CURIOUS & INQUISITIVE
I want to learn why things are the way they are.
If something doesn’t work or needs improving, I ask why.
Once I understand why, I want to know what I can do to make it better.
As an Industrial Designer of over 10 years, I have practical experience in human-centered product development, designing for manufacture and applying Design Thinking to a business’ strategy and process.
I have leveraged this experience, both in-house and as a consultant, to provide clear and consistent design direction for a company, its products, and their customer.
My approach is research driven, with a focus on the users’ journey and understanding human behaviour to deliver functional driven solutions for relevant problems that add value and create the ideal experience.
I set clear targets and maintain the integrity and design intent of a solution through my management, leadership and direction of a project and my team.
DESIGN VALUES
My foundation for design is based on six key values:
Knowledge
Every design requires a deep understanding of both the business’ and the users’ needs.
Useful
Appropriate solutions for relevant problems that have a purpose, add value and have a positive impact on the user and their environment.
Intentional
Design that is influenced by logic, function and fulfilling the users’ needs. No superfluous details. Everything is there for a reason. Remove complexity where possible.
Co-ordinated
What is created and the messages communicated should be applied consistently for an organisation and its users.
Mindful
Design that stands the test of time, both functionally and visually. It considers the impact on the ecological, social and economic environments.
Honest
Design that celebrates its characteristics and is transparent in what it can achieve.
APPROACH
The basis of my approach to problem solving, strategy and design is guided by Design Thinking.
I follow a solution-based approach to problem solving, starting off by asking “why” a problem exists in the first place, thinking wholistically and long term, going through the process in a methodological and iterative way.
Through listening and observation, I develop a clear design strategy and process that will lead to a meaningful solution.
It is important to test and enable collaboration in an interdisciplinary environment to achieve the best possible outcome. All aspects of the users’ journey must be considered along the way.
Empathy is key, and Systemic Design is the best approach to improve the wellbeing of ourselves and the environment we live in.
MY STORY
Upon finishing a four year Degree in Industrial Design at the University of Technology, Sydney, I set off to Europe in 2010 to immerse myself in the world of design through furthering my education, gaining work experience and travel.
Moving to London enabled me to work closely with designers well established in the UK scene. For nearly five years I worked for Morph UK, a creative consultancy set up by Bill Holding and Ben Cox. Their diverse range of clients include Joseph Joseph, Tom Dixon, Habitat, Michael Young, Peter Saville, Warner Music Group, and Jamie Oliver.
Working with a range of clients at Morph allowed me to hone my skills in researching and understanding rituals-of-use, innovation, finding that balance of function and form and meeting the needs of specific clients. During those five years I designed commercially successful products in kitchenware and homeware that were sold worldwide.
At Monitor Audio, premium hi-fi specialists, I was able to combine my love for music and design. Being part of an in-house design team allowed me to be involved in all stages of the design process, collaborate with acoustic and electronic engineers, and communicate directly with manufacturers in China.
As a freelancer designer, I had the pleasure of working for award winning furniture designers Michael Sodeau Studio and Adam Goodrum Studio. Under the direction of both Michael Sodeau and Adam Goodrum, I gained great insight into furniture design and their unique ways of thinking.
My desire to get more involved in the entire product development process and learn more about growing a brand led me to contact Theo Williams, designer for Alessi, Lexon, Technogym and former Head of Design for John Lewis Home and Creative Director of Habitat. He had the precise vision and experience that I could learn so much from.
In 2016 I joined Kingfisher plc, Europe’s largest home improvement company, under the design direction of Theo Williams. We worked together on strategy, brand, design and product delivery with company stakeholders and external agencies and manufactures.
Over the course three years, working closely with the other senior designers, we built and established the foundations of a Design Team with strong values, principles and direction, setting them on a path to designing successful products, shifting the business from a buying led company to a design led company.
I felt great pride in what we had accomplished. The outcome was the result of applying nearly ten years’ worth of knowledge gained from a vast array of experiences during my time in Europe.
With that in mind, in 2020 I felt it was time to return home to Australia, seeking new challenges and opportunities.
I began working for Boost Design, an electronic engineering and product design consultancy specialising in the development of technology products for entrepreneurs, researchers, and established businesses.
As of now, I am a part of the Design for Customers and Place team at Transport for NSW, the government agency responsible for all things public transport, road, waterways and freight in the Australian state of New South Wales.
Stepping into the world of Service Design is a big and exciting change in my career. It's a great opportunity to contribute in shaping the future of our cities, centres and regions, and making NSW a better place to live, work and visit.