Neil

"The course was kind of perfect for me in the sense that it was wonderfully vague, and I mean that in the most positive manner, because the company I currently work for is wonderfully vague in the types of projects that we adopt. We were taught about the process behind design and the thinking behind design. It helped you to unconsciously steer you towards what it was that you are interested in… I really wanted to do bigger spatial stuff and more architectural projects. 

Just to be in my final year in a peer group alongside a jewellery maker, alongside a product designer, alongside a graphic designer, all working together with the same kind of design process behind you, and thinking about design – it was just so vibrant and that was what attracted me to the studio I now work for. It’s the same thought process and the degree set me up perfectly for that.

I work as a project designer for Heatherwick studio, a position I landed immediately after completing my degree. I have been the project designer on many of the studio’s high profile projects, such as the recently launched New Bus for London, overseeing the design from inception through to detail and manufacture. The team is quite a flexible one, which sees designers like myself work alongside makers, engineers and architects. My role entails work on all elements of the design process; from concept development, prototyping, 3D modelling and visualisation; to leading small design teams on certain projects; as well as engaging with the wider client and consultant teams."