“I enrolled in a UX design course with DKIT and knew I had found what I had been searching for. I completed a work experience module and was exposed to UX in a professional setting at Allied Irish Banks.

During my internship I was invited to apply for a permanent position as a UX designer on the team and was successful! At AIB I was fortunate enough to have a mentor with over 20 years experience in the industry. I learned so much from him and his advice and guidance has shaped how I think and how I work to this day.

I decided to pursue further studies and completed a Master of Science Degree in User Experience Design from IADT. During this time I grew increasingly interested in UX research, particularly relating to healthcare. When a UX Researcher position at Vhi Healthcare arose I applied and have been happily working here ever since.

At Vhi I am fortunate enough to work with extremely talented peers and managers who lead and inspire us to do our best work. My journey has not been linear but that’s what’s made it all the more fun and meaningful.

I would love to be a mentor because I truly understand how difficult it is to break into this industry, particularly coming from a non-design background, and I’d love to pay it forward and help others in a similar position to see that having diverse professional and life experience is actually a positive that will aid you as a designer.“

“The advice I’d give to future mentees and UX designers is to dedicate themselves as much as possible to developing a strong foundation of knowledge of UX design fundamentals, such as the UX design process, design thinking and user research. Think of your career similarly to building a house – start with a good foundation and then build upon this.

It’s tempting to want to jump right into learning how to use Tools like Figma and developing high fidelity, beautiful and polished designs. However, the best designers all have one thing in common – a strong understanding and working knowledge of the basics and the fundamentals.”