My work

My Work

I currently work for Canonical, one of my main areas of focus is the open-source operating system Ubuntu. I lead the Canonical design team and my job is to inspire them to produce great work, help Canonical understand how to include a design team in their processes and find ways of working with an incredibly energetic and talented community.

The way I work is heavily influenced by what I believe is the right way to approach any design problem. I think that the way technology has the power to influence people’s lives is truly awesome. I love introducing people to technology and seeing what it can do for them, how and if they embrace it. I am an advocate and practitioner of user centred design precisely because I want to create great things and, understanding people’s behaviour, motivations, wants and needs is, in my experience, a crucial element of success.

I find it constantly frustrating to come across ill thought-out things. To see poor patterns repeated. To see a timidity around taking the risk to push harder, try harder, think harder. I hate to see good ideas thrown away for fear of change. I loathe waste and I love progress.

Nobody should have to compromise what they want to create or how they want to feel because we didn’t take the time to push the technology, the interaction, the design, a little harder.

“If you do not know what to do, take a step forward.”
– Japanese proverb

My linked in profile
Canonical Design Blog