Design systems innovator returns to The Working Party as CTO

Dominik Wilkowski is not your typical CTO. On the surface, his achievements – developing one of the first enterprise design systems in Australia and the third for a federal government globally – have been true innovations. But beneath the code and technical vision lies a leader whose real passion is not just in building digital infrastructure but in building people and teams.

After 10 years working for multi-billion dollar businesses like Shopify and Westpac, Dom’s career comes full circle returning to The Working Party as our first Chief Technology Officer. In this role, he will shape the future of the company across technical advancement and team unification.

As we welcome Dom back, here’s a look at his incredible career so far and what we have in store:

A pioneer in design systems 

Much of Dom’s career has been dedicated to the breakthrough of design systems, a field that focuses on unifying digital products through reusable components and teaching different disciplines to collaborate more effectively. These systems are essential for organisations aiming for functional efficiency and visual coherence across platforms and teams. 

In 2014, Westpac Group identified an opportunity for code efficiencies and stronger visual consistency across their portfolio of brands. They engaged The Working Party to support this solution, where the program of work required for Australia’s first ever multi-brand design system was born. Dom, The Working Party developer on the case, was contracted to Westpac on a permanent basis to bring this new concept to life. 

Soon after, he was enlisted by the Australian Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) to deliver this concept at a governmental level, and create an Australian federal design system. The system, the third of its kind globally, was adopted by 1,000+ websites and over 200 organisations in the public sector. 

For Dom, the DTA project was extra special because of what it offered beyond a technical challenge. The complex stakeholder landscape that came with the interest of many government departments stirred a passion for cross-disciplines collaboration and bringing people together that came to shape the direction of his career.

From code to culture

Inspired, Dom joined technology and design consultancy, Thinkmill as People Director. Here, he introduced the company’s design systems arm, helped grow the team by over 200% and supported the onboarding and design system development of high-profile clients, like Atlassian.  

“I’ve always believed that the strength of a team is the real driver behind commercial success,” he says. “When different disciplines work together in unison something magical happens. That’s when the team is happy, the product gets better and the speed in which we deliver increases.”

His approach had Shopify’s attention, eventually joining in 2022 to lead the evolution of Polaris, arguably the most prolific design system in the world. The system goes beyond visual standards, integrating accessibility, motion design, and language tone to create an inclusive digital environment.

Under Dom’s leadership, his team rolled out a new design language within 12 weeks and developed external tools to enhance functionality. When Shopify began to discuss changes to the team, Dom made a choice, standing by his team until the very end.

Returning to his roots 

Upon leaving Shopify, Dom had no shortage of offers from leading tech companies. But it was a call from Cal Wilson, co-founder of The Working Party, that resonated most. The Working Party was where his Australian journey began back in 2013, and the chance to return wasn’t just a professional move, it was a chance to build something meaningful.

“Returning to The Working Party felt like coming full circle,” Dom says. “I saw an opportunity to shape the future of a company I believe in, using everything I’ve learned to drive technical innovation and make the business known as the definitive Shopify agency leader in APAC.”

As CTO, Dom’s responsibilities extend beyond driving technical growth, strategy and managing our most complex projects; also leading and mentoring the UX/UI design and development teams, contributing to the company’s thought leadership, process improvement and future direction. His goal is to foster an environment where long-term collaboration leads to sustainable growth, setting The Working Party apart as a place where both people and technology are elevated.

We can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes Dom and the rest of The Working Party team. 

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