Systems thinker. Visual storyteller. Brand builder.

I'm Gabriel Leni.
Product & Visual Designer.
London, UK.

I’m a Senior Designer based in London, UK.

I make your life easier by owning design projects, make them work, and make/save you money.

Mangahigh

Education Technology, EdTech
London, UK

Led Mangahigh’s product, brand, games and marketing design,
cutting production time by 90% while driving adoption and engagement.

Buro Happold

Architecture, Engineering & Consulting
London, UK

Leading visual communication across international architecture, engineering and infrastructure projects, creating information design, data visualisation, digital experiences, motion and 3D in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

Clean Cooling Network ~
University of Birmingham

Climate Change and Academia.
London, UK

Design consultancy for Cold-chain and Climate Change organisation.

Handmade Illustrations

Graphite, Charcoal, Coloured Pencils & Others.

This series features hyperreal pencil portraits of icons like Dave Gahan, Grimes, Utada Hikaru, and Bruce Lee, blending technical skill with a unique take on celebrity and identity.

Gabriel has excelled on every project with exceptional design skills and a thoughtful and meticulous approach that has blown me away every time.

He is exceptionally talented in visualising and bringing your brand goals to life, and approaches each project with that overall vision in mind.

If you want a reliable, consistent, and beautiful brand design that connects with your audience then you’re in safe hands with Gabriel. 11/10!

Cesar Gamio

Founder & CEODharma Centre for Workplace Wellbeing

Gabriel did a fantastic job on urgent
Game Design projects!

He was communicative, responsive to feedback, and thoughtful in how he translated ideas into strong, user-centered design concepts.

His background in designing educational games and working on the UX of MangaHigh’s products was clearly evident— he brought both creativity and usability to the table.

And the best part? It worked. We saw record engagement, and schools still talk about it years later. Overall, Gabriel was a pleasure to work with!

Toby Rowland

Founder & CEOKing / Candy Crush

Back at Mangahigh, we were brainstorming how to boost student engagement— While the rest of us were still figuring out how it might work, Gabriel quietly sketched out the entire framework!

Landing pages designed to convert.

Leaderboards that kept schools coming back daily.

Trophies and digital medals that made kids feel like heroes.

It wasn’t just design. It was systems thinking, gamification, and emotionally intelligent storytelling, all wrapped into one cohesive experience.

If you’re lucky enough to have Gabriel Leni on your team—hold on tight! He is incredible.

Mohit Midha

Founder & CEOMangahigh / Blue Duck Education / Hoogly

Back at Mangahigh, we were brainstorming how to boost student engagement— While the rest of us were still figuring out how it might work, Gabriel quietly sketched out the entire framework!

Landing pages designed to convert.

Leaderboards that kept schools coming back daily.

Trophies and digital medals that made kids feel like heroes.

It wasn’t just design. It was systems thinking, gamification, and emotionally intelligent storytelling, all wrapped into one cohesive experience.

If you’re lucky enough to have Gabriel Leni on your team—hold on tight! He is incredible.

Mohit Midha

Founder & CEOMangahigh / Blue Duck Education / Hoogly

Mangahigh

Mangahigh, a global EdTech company, underwent a major brand evolution under my direction and direct involvement, improving consistency, efficiency, and market positioning.

Branding Strategy & Brand Management

As Lead Designer at Mangahigh, I led the brand evolution, cut production time and costs, and built a visual system for fast global rollouts and stronger brand recognition.

Key contributions:

  • Cut campaign production time by 90% by streamlining workflows and mentoring designers

  • Created Mangahigh’s full visual identity, from logo to color system

  • Built unified brand architecture across all products

  • Delivered global campaigns that boosted user growth and engagement

  • Built reusable design systems to cut costs and maintain brand consistency

  • Boosted brand awareness, validated by testing and internal metrics

Product Design & DesignOps

As Lead Product Designer at Mangahigh, I was responsible for the UX and UI of the company’s core products—including the main website and the full Teacher and Student Experience. I led a multidisciplinary design team and worked closely with developers, stakeholders, and the C-suite to redefine the product vision and improve usability across the board.

