Darcy O'Connor.
Senior Design Manager at PokerStars.
I cut my teeth in Australia, working at BMF and Big Red and learning from some of advertising’s real titans, including Ted Horton. Now based in the UK, I head up design globally at PokerStars.
I began my career focused on typography, identity and the details that make brands feel right. Over time, the role expanded. Less about individual outputs, more about how brand holds together across campaigns, products and markets.
Today, my work is about creating clarity within complexity. Aligning teams, ideas and execution so things move faster without losing consistency or craft. Still very hands-on. Still care about how things look and feel. Just with a wider lens on how it all fits together.
Strong brands come from clear systems, not isolated executions.
Creative leadership is about enabling teams, not controlling outcomes.
Design should simplify complexity, not add to it.
Technology and AI are tools for ideas, not replacements for them.
I’m particularly interested in how emerging tools and AI are reshaping creative workflows, and how design can adapt without losing the thinking and craft behind it.
The barrier to entry for creative has never been lower. Ideas that once needed budget, time and full production setups can now be explored and brought to life much earlier in the process. The pace has shifted.
It’s a different landscape and one worth staying close to. Not to chase the tools, but to understand where they add value. Identifying where craft and judgement still matter most.
