About
I’m an Innovation Consultant with 9 years' experience in organisational problem solving, and multiple facets of design including, design research, innovation strategy, product management, product and graphic design, brand identity and art direction. In my spare time, I'm also a landscape artist. I love painting, capturing beauty of landscapes with brushes and palette knives. Think visible brush strokes, and thick, sculpted layers. You can see my art here.
I have 7 years of experience within the manufacturing industry where I worked as a cocktail and light catering equipment designer, often testing the tools with the most delicious drinks! Ask me for tips on how to create a perfect home bar toolbox!
During this time, I've taken projects form an initial idea through to manufacture and I oversaw successful product range launches. I developed products for in house brand Bonzer, and created customised and bespoke products for clients such as Costa Coffee, Moët Hennessy, Gentleman Jack, Chase Distillery and Campari. During this time I also honed my skills in identifying and incorporating user needs in the products and experiences we offered.
In 2015 I began feeling a bit restless with just design and that's how I discovered my love for innovation and organisational problem solving, at strategic and tactical levels... Or what I call combining discovery and creativity to shape and realize projects, products and processes. I became particularly interested in measuring the innovation capability of SMEs and developing strategic recommendations for improving innovation performance. I'm passionate about supporting small businesses in capturing opportunities and developing capabilities to create long-term value in their companies. I believe that by developing creative skills and managing resistance leaders can systematically move out of their comfort zone to grow and succeed. Taking a higher-level perspective, or thinking abstractly, helps you navigate around problems and understanding the problem is key to making change happen. When you do, you can reorient what you know and how you can embrace the constraints you need to operate within.
What does this all mean and why should you care?
By innovation I mean intentional and purposeful change you strive to create within your business with commercial gain in mind. As a small businesses there is a big chance you are creative, agile and open to change. You have an advantage of quick decision making. But, change is scary for businesses, because of what's at stake, because of the conflicting demands, the frustrating ambiguity, the threat of failure. And the pressure to deliver with a small team and tight budget can make you choose the safer option, be less challenging and focusing on the near future rather than the long-term goals. When it comes to the critical decisions you may feel stuck between knowing how to move forward and the risk to invest more money to make it work…Wanting to avoid mistakes that delayed things so much in the past because you weren't sure what would work better for your customers. And sometimes despite repeated efforts the outcomes don't yield the desired results their true blockers may be obscured by surface level issues.
When I began my research, whilst working at a small business, I realised there is a wealth of knowledge analysing all those day to day and future-oriented challenges but the means they're presented in are often inaccessible and theoretical, making it very difficult to apply the models to unique realities of individual businesses. I became passionate about researching how design and innovation can add practical value to businesses, looking to bridge the gap and help you learn the skills, tools and techniques needed to skilfully create the change you want and need, and navigate challenges on this journey.
How I'm making this happen
Wanting to continue to develop my passion for supporting start-ups and small businesses in creating change within their business I created Skilful Change – a program designed to help you learn practical skills and overcome barriers to creating success and growth in your business.
Do you want to find out more about how creative problem solving techniques can help your company grow and succeed? Get in touch.