IDIAMM

What’s your background?

My career started 2 weeks after university and over the past 28 years is very diverse, It is a background of Residential, Commercial, Hotel & Hospitality Interiors in Global Locations as well as Superyachts & Cruise Liners to evolving the concept and technical details for converting 1980s standard Intercity Rail Passenger Carriages to Luxury Contemporary Heritage Rail interiors for the Interior Carriages of the Belmond Grand Hibernian Train including Sleeper, Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Cars. I have even sketched on the concepts for the interior of military submarines, but that’s another story……! This varied design background and site experience , along with determination and hard work has eased my transition to being a Senior Technical Coordinator / Design Manager, a role that encompasses all of my design skill sets with that buzz of a new challenge to overcome every day on site.

Where did the idea for IDIAM101 come from?

I was asked to give an online lecture to some 3rd year students (via a general request on Linkedin) and it would have been easy to just discuss a particular project or some aspect of my portfolio. However instead I saw this as an opportunity to try and give back, and more importantly if I was one of those students, what would benefit me the most from those next 3 hours. I produced a 70 page PDF slide presentation for that session and then that developed into the 8 hour masterclass

Is IDIAMM a replacement for university?

No. Its designed to run concurrently with a university course, or as a lecture series in cooperation with a university (as we do so now). My goal is to help every student (and graduate) bridge the gap from university to employment. The best way to do this is to get ahead of the curve because every year there are two hundred plus graduates all looking for gainful employment in july. Demonstrating industry standards is the best way

What aspect of IDIAMM do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy the problem solving aspects. To me its the most underrated aspect of design yet is so key in the industry that it is so key to a projects success. To me design is problem solving which is why talk some much about how to do it with a structure so it has some logic. From day 1, it starts with the brief and time line – How do I make the amount of work required fit within the timeline? Then its how do I design that much to suit my creative concept and still being practical, buildable and within budget so it will work? Space planning is a personal love, especially when I look back as designing 8+ decks of a 100m superyacht allowing for invisible crew. Then there is problem solving under pressure when a project is on site and time is money………………

Why did you become interested in design?

A childhood of dismantling broken household appliances & drawing all over on their bedroom walls may not be the most obvious tell-tale signs for a 7-year-old to become an Interior Architect | Design Manager however a curious imagination and a determination to better an object, space or environment was clear in abundance. A historical gene pool of automotive design engineers gifted me a skillset of how “two pieces of wood go together”, sketching on the fly, quick thinking problem solving and a creative & curious mindset.

Who do you think benefits from IDIAMM?

Everyone…….. The universities have a set curriculum and time frame. Also no 2 universities are the same so there will always be varying levels of difference from projects, to lessons and skills taught, to staff input. I don’t teach creativity. I teach skills, mindset approach and industry standards that will benefit every single student and graduate to achieve their end gaol – employment.

Can you break down simply what the benefits are from IDIAMM?

Graduate / junior design roles are a challenge for many reasons. The learning curve takes time so the investment from the employer isn’t always a fast track to return the value. Graduate / Junior designers often move on within 12 – 18 months and the employer is back to square 1. That why most adverts request a minimum of 1 years industry experience. I teach the skills that a graduate should demonstrate in an interview to show they are industry ready and that they can be proactive, productive and cost efficient to a live project straight away with confidence.