Key contributions:

  • Led and mentored a team of UX/UI designers and artists to deliver high-impact, user-focused solutions

  • Collaborated cross-functionally with developers and executives to align design direction with product goals

  • Conducted in-depth analysis of student and teacher user journeys to identify pain points and optimize flows

  • Created two custom Design Systems tailored to the distinct needs of teacher and student interfaces

  • Redesigned core product experiences to enhance usability, accessibility, and visual coherence

  • Achieved 70–90% increases in conversion and task success rates after implementation

KPIs Test A: Current Platform Test B: Implementing New Features
Task Success Rate
80%
90%
Time on Task
66.9s
29s
Mis-click Rate
55%
33%

Game Design

As Lead Product Designer at Mangahigh, I helped shape the company’s most engaging educational games by blending strong visual design with pedagogical intent. My collaboration with Toby Rowland (Founder and former CEO of King, creators of Candy Crush) led to Beavers Build It!, Mangahigh’s most played multiplayer game, focused on fractions and proportions.

Key contributions:

  • Led the full development of Beavers Build It! from concept and GDD to final design, including all characters, animations, and UI assets

  • Created original music and sound effects to enhance gameplay and student immersion

  • Worked on multiple other titles such as Jetstream Riders, RoboOps, Bubble Function, and Little Rain Cloud

  • Designed game assets, contributed music, supported game design, and participated in hands-on testing across all titles

  • Helped drive student engagement through games that made abstract math concepts fun and accessible

  • Demonstrated creative leadership and full production ownership, which led to my promotion to Lead Designer at Mangahigh

Multimedia and Marketing

As Lead Designer at Mangahigh, I managed and executed the production of digital and print assets that significantly reduced costs and turnaround times while boosting engagement with students and teachers. From concept to delivery, I ensured every asset served a strategic purpose—supporting marketing goals, streamlining operations, and strengthening global brand recognition.

Key contributions:

  • Designed scalable templates and communication materials that reduced design time and agency spend

  • Produced engaging instructional videos and merchandising that increased classroom participation

  • Created event stands, trophies, and medals that elevated the brand’s presence at global education events

  • Delivered dozens of end-to-end marketing campaigns with faster launch cycles and measurable engagement gains

  • Composed and produced the company’s jingle to reinforce brand identity in a memorable, student-friendly way

  • Helped establish Mangahigh as a global edtech leader while improving educator buy-in through consistent, high-impact visuals

Buro Happold

Buro Happold is a global engineering and consultancy practice working across the built environment. As a Senior Visual Communications Designer, I work with multidisciplinary teams to translate complex technical information into clear and engaging visual communication.

Visual Communication & Information Design

My work spans international architecture, engineering and infrastructure projects across information design, data visualisation, presentations, digital experiences, motion and 3D.

Key contributions:

  • Develop visual systems and information design for complex multidisciplinary projects.
  • Create data visualisations, presentations and digital experiences for technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Produce motion, interactive and 3D content using After Effects, Cinema 4D and Unreal Engine.
  • Collaborate with specialists across architecture, engineering and other technical disciplines.
  • Line-manage and mentor junior designers, providing design review and creative guidance.

 

Selected project work is confidential and cannot be displayed publicly.

Clean Cooling Network ~ Design Consultancy

The Clean Cooling Network (CCN) is a global initiative led by the University of Birmingham and international partners, aiming to advance sustainable cooling and cold-chain solutions. It focuses on improving food security, health, and rural livelihoods in developing regions through climate-friendly technologies and knowledge-sharing platforms.

CCN actively participates in international events to promote sustainable cooling solutions, featuring workshops, demonstrations, and policy discussions on sustainable cooling practices. Additionally, CCN contributed to discussions on clean cooling at COP28, held in Dubai.

Summary

  • Provided consultancy and design support for communications and outreach materials

  • Collaborated with researchers and policy experts to distill complex climate and engineering data

  • Created impactful visual content for global stakeholders in sustainability and development

Key Achievements

  • Designed presentations, infographics, and brochures used at major international events, including COP and forums in the UK, Dubai, and Rwanda

  • Helped communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences, from policymakers to grassroots organizations

  • Contributed to the visibility and accessibility of climate-friendly cooling solutions through clear, audience-tailored design

 

 

Hand-Drawn Illustrations

This series features hyperreal pencil portraits of figures like Dave Gahan, Grimes, Utada Hikaru, and Bruce Lee, along with vibrant coloured pencil works. Each piece is crafted with precision, capturing not just likeness but the essence of these cultural icons. Having participated in multiple exhibitions, this project blends technical expertise with a fresh artistic take on celebrity and identity.