Innovation has always fascinated me. From a very young age, I was drawn to things that were simultaneously novel and highly valuable. I was captivated by the 3M post-it note, the Sony Walkman, the Apple Macintosh, the Internet and the Swiss Army Knife to name just a few.
I became smitten with the mindset of the inventors behind these game-changing innovations. I loved how they had a curious spirit, how they looked at the world as though anything was possible, how they marched to the beat of their own drum—not at all constrained by what others believed.
I knew from the tender age of 13 that whatever I chose to do with my life, I pledged to approach it with an innovator's mindset. After a number of years as an IT business analyst and project manager, it was UX design that ultimately captivated me. It's where human psychology, design and technology intersect. Innovation is essential to weave these elements together to create exemplary user experiences and this energised me unlike anything else.
Fast forward 17 years later.
As I look back on my career thus far, I can bask in the satisfaction of having kept my promise.
Whether it's the countless children that will be tracked down faster if they go missing (potentially saving their lives), or the Minister of a state government department directly acknowledging a novel feature in the national media that was borne out of one of my design thinking sessions for a service that will help foster and kinship carers—the innovator's mindset was at the heart of these achievements and the user experiences that underpin them.
In looking to the future, I know that I'll always be probing, bending, mixing, matching and sampling ideas while combining them with cutting edge technologies to achieve the very best outcomes for those whom I serve—be they clients through my consulting practice or users of the products I create.
In conjunction with independent consulting, I've recently embarked on the creation of InFlow; a product that helps experience designers create customer journeys in virtual reality. InFlow equips designers with a way to immerse audiences in their work, mimicking the real-world as closely as possible, facilitating interactivity and building empathy in ways not possible with today's tools. I see this as one of my main contributions to the industry.
I don't intend to slow down there! In addition to virtual reality, I'm seeking to learn everything I can about artificial intelligence and the internet of things so that I can continue to embrace technology to deliver premium, innovative user experiences that delight, change lives and deliver tangible results. The learning and expansion never ends.
So in conclusion, why do I believe I should be featured as a UX designer among Toptal's elite? Because the innovator's mindset is in my DNA. This is the super power I bring to all current and future work I'm involved in. I will forever be pursuing my passion to create innovative concepts, user experiences and products that touch people in ways we can't even begin to imagine.
