Sports Interactive
During my long tenure at Sports Interactive, I led UI/UX for the Football Manager series - a deep, information-rich game played by millions annually across desktop, console, and mobile. I helped evolve the experience while balancing innovation with the expectations of a passionate, highly engaged community - contributing to the growth of the player base from 1M to over 10M annually.
Building for the future
In my final years at the studio, I led the UI/UX overhaul for Football Manager 2026. While details remain under wraps, it coincided with a major engine transition - requiring every screen in the game (hundreds in total) to be rebuilt from the ground up.
I designed a new system that adapts fluidly across platforms and devices, making the most of each one’s strengths. It’s built to scale and sets the foundation for future releases.
“Jesper elevated the products and team capabilities day after day with a calm, collected demeanour, inspiring ideas, and fast-paced execution. Any team would be fortunate to have him leading their design efforts.”
— Paul Vauvrey, Lead Game Designer (ex-SI, now Supercell)
Evolving a loved product
Before that, I led the game’s information architecture and design system. Across more than a decade, I drove three major UI overhauls - modernising core structures, enabling new features, improving usability, and aligning with evolving player expectations and platform standards.
Designing for a franchise with its roots in the 90's came with unique challenges: entrenched user habits, legacy code, and an audience that valued both familiarity and depth. Each transformation had to be introduced with care - evolving the experience without losing what made it special.
Feature work
While much of my work was systemic, I also led the design of key features. Over the years, I touched almost every part of the product - from advanced tool-like systems to simple visualisations.
Validating the work
I regularly ran and participated in playtests, usability studies, and surveys. I also closely followed community discussions - from forums to Reddit - using player feedback to challenge assumptions and inform direction
I believe in strong product vision guided by intuition, research, and lived experience - working together to steer good design.
Visual Craft
I owned the visual design of the UI — including iconography, buttons, and styling.
Visual design in Football Manager was a tightrope walk. The data is the product, and players want density over flair - but we also had to make it approachable for newcomers. Each yearly release needed a fresh look aligned with the brand, often with tight deadlines. I built systems that enabled for rapid updates of assets with minimal friction.
Hands On Execution
I’ve always believed designers should get close to the product. I worked hand-in-hand with engineers and spent significant time in-engine - polishing screens, fixing front-end bugs, and implementing UI details using the game’s custom XML-based toolkit.
Scaling design as a discipline
As the studio scaled, I grew the design team - hiring, mentoring, and building scalable processes to support an expanding pipeline. I worked cross-functionally with engineers, product leads, and leadership to ensure design had a strategic seat at the table.
I tailored my leadership style to each designer’s needs and led workshops, rituals, and brainstorming sessions across departments. I also spearheaded smooth transitions between design tools - from Photoshop to Sketch, then Sketch to Figma - always pushing for better workflows and faster iteration.
Designing Football Manager often felt more like building productivity software than making a traditional game. It’s dense with filters, tools, and simulation systems - but it also has to be fun and immersive.
Balancing that tension between power and play became the heart of the challenge. It taught me to design for clarity, usability, and player trust - principles that still shape how I approach product design today.