Q&A with Orla McAvinue – Professional Diploma in UX Design graduate

What is your current role? 
I am a Branding and Design Consultant, working primarily with small businesses helping them to create visual identities. These visual identities come alive in websites and printed material. Collaborating with each client I create a brand personality, values, archetypes and overall look...

What type of formal education or training did you pursue and how has it influenced your career? I studied Visual Communications at IADT because I didn’t see myself becoming a film director, but I was drawn to the motion graphics modules in particular. I remember one lecturer saying, “Max, you...

What type of formal education or training did you pursue and how has it influenced your career? I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCD and a Masters in Film & Television Studies from DCU. I was never sure what I wanted to do or ‘be’, but went for...

What initially drew you to your current creative field? Did you always envision a career in this discipline? Though I’m currently in a broader UX role, I started out specifically in UI, and it’s still a large part of my day-to-day activities. It’s the part of the job I enjoy...

What is your current role? 
I’m a multidisciplinary designer & illustrator who specialises in branding and illustration for the unconventional. My projects vary from conceptual branding for startups and SMEs, to print and illustration for the Arts and Advertising. As I’m self-employed, my job includes creative...

What is your current role? 
Founder of a Design Consultancy specialising in professional and industrial products. Boxclever was founded in 2002 and has grown to a mix of industrial designers and mechanical engineers. My actual design work is now only around 20%, primarily my role is in client management, project...

What is your current role and what does it involve? 
As the Design Manager at Vhi, I steer my team and keep our projects on track while ensuring our design system works effectively across the board and our interfaces meet the highest standards. I'm a passionate advocate for UX design, working hard to spotlight its value within our...

What is your current role? 
I’m a Principal and co-owner at a UX and Product Design studio. I help clients a) understand their users b.) shape products and services to meet customer needs and c) work with my team to deliver world-class digital experiences. We tackle tough problems in complicated, global fields...

What is your current role? 
I’m a Senior UX Designer at Each&Other. What that means is actively listening to people, be that client stakeholders or users, to understand and frame a problem. Then it’s finding insights and creating a response that not only meets their needs now but also unseen needs and has the...

What initially drew you to your current creative field? – did you always envision a career in this discipline? I can’t say that I always envisioned a career in this field – honestly, it wasn’t until I was working in my first job as a graduate, that I realised UI...

What initially drew you to your field and did you always envision a career in Interior Architecture & Design? 
When I was younger, a career in design never crossed my mind. I did however, always have a creative spark, opting for art in my Leaving Cert and considering art school during that time. Surprisingly, after completing a BA in English Literature, I found my way back to design...

What is your current role? 
I’m Ashwin Chacko a positively playful Author, Illustrator and Motivational Speaker. I am the founder of Whacko Chacko an illustration studio...

What type of formal education or training did you pursue and how has it influenced your career? My first degree was in social justice; I didn’t even know what service design was back then! I spent ten years learning about design informally, but it wasn’t until I quit my job...

What initially drew you to your current creative field? Did you always envision a career in this discipline? I knew I wanted to pursue architecture after transition year in school. We had an excellent art teacher who introduced a very creative module with a strong focus on 3D. After that,...