Why did you decide to become a mentor?

After working in design and innovation for over 25 years across multiple regions and companies, I’ve come to realise how valuable it would have been to access honest guidance early in my own career. Over time, I’ve accumulated hard-earned knowledge about navigating corporate environments, bringing ideas to life, and understanding the real complexity of taking a product from concept to market. Mentorship is my way of offering that perspective to others—helping early-career designers not only make better decisions day to day, but also develop more grounded expectations about what this work really demands. It’s tough to get great ideas through the system—and I want to help others build the resilience and insight it takes to succeed.

How did you get your career start?

I grew up in Ireland at a time when industrial design wasn’t widely understood or accessible, and I initially found myself torn between art and science as potential paths. A pivotal moment came when my art teacher suggested design as a possible career—suddenly I saw a discipline that combined creativity with technical thinking, and it just clicked. That insight led me to study at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, where I began to understand how different cultures approach design as a craft. After some early experience designing medical products, I moved to Italy to pursue a master’s degree at Domus Academy. It was a truly formative experience—immersed in Italy’s design culture and surrounded by a global cohort, I began to piece together the ingredients that make globally successful products possible. Around that time, I was also considering a music career, but design felt like the place where my curiosity, empathy, and instinct for unconventional thinking could all come together. That thread has run through every role I’ve taken since.

What do mentees usually come to you for?

Mentees often come to me for help navigating the transition from emerging designer to confident professional—especially those looking to break into or grow within large corporate design environments. I support everything from portfolio refinement and project selection to interview prep and developing a strong personal design narrative. Beyond that, I offer strategic guidance on how to extract meaningful insights from user or market research, identify genuine innovation opportunities, and shape product propositions that are both differentiated and impactful. I also help mentees craft communication strategies, from defining clear value propositions to understanding how semiotics influences perception and meaning. My expertise spans physical and digital product design, including consumer electronics, automotive, furniture, and spatial design. I bring hands-on experience in materials, manufacturing, product ecosystems, and design culture across global contexts. Whether someone’s looking to sharpen their design language, strengthen strategic thinking, or simply get grounded feedback from someone who’s walked this path, I aim to meet them where they are—and help them move forward with clarity and confidence.

What's been your favourite mentorship success story so far?

As a design leader, I’ve consistently worked to help creative individuals understand and navigate the often complex expectations of global corporate environments. One of my most meaningful mentorship experiences involved a team member who was consistently bringing stress into their work, which began to affect those around them. While my role was technically to ensure the creative output was strong, I recognised that the real issue was balance—between work and life, pressure and creativity, process and personality. I took time to help them see that cutting corners on personal wellbeing doesn’t lead to better outcomes, and that sustainable creative flow requires calm, presence, and human connection. I try to bring this message into every mentorship: that good work doesn’t emerge from stress, but from people who feel seen, safe, and supported. Helping that individual shift perspective not only improved their work—it elevated the team dynamic as a whole. That’s the real win.

What are you getting out of being a mentor?

I genuinely enjoy the time I spend with mentees. I bring the same design research mindset and empathy I’ve applied throughout my career to deeply understand what’s really going on for each person—the root challenges behind the surface-level questions. I work hard to create a space that feels easygoing and present, reminding them that life isn’t something to postpone for career success. Life is happening now—and that truth can be a powerful design tool. If there’s one enduring lesson from my time working in Italy, it’s that to be a good designer, you need to be good at living. Helping someone reconnect with that idea—finding joy, balance, and perspective—has a ripple effect on everything they create. When I see that shift happen, I know the mentoring is doing something meaningful.