About
What I do
I work across design, code, and accessibility to solve the right problems early so teams can move faster, design smarter, and create better experiences for everyone.
I'm Daniel Henderson-Ede, a Design Engineer who is system-minded and loves accessibility. I've spent the last 8+ years making complex things simpler at companies like Pinterest, CVS Health, and the UK Government.
I'm currently the Principle Consultant at Mantis & Co.
What people say about me
Daniel consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of accessibility principles, playing a pivotal role in various initiatives. From research and training with Fable to component audits, accessibility annotations, documentation, and SME consultancy, Daniel's expertise was invaluable. Besides, his advocacy for accessibility helped shape our training program, ensuring that our team is well-equipped to create inclusive designs.
Cintia Romero Senior Product Designer, Accessibility & Design Systems, Pinterest
Daniel is one of very few people I've worked with where collaboration feels effortless, effective, and fun. You're lucky to get one or maybe even two of those things, but he's the real deal. The depth and breadth of Daniel's knowledge is not to be underestimated. If you left him on an island with nothing but a sketch of a button, he'd probably have a fully accessible design system built for you in two weeks, as well as a plan for change management and training your entire organization.
Jan Maarten Senior Accessibility Designer, GitHub
Working with Daniel and getting an inside look at what makes a good design system was a highlight of my time at CVS. Every time we connected, he taught me something new or gave me something different to think about. I appreciated that Daniel would go above and beyond to solicit feedback about the design system components he was working on. He took a challenging role -- defining accessibility behavior for an enterprise design system -- and made it seem easy.
Julian Kittelson-Aldred Lead Mobile Accessibility Consultant, Southwest Airlines
Daniel is a star player and one of the most knowledgable and skilled accessibility and system designers I have had the pleasure of working with. He brings a unique perspective to the team through his knowledge of not just accessible design but also his technical understanding of how the Web functions. His skills are extremely valuable and rare. Without a doubt, Daniel is one of the best people I've ever worked with.
Amanda Crisp Design System Lead Designer, CVS Health
Why I'm here
I started as a full-stack engineer, but I naturally gravitated toward design. After earning my NN/g UX certification, I landed in the space where design meets development and I haven't looked back.
What drives me is creating accessible experiences that improve real people's lives. I'm fortunate to get to do this work to support my wife (Emma), our dog (Ashwa), and four guinea pigs with way too much personality: Nutmeg, Truffle, Bournville, and Junior. I never take that for granted.
What I believe
If you feel I am ever not following my own principles, please reach out to me so I can make changes.
Systems should serve people
A well-designed website, app, or component only matters if it helps real people do better work or have better experiences. I design and develop for clarity, reusability, and long-term impact.
Evolution over perfection
Whether it's design or code, I create systems that are built to evolve. I treat every project with flexibility and openness, and I welcome feedback as a chance to improve it.
Always learning and sharing
I've been lucky to learn from some brilliant people, and I do my best to pass that on in internal documentation, by giving public talks, or just pairing with someone new. So please reach out!