How did I get here?
Each of us has a unique and rich pathway to now, and though it can often seem like a series of very random occurrences, when we look back at our story each moment is very much a part of who we are.
So with that, here is the not-so-incongruent chain of events that led up to the nerdy, technology centred, empathy obsessed design geek you see today. Test
Jan ‘93
A journey begins
How far back is it ok to go? Ok, I guess the answer is this far.
Meet me, as a toddler. Toddler Andrew was primarily concerned with drawing, lego and ducks. Even today, present me with something I can build, sketch or create, and you’ll likely see a similar sense of joy.
What I learned:
Lego works better on the floor than in your mouth, pencils are superior to crayons.
‘00 - ‘06
Art obsessed
It’s safe to say the artist in me didn’t die gladly. Throughout school I trod the fine line between art & technology and central subjects like maths and science.
What I learned:
The fundamentals of art and product design, wood & metalwork, materials science, product engineering and manufacturing.
May ‘09
A furniture fixation
In my later teens I developed a small penchant for furniture building, by which I mean a full blown obsession with making overly complex tables. It was through this that I learnt the essence of craftsmanship and product design.
What I learned:
Ergonomics & user research, product research, carpentry, building to spec, industrial design.
Sept ‘10 - Oct ‘14
Higher education
At University, the part of me obsessed with humanity and people thrived studying matters of politics, law and philosophy. It was while simultaneously completing my MA and working a Creative role at Apple that I realised the significance of putting people at the heart of every matter, from politics to products.
What I learned:
How to legislate for humans, the philosophy of health and happiness, international development & justice.
Jan ‘15
Moving to Japan
In 2015 I was hired as an English teacher at a local Middle School in Osaka, Japan. Here I built a strong reputation for interactive, empathy-centred teaching, bolstered by technology and a strong sense of camaraderie. I also took a deeply centred involvement in my local community, tutoring families and helping out at orphanages in the precinct.
What I learned:
Interactive education, infusing empathy into the learning experience, Japanese language, how to start from scratch (and thrive) in a completely new locale.
May ‘17
IBM
Joining IBM as a Service Designer/BA, I was immediately drawn to the Design Thinking framework. Combining empathy-driven design with classroom-style collaboration, the process has been something I’ve carried through my successive career as a UX and Service Designer, and allowed for remarkable and often delightful results.
What I learned:
Advanced Design Thinking frameworks, consulting skills, workshop facilitation, how to design for valuable outcomes.
Jan ‘18
Imagineering at iOi
After joining IBM, I began volunteering at various tech-focussed charities, including the Institute of Imagination. Here I combined my love of design, technology and teaching, helping families to get more involved in STEAM activities such as arts, coding, AI and engineering.
What I learned:
How to operate at a 3rd sector org, working creatively with families, coding for younger audiences.
Jan ‘18
Journey into UX
What does it look like when a Service Designer is naturally fascinated by visual and interactive nuance? It may look like a burgeoning UX obsession. I began self-teaching over evenings and weekends, improving my skills with various courses and seeking out mentors. I cemented this time and money spent with projects of my own, using my own pain points as design challenges.
What I learned:
An introduction to UX design including user research, heuristics and interaction design.
July ‘18
Mentorship for days
Meet Pat. Pat is an esteemed UX designer and an equally incredible mentor. In 2018 he took me under his wing at IBM and passed down a wealth of invaluable knowledge. He gave up his time, took a genuine interest in my professional progress and even helped me land a full time UX role. You can learn more about him here.
What I learned from Pat:
The gritty nuances of UX design, how to handle a UX project, design tooling, wireframing like a pro, stakeholder management as a UX designer.
Feb ‘19
Hitting the ground running
As a full time UX designer starting out on a small but skilled design team, I learned rapidly, eventually owning the end-to-end design and delivery of several features. During these 15+ months, I worked closely with some incredible developers and stakeholders to deliver an app to over a million global users (almost 10x more than when I started).
See this project.
What I learned:
Delivering features from high-level to detailed design, designing for integrated services, idea visualisation for stakeholders.
Oct ‘19
Meeting the game changers
At the end of 2019, myself and a team of IBMers worked with the YFYA foundation to bring the Design Thinking process to students across London. Exercising my inner teacher, I designed and coached a series of workshops to get our delegates ideating around sustainable futures, and was blown away with the ingenuity and brilliance of these young creatives.
See more here.
What I learned:
How to use design thinking to design workshops (very meta),
Feb ‘19
Hitting the Ground Running
A
What I learned:
A