Key Skills
A leader who sets an ambitious vision and crafts practical goals to reach it
Creates, develops, delivers extensive design systems
Directs design and art creation across multiple strands for a consistent, common aim
Manages high performing, multidisciplinary design teams, both on-site and remotely
A digital accessibility and inclusion evangelist
Works strategically, aligning often-complex design actions with corporate goals
Professional Experience
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Director of Design
Jun 2015 – Oct 2021
Jun 2015 – Oct 2021
HMH is one of the 'big three' – the largest education publishers in the U.S.
Job description
Design Director responsible for the two largest products/revenue streams (Literature and Math), some of the largest products in U.S. education publishing.
Oversight of both digital and print strands plus art direction of covers and marketing material.
Responsible for digital production process.
Design team hiring, management, performance.
Successes
Overhauled digital production reducing code by 89%.
Built a Design System for all digital products, with vital, in-built accessibility standards.
Sales in product sector increased by $28 million and HMH saw sales of ‘Into Literature’ in open territory’s $530 million market climb by 17%.
Developed HMH’s first true digital-first product system and ensured alignment across hybrid (digital and print) model.
Radically overhauled and simplified the legacy information hierarchy in content.
Bureau
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Founder
Apr 2013 – Present
Apr 2013 – Present
Bureau is an agency I set up to take on cultural, project-based design work including a wide variety of publication, branding and information design for cultural institutions, education, public bodies.
Zero-G
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Senior Designer
Jan 2014 – Apr 2014
Jan 2014 – Apr 2014
A project-based contract in this highly respected design studio.
Hugely successful re-brand of Galway International Arts Festival (Ireland’s largest), helping the festival achieve quarter of a million visitors by 2018 with almost €30m local economic impact.
I also designed and directed photography culminating in ground-breaking promotion for The Abbey – Ireland’s National Theatre.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Art Director
Sept 2012 – Jun 2013
Sept 2012 – Jun 2013
Art direction of the largest Apple iBooks project in US education, on a fixed-term contract. The books included interactivity, video, 3D, in-app tests, and experiments over 13 different books, produced concurrently.
State Magazine/state.ie
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Art Director/Company Director
Jan 2007 – Feb 2017
Jan 2007 – Feb 2017
Founding director and art director of the award-winning monthly music magazine and website.
Smoke & Mirrors Studio
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark
Graphic Designer/Director Nov 2006 – Sept 2012
Co-founded a design studio in Copenhagen city to manage work for large-scale Danish state clients e.g. the City Commune and Denmark’s National Health Service. Designed and produced multi-language books, branding, information design.
Other Experience
Athlone Institute of Technology
Athlone, Ireland
Athlone, Ireland
Censor/Moderator
Jan 2005 – May 2010
Jan 2005 – May 2010
External industry censor/moderator for the three BA Design degree courses in this highly respected third-level college.
Education
Professional Diploma in Design Management
and Leadership
Grow/Irish Design Institute – Dublin
and Leadership
Grow/Irish Design Institute – Dublin
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Croydon College – Croydon, United Kingdom
Croydon College – Croydon, United Kingdom
Awards
Finalist
Integrated Marketing Award 2016 (for GAA Championship campaign)
Integrated Marketing Award 2016 (for GAA Championship campaign)
Designer Of The Year
PPA Magazine Awards 2008 (for State Magazine)
PPA Magazine Awards 2008 (for State Magazine)
100 Archive x 4
Four entries in this annual selection of the Irish year in design, limited to 100 pieces per year.
Four entries in this annual selection of the Irish year in design, limited to 100 pieces per year.