My story

I’ve always been drawn to how things work and how to make them better. In my early teens, I was teaching myself to code and playing around in Photoshop, fascinated by how websites were made and how design could shape experiences.

But when it came time to choose a university path, there weren’t many options for someone like me in Brisbane. The digital world I was drawn to hadn’t quite made its way into mainstream education yet and a traditional graphic design degree didn't look like it was going to take me down the path I desired. So, I chose what felt like the next best thing; a business degree, majoring in marketing and advertising.

In my final year, I did an internship at a big ad agency and gravitated to the design department, drawn in by the work, the energy, and the people. The Head of Design noticed and listened to my story. He gave me a piece of advice I’ll never forget: don’t spend a decade climbing the wrong ladder.

That was the nudge I needed. I extended my studies and switched to Interactive Visual Design. After graduating, I joined a small agency in Brisbane to get some experience under my belt and 2 years later took a big leap. I sold my car and furniture, packed my bags and moved to London in search of bigger opportunities and a more vibrant design scene.

Ten years later, I’m still here and still freelancing. I’ve worked with some brilliant teams at companies like BP, Trainline, Expedia and Vanguard, helping them tackle complex, often messy problems with a mix of curiosity, creativity and strategic thinking.

I love working on projects that involve multiple stakeholders, span physical and digital touchpoints, and use data to unlock real customer insight. Collaboration is at the heart of how I work, whether I’m hands-on with the design or helping shape the direction with a cross-functional team.

In my spare time

I've collected quite a few hobbies over the years. Some more run-of-the-mill than others:

• Travelling
• Cooking & eating (self-confessed foodie)
• Scuba diving
• Leatherwork
• Gardening
• Woodworking & laser etching
• Painstakingly renovating my house
• Board games
• Ice skating

My design process

This varies from client-to-client depending on time constraints and the projects maturity:

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative user research to understand the customer journey
• Develop personas and map user journeys to identify commercially viable opportunities
• Design information architecture and hierarchy
• Create wireframes and consult with key stakeholders
• Develop visual designs with a focus on accessibility
• Prototype, test with real customers, iterate, and launch
• Assess design implications on company processes and technical capabilities
• Handover to developers & support rollout