Career highlights

• Starting my career in a tech focused design agency in Brisbane, Australia. Back in the early 2000s my work won many Brisbane Art Directors (BAD) awards both for web and print, also winning an Australian Multimedia Industry award which become a finalist in the Asia-Pacific awards in Malaysia. Once an award winning creative but a change of direction after moving to Avanade where awards focus was on technical rather than design, work confidential.
• After establishing the design team at Avanade Australia I moved to the UK to establish design at Avanade UK. Now a British Citizen.
• Helping build a full digital studio capability (from 0 to 30 people) within a technical consultancy, even personally designing the studio. It’s ultimately the people who made the capability, and our team had almost no attrition. “You were an incredible asset to Avanade, not just for your skill but for the culture you helped build. Wherever you end up next, I hope they appreciate your creativity, your loyalty, your willingness to teach others, and your kindness,” Emily from HR.
• The field of Experience Design has evolved significantly, with emerging specialisations and advanced tools enhancing the understanding and design of experiences, research analysis, structured thinking, testing and collaboration. The development of Design Thinking and Service Design (which were broadly considered UX activities) has introduced greater rigour and systematic approaches. Specialities that were once categorised under the umbrella ‘UX design’ now encompass a broad range of specialised expertise, each with increased focus and structure, particularly as the industry has rapidly advanced over the past decade and client demands increased. With the rise of AI, the focus is back to a more generalist role or broader skilled designer (now with AI skills). Interesting to see where this leads.
• The technology evolution has been just as interesting as the evolution of design practice. I have been deeply invested in the experience potential of technology and data for non-specialists and love working with deeply technical people and skilled delivery managers, on and offshore.
• The rapid onset of AI. Working in a tech company the experience of AI is often overshadowed by technology. The projects where we designed meaningful, contextual and amplifying AI are highlights, showing that the future doesn’t need to be only prompt-based, but we can provide powerful insights and functionality driven by AI directly within experiences which empower people and build organisational capability and resilience rather than foster dependency. We mustn’t ‘zombify’ our clients!
• 22 years of consulting gives huge insight across so many industries and project types. I miss the days of working more closely with clients, travelling to their cities, using their offices, integrating with their teams daily. Cultural connection and direct experience across many industries is critical to my broad expertise.
• Twice presented at Avanade’s Global Tech conference in Seattle at the Microsoft Theatre bringing UX to technical and business audiences. It’s always good to convert people to the cause of design.
• My team made a life-size cardboard cutout for my 15th year anniversary and decorated the studio with cutouts of my head. Even down to using my head as Christmas tree decorations (even the star on top). ‘Cardboard Adam’ lived in the office for 7 years as no-one would throw him out!
• For a few months I worked for Avanade US, including a couple of months in Hawaii. Gig of a lifetime camping out in a beachside hotel with an office in Honolulu.

Cardboard Adam, real Adam and Ben Nana out on a farewell to the last office drinks with some of my old team

Talking to the tech people in Seattle about the importance of Experience Design and about Shell’s Knowledge Management eco-system I designed