existing employees of all levels
•	Design training for external clients and business partners
•	Managing accounts and training knowledge for B2B and B2C

Head of Learning & Development

HGS - Hinduja Global Solutions

Working for an International outsource contact centre managing the learning and development team specialising in customer service, sales, compliance, technical and many other areas that require development. Inclusive of my role I train and coach our internal departments from new inductees right through to existing members of the team.

My key responsibilities were:

•	Set up brand new sites and implement training operations across multiple UK geographies
•	Recruited, constructed and managed new training teams 
•	Responsible for the design, development, implementation and evaluation of all client-specific training requirements
•	Supported the training and development needs of the business and its’ people as a whole across all locations
•	Managing and monitoring teams of trainers across the different UK sites
•	Training Implementation and project manager – Advise, plan and build the initial set up of new business within the company 
•	Compiling and completion of daily reports for our company’s clients and internal Exec Board
•	Extensive on-site presence in all locations to ensure consistency in training design, delivery, strategy, methodology, and results
•	Completing training needs analysis for a vast majority of companies and consult for existing business
•	Assessing the trainers in their delivery and providing them with feedback and coaching
•	Resource planning and delivery of training programs for a vast client base
•	Pre-emptive planning making sure that our Clients’ needs were met
•	Working to set budgets and ensuring that they are not exceeded
•	Having daily client contact to ensure their requirement’s and targets are met

Training and Development Manager

TalkTalk

My original role within the company was a Retentions Advisor, whilst working in this department I also undertook many other responsibilities, including a secondment as a Team Manager and departmental Trainer. I also travelled to other sites within the UK overseeing TalkTalk projects, general business implementation and system migrations. Whilst performing in those roles my responsibilities were:

Trainer
•	Designing and delivering training packages for the department internally and externally 
•	Delivery of company KPI’s and service level agreements
•	Coaching the department in customer service and sales techniques
•	Visiting other sites to train staff and support agents during the implementation of new processes
•	Supporting call centre staff during product and system changes
•	Process mapping for business updates and enhancements
•	Team coaching and performance enhancement

Team Manager
•	Managing Teams of up to 15 people
•	Monitoring and managing the team’s performance and targets
•	Delivery of company KPI’s and service level agreements
•	Handling of escalated customer complaints
•	Supporting contact centre team members during product and system changes
•	Resolving company issues at a CEO level and managing a CEO team

Retention Advisor (sales role)
•	Taking daily calls from customers that wished to terminate their contract and retaining their business
•	Extremely sales orientated role
•	Dealing with customer complaints
•	Liaising with other business to make sure that customers’ needs were met

Retentions and Options Consultant

Scaling your Sales and CX teams whilst saving you money!

I deliver personalized services that large enterprises often overlook.

With over twenty years in Sales, Leadership, and Contact Center expertise, I specialize in turning teams into high-performing units.

I can help you with:

- Sales Training: My expertise in sales training is about more than just tactics; it’s about instilling a success-driven mindset. By elevating sales figures by over 250%, I have demonstrated the impact of strategic training and execution. My methods are designed to harness the potential of your sales team, transforming them into a high-performing unit.

- Leadership Development: I believe strong leadership is the backbone of any thriving business. Through my tailored leadership training programs, I empower individuals to become effective leaders, fostering a positive work environment and driving organizational success. My approach has successfully reduced staff turnover by 33% and boosted internal transfers by 12%.

- Contact Centers: Leveraging my extensive global network, I connect businesses with the best contact centers in the world. This service enhances customer experience and operational efficiency, as evidenced by my collaborations with esteemed clients like VISA, TalkTalk, Sky, and Unilever.

It’s getting out of hand!

Anyone else doing this right now?

I just used AI to make a picture and apparently I’m now hosting the world’s biggest travel advisor conference.

Did it cost me anything
No

Did it take more than 10 seconds
Also no

Does it look like I hired a full design team and booked out a convention center...

Absolutely

And this is the problem

I don’t even know what to believe anymore on social media

Half the posts I see look like someone is speaking at a global summit when in reality they’re probably in their kitchen wearing slippers trying to hide yesterday’s dishes

So here’s some honesty

This is not a 500 person travel event

This is me playing with AI. 

