310-740-6164 Los Angeles laurence.j.dawes@gmail.com www.laurence-dawes.design →
//about
A design leader in both digital & physical mediums with over 16 years experience working with some of the world's most recognized brands and technology companies. From the development of new IP and toys at LEGO, to prototyping and launching first to market mixed reality experiences and building highly efficient teams and processes. Critical problem solving and design thinking approaches are at the core of everything I do.
//experience
2023 - present
MAGIC LEAP | Director, Experience Design
Los Angeles | Mar 2023 - present
- Working within cross-functional solution development teams, leading experiential design and development
- Creating industry-leading reference applications for enterprise, driving ROI impact across a broad array of sectors
- Leading experience design teams and cross-functional group projects
- Supporting the development of new design processes and approaches
2015-2023
TRIGGER XR | VP XR/AR Innovation
Los Angeles | Aug 2015 - Mar 2023
- Part of Trigger XR’s leadership team, I helped define the future of the business by implementing strategic planning and thinking across the org
- Initiated and managed XR Innovation department - a multi-disciplinary team that supported new business and client development as well as the broader innovation and conceptual development across all projects
- Drove creative vision, innovation, conceptual & product development of augmented and virtual reality solutions for clients including Google, Disney, Amazon, LEGO, Niantic, Bose (as examples)
- Developed & implemented an array of cross-organizational processes & tools - from innovation practices and client-facing communication solutions that decreased development time while increasing client and concept success rate
- Set up and led Trigger XR’s European base in Denmark - a satellite office developing new and existing client relationships, new concepts and projects, and liaising with the US team working on downstream software development
2006-2015
LEGO | Senior Design Manager / Creative Lead
Billund, Denmark | Oct 2006 - Mar 2015 (var. roles)
- Led design teams of product, graphic, innovation and 3D disciplines in creating world-class, award-winning toy products for the global market
- Responsible for the development and performance of teams of 10+ creatives and 150+ toy product SKUs
- Led design & managed teams to deliver across complex cross-org processes. Developed employees and reviewed ongoing performance through goal- setting KPI & COT frameworks
- Drove innovation for home-grown toy IPs as well as licensed initiatives such as The LEGO Movie & Toy Story product lines.
- Integrated with a wide variety of business functions ranging from global marketing teams to engineering and supply-chain to develop on-brand, on- cost, production optimized and yet highly engaging kid’s toys
- Traveled globally to focus-test new products with research teams, and led design quality initiatives at LEGO’s external factories in China
- A leader in the design org - actively engaging with c-suite to strategically evolve new product line initiatives and sell-in product opportunities
- Single-handedly designed multiple LEGO sets, and 3D modeled over 100 new LEGO elements ready for manufacture - and awarded multiple patents
- Developed internal design styleguides for the Minifigure brand / IP for internal and external design quality alignment
//education
Plymouth University, UK | 2003-2006
- BA (Hons) 3D Design, Product Design - 1st class honors degree, with thesis award
Grow Design Leadership | Course, Jan 2012-Dec 2012
- Design Management Excellence - Certification
IDEO U | Courses, Dec2016-Apr2017
- Insights for Innovation & Ideas to Action - Certification
//skills
DESIGN & LEADERSHIP
- Design Leadership
- Design Management & Team Development
- Digital & Product Development
- Design Thinking / Design Strategy
- UX Design / Prototyping
- Toy & Play Design
- Industrial Design
- Process Development
- Creative Direction & Vision
- Concept / Pitch Communication
- Empathetic & Personable Communicator
SOFTWARE & TOOLS
- Adobe Suite (Ps, Xd, Ai, Id)
- Rhino 3D / V-ray / SketchUp / 3d
- Mural / Miro
- Google Suite / Keynote
- Figma / Sketch
- Notion / Confluence / etc
- Trello / Jira
//awards
- 2x Toy of the Year Awards
- Multiple Shorty Awards
- SXSW Innovation Award
- CES Innovation Award