Starting points

I can’t remember the first thing I ever designed (and by “designed”, I mean put pen to paper and followed a process that generally represents what designers do), but it was at a young age. I guess this has a lot to do with the power of play. As a kid I’d always had an intrinsic desire to question, problem-solve and create.

During this time my grandfather, an architect, bestowed upon me the creative tools of his trade (a drawing board, ink and rulers) and with these I would spend my days “playing” - drafting plans for what I would build in LEGO or found materials. This was the starting point of a career focused on envisioning a future of things through design - of play and now of future use-cases for emerging technologies.

LEGO

In 2006, I joined LEGO as a product designer and soon became a creative leader for new play products and experiences - many of these products enjoyed by millions of children worldwide. In leading teams of 2D, 3D, product and concept designers my focus was in delivering design quality and design for manufacture and balancing both to retain a brand “feel” that has made LEGO successful for decades, but competitive in an ever-challenging toy marketplace.

The early 2000’s was an interesting time for LEGO with product and digital transformations aiming to reach new audiences worldwide. During this time, keeping the play promise of LEGO relevant to digital-first children was a core part of my work — exploring the future of LEGO play and its digital compliments for generations to come.

Trigger XR and emerging technology

In my latter years at LEGO I became more invested in the exploration of a digital future of physical play - specifically in relation to how digital technologies could augment physical building-block play in meaningful and additive ways. I joined Trigger XR in 2015, in part, as a direct continuation of this journey - seeking to find meaningful ways that technology can enhance people’s lives.

My current focus is innovating at the cutting edge of emerging technology for many different brands and tech companies - industries like sports, retail, entertainment, automotive and consumer products to name a few. I lead a multidisciplinary team of designers and creative technologists who are shaping an interactive future in mixed reality, exploring the breadths of hardware and software solutions to find new creative and relevant ways they can be applied to elevating human experience.

Over my career I’ve worked with many clients, partners and brands - all of which have crossed many industries. For the most part, these relationships have been innovation-first collaborations, exploring the application of new technologies to support strategic brand initiatives, and provide new meaningful interaction for consumers. I’ve led top tier strategic collaborations in the capacity of innovation, relationship growth, and product development.

Over my career I’ve worked within and developed various design processes and project approaches - from personal methodologies to full-fledged work streams developed specifically for design and innovation teams. From large-scale organization to small agency, I’ve applied adaptable methodologies relevant for different stages of design process and different sizes of team.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is constantly at the heart of how I approach every project. I’ve always look to solve problems holistically, whether specific to design or to larger organizational or partnership-related challenges.

Holistic Innovation Teams

An approach I’ve created rooted in the formation of challenge-specific, agile, 360° innovation teams geared toward rapid innovation. Gathering the right, diverse skillsets and allowing for autonomous and organic exploration through ambiguous design projects is key to this philosophy.