But this would have been cool if this was real

Shean and I both logged into this recording looking like Starsky and Hutch on their day off

Neither of us planned it. 
Neither of us mentioned it. 

Yet somehow we both turned up in full 80s cardigan energy like we were about to solve crimes, not film a podcast.

For the past couple of years I have been working with the amazing team over at ONVIGO, helping their independent travel advisors and leadership grow, develop, and strengthen their businesses.

And for the past year I have been hosting a private internal podcast with their leadership team. 

These sessions are where the best conversations happen. 

Zero filters. Real stories. Real lessons.

This episode with Shean Carmichael, Director of Host Agency Operations, had everything. 

Funny moments, real challenges, and a classic travel industry laugh out loud  truths

These are the recordings I love. 

Honest. Helpful. 

And apparently dressed by the same 1980s wardrobe department.

My five year old’s Christmas magic was destroyed by her kindergarten teacher yesterday.

And honestly, I am still trying to figure out if that should ever be allowed to happen.

Here is the situation.

Her teacher is religious.
She does not believe in Santa.

That is her belief and I respect that completely.

But she told an entire class of five year olds that Santa is not real.

No conversation with the parents.
No consideration for the fact that every family has their own traditions and beliefs.

No awareness of what that does to a child at that age.

My daughter came home confused and upset 

And wondering why her teacher said something completely different from what she knows and loves.

I get it

Everyone is free to believe what they believe.

Everyone is free to raise their children how they choose.

But should a teacher ever be the one to take that magic away from a child?

Or should the line be…

If it is not your belief

Send the child home to speak with their parents
And let us handle it?

I am not here to start a war
I genuinely want to hear everyone’s perspective

Parents
Teachers
People with strong beliefs
People with no beliefs
People who grew up with Santa
People who didn’t

Where is the line?

Should a kindergarten teacher be correcting a child’s Christmas magic

Or should that always stay within the home?

I’m open to all opinions

No alternative text description for this image

If your camera roll doesn’t look like a police lineup of “every face you pull while filming LinkedIn videos”… you’re missing out

Seriously.

This is my camera roll every single week.

15 versions of the same 20-second clip.

Different angles.
Different lighting.
Different levels of “did I really choose THIS face?”

But here’s the thing…

This is what prospecting actually looks like in 2025.

Not spam.
Not cold pitches.

Not copying and pasting the same tired message to 200 strangers.

It’s showing your face.
It’s sending real videos.

It’s creating genuine connections with people you actually want to build relationships with.

Because when someone sees you…

your tone, your energy, your personality…

It hits differently.

They know you’re a real human, not another bot sliding into their DMs.

So yes… my camera roll looks like a blooper reel.

And yes… I’ll keep doing it.

Because it works.
Because it builds relationships.

And because in a world full of noise, the most powerful thing you can do is show up as yourself.

If your camera roll isn’t full of half-blinking, mid-sentence screenshots…

You might not be prospecting hard enough.

New Member Spotlight: Hadifa Husein

I’m delighted to welcome Hadifa Husein, a Travel Advisor based in Canada, to Coaching Agents Through Travel.

Hadifa specialises in Halal Tourism, curating faith-conscious travel experiences for Muslim travellers who want to explore the world without compromise. From discovering halal-friendly destinations and resorts with women-only beaches, to private villas, luxury hotels with halal options, and budget-friendly stays designed with Muslim travellers in mind, Hadifa crafts itineraries that beautifully balance faith, fun, and relaxation.

Fun fact: A couple of little-known details about Hadifa, she loves cosy coffee shops and the scent of freshly brewed coffee, and finds flower shops with their cool, fresh air simply amazing. It’s a lovely glimpse into her appreciation for simple joys and peaceful spaces, the same thoughtfulness she brings to her clients’ travel experiences.

Join us in giving Hadifa a warm CATT community welcome, we’re so pleased to have her with us and can’t wait to see the impact she continues to make in the world of faith-conscious travel.

Follow and connect with her on LinkedIn.

taplio

The Battle

Simon McCade

Oliver Catt

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreSimon McCade's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreOliver Catt's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Simon McCade

Oliver Catt

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Simon McCade's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreOliver Catt's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreSimon McCade's LinkedIn Performance