About me

• Vice President, Product Design and Development at Zak! Designs Inc , USA
• Studied: BA (Hons) Industrial Design, 1990
• Contact me on LinkedIn

About my career

My first job after graduating was at Dunlop Footwear. For me, this was a great start to my career, as I was able to combine my passion for design and sport. My time at Dunlop was another period of learning - something I think is always important not only as a designer, but in any career, to continue to do.

I got the role because of my passion for sport and design as well as the great experience the company had in hiring the previous designer (also from Manchester Poly), as opposed to the designers they had traditionally hired from footwear design schools. They had found that hiring an ID designer brought skills in building performance footwear from the inside out, incorporating biomechanics and specific performance attributes for a given sport, that footwear designers, who are traditionally stylists who have a technical shoe-construction, and 2D pattern engineering skill and specialism. This was the learning curve I talked about, to acquire those skills to combine with the ID skillset, so that I could apply my learning and process to a specific product category - this led me to a career that took me around the world, living in China as it grew in economic power.

I now run a product development team, which includes studio artists and sculptors in the home office in Washington State, about 3000 miles west of me, and also remote in Seattle, merchandisers, and product development specialists, and the engineering department for a hydration and food storage company. We design and market both branded and licensed products, and I have been working remote for a couple of years now, personally doing all the ID work (still keeping sketchbooks!), and creating all products in CAD, 3D printing from a bank of printers to resolve design issues, engineering, the mechanical function of lid mechanisms and aesthetics, before cutting metal tools in China.

The objective of my role is to develop a branded product collection, establishing a new brand DNA and product attributes that address customer insights, and as our business is growing, I have begun to build up our design capacity and capability, by adding another ID designer, who is also remote.

As I think back to my time at Manchester Metropolitan (or Manchester Polytechnic as it was when I was student), being self-motivated and encouraged by the staff to make my own decisions about product direction, not waiting to be told how and what to do next set me up in my career in design management, as it’s important to keep on schedule by knowing when a design is “good enough”. The skills I honed at Manchester Metropolitan have definitely set me up to follow the process in every position I have had up to this point, and will continue to do so.

My top tip for students

You have to stand out, and be real. Companies want employees that lift the standard, add value, who could be future leaders that can inspire, make incisive decisions, and create attractive brands and work environments that are great places to work, that are relevant and grow.

You have to have skills, be multi-faceted, and collaborative, as companies are looking for the best of the best, not just the best. Anything you can do to add to and hone your skillset that sets you apart is what you should be thinking about. In my experience, having an ego doesn’t help anybody, so make sure you don’t go into an interview thinking you’re the greatest - You will want to make an impact, you will want to change the world, perhaps become a famous designer, but I have rejected more qualified, talented designers in favour of hiring team players that can enhance the whole team and be a major part of something bigger.

I’m inspired by

Imagination.

Why I love Manchester Met

It was a great time culturally-speaking with the Hacienda and the Manchester music scene as a backdrop to my three years growing as a designer at the Manchester Metropolitan University campus.

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