New year, new teamies

Weirdest brand I’ve ever worked on

I once worked for a latex fetish brand. They kept sending us NSFW products to display in our (very central) Manchester city centre office. I also did work for a pillow printing start-up, who used to send us printed pillow gifts of our faces blown up on them. So we had loads of our staffs faces on pillows around the office for a while.

In my previous (work) life…

We once threw a Christmas party in our (recently kitted out) office. Our boss MASSIVELY underestimated the amount of damage 60+ employees in their mid 20s would cause to the office, which resulted in a very expensive tidy up bill afterwards!

The thing I’m most proud of to date

Career wise - my move to Series Eight! Lots of opportunities and I’m very thankful. The team’s also great.

Project-wise - even 3 years down the line, I’m still very proud of my work with PlayStation. A brand like that doesn’t come around often, and it was one of the rare projects I got to give my ‘all’ to. I also had some insanely generous feedback from some key decision-makers at Sony!

Personal life - my daughter!

My biggest design prediction for 2023

AI and automation design. It’s already grown massively over the last 12 months, so it will be interesting to see where it goes in the next 12.

Biggest ‘pinch me’ moment

Back in winter 2016, I climbed Norway's iconic Trolltunga. Near the summit, there’s a sign that says "If you're here between September to December, do not climb. Danger of death." The date was October 4th. But, I figured I couldn’t turn back at this point, so pushed on – and nearly slipped off – but the views made it worth it in the end. 

My top three TV shows

Has to be Better Call Saul, with Breaking Bad being a close second (even named my two dogs Hector and Gustavo). Third place, I’d go with The Last Dance (the story behind Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls). More of a docuseries, but definitely one that sticks in my mind.

And top gigs…

I've been lucky enough to see some amazing artists in concert, starting with Skrillex when I was 15. Since then, I've seen Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, Post Malone, Ne-Yo, and more. While they were all fantastic, Kendrick Lamar stands out as the best, with Coldplay close behind.

When I’m away from my desk…

You’ll probably find me playing board games in one of the local taprooms, watching crappy reality TV (looking at you Below Deck), or trying to walk my dog round the streets of Leith. He’s ridiculously small and weird/cute looking so we get stopped by literally every other person asking ‘WHAT IS IT?’ (read in a thick Scottish accent for authenticity).

Weirdest brand I’ve ever worked on

Probably one of my current clients at Series Eight – a sex toy company. Definitely some of the most fun I’ve had working on a project and never thought I’d feel so at ease chatting about vibrators and lube with my boss. 

Go-to karaoke song

Call Me - Blondie

My design trend prediction for 2023

Sustainable design creeping into digital. It’s still pretty new and there’s not been very much research put into the area, but there are already so many things we could be doing to create more sustainable (less energy-greedy) websites. As brands try harder to be sustainable, reach B-Corp status or greenwash themselves, I think they’ll pick up on this newer trend.

When I’m away from my desk…

You’ll probably find me binge-watching videos of my favourite bands or just staring at my guitars…hoping one day I’ll magically be able to play them. Failing that, I’ll be nerding out over a science or history documentary, kicking a football about, or gaming.

In a previous (work) life…

I actually used to be a chef. I learned the ropes working in a flame-grilled steakhouse before working in an Indian restaurant. I’d secretly always wanted to be a pastry chef. But looking back, I’m definitely glad that food didn’t become my day job!

The thing I’m most proud of to date

Professionally, I’d say the fact that I’m completely self-taught. I started coding as a hobby when I was 14, so I feel really lucky to have turned something that I love into a career. Personally – without a doubt, becoming a dad.

In a previous (work) life…

I worked in Scotland's largest ski resort for almost a decade. I spent my days sorting out ski hire, selling tickets, running lifts, and ended up doing a bit of everything. By the end of my stint, I was a qualified ski instructor and determined that was going to be my career!

Best gig I’ve ever been to

It was in an old converted whisky cellar in Edinburgh’s old town called The Caves. It is ridiculously atmospheric and cool, which made seeing ‘The Japanese House’ there amazing. Other gig highlights include The Shins, De Staat, Yumi Zouma and Another Sky.

When I'm away from my desk...

I'm probably walking up a Scottish mountain in the middle of nowhere, shouting into the wind. Or I'm out skiing – also shouting.

My biggest web development prediction for 2023

Legislation will sneak up on the industry. There are a handful of laws coming up that concern competition on the web and accessibility requirements that could have huge consequences for building websites.