About Michaela Smith
I spent 15 years working on digital products for brands including Discovery Channel, Virgin Radio, LVMH, EasyJet, Audi, the NFL and Virgin Radio. Now I run Diopatra, a web design and UX consultancy for small businesses who want that level of thinking without the agency overhead.
I set up Diopatra because I kept noticing the same gap: small businesses either make do with a template site they built themselves, or hand over a brief to an agency and get something expensive that still does not quite fit. What was missing was someone with real product and UX experience who would actually work with the business, not just take the brief and disappear.
What I do
I design and build websites that are clear, effective and grounded in how real users think and behave. That means understanding your business and your customers before anything is designed, not after.
I work primarily with small and growing service businesses, helping them clarify their offering, build a site that reflects where they are headed, and improve their visibility in search.
Many clients continue to work with me after launch, refining content, improving SEO performance and developing the site as the business grows.
My background
Before Diopatra, I held senior product and UX roles across a wide range of sectors and markets. Some of the clients and employers I have worked with:
Luxury and retail: LVMH, De Beers, Luxury Endless - Travel and transport: British Airways, Priority Pass, EasyJet - Entertainment and media: Discovery Channel, Virgin Radio - Other: NFL, Audi, Gap
I have 15 years of international experience, including developing web and mobile products in multiple languages across European and Asian markets.
My qualifications span UX design, digital product strategy, SEO and modern web technologies. Before moving into freelance consultancy, I spent time inside both large organisations and early-stage startups, which gives me a practical understanding of how decisions actually get made and what it takes to ship something that works.
How I work
I am based in Ealing, West London, and work with clients locally and across the UK.
Projects follow a clear, structured process: discovery, planning, design, build, launch and ongoing support. Most projects run 6 to 10 weeks from first conversation to launch. I work directly with every client throughout. Nothing gets handed off.
If you would like to talk through a project, the first step is a free introductory call. No obligation, no sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about what you need and whether I am the right person to help.
