The Journey: From Craft to Leadership
My career has been a continuous evolution - one that started at the intersection of design and front-end development and expanded into leadership, team-building, and strategic problem-solving. The teams I’ve built and led have been instrumental in shaping digital experiences for brands, global businesses, and the education sector, impacting industries through design, technology, and storytelling.
Scaling Design at Quirk: From Startup to Global Influence
At Quirk, I grew through the ranks, moving from a Designer & Front-End Developer (2004) to Head of Design (2015) and later leading Service Design (2016). During this period, Quirk transformed from an innovative digital agency into a global force - eventually acquired by WPP and integrated into Mirum and JWT.
At Quirk London, I helped shape creative direction for SAB Miller, Warner Bros., Financial Times, Nando’s, and Not On The High Street, balancing strategic brand storytelling with user experience and digital engagement. Back in South Africa, I led teams that delivered Woolworths' first e-commerce platform, redefining online retail for a major African brand and led multiple brands for Distell(now Heineken Beverages).
Building Design-Led Culture at GetSmarter (2U)
Joining GetSmarter (acquired by 2U) as Director, Design, I was tasked with a critical challenge: building a scalable, multidisciplinary creative team that could elevate the company's global learning experience.
This meant expanding a core design function into a Creative Studios department that integrated:
• Design & UI: Shaping digital learning platforms
• Marketing & Brand: Developing cohesive visual identities
• Education & Infographics: Making complex information digestible
• Marketing & Brand: Developing cohesive visual identities
• Education & Infographics: Making complex information digestible
I built and led a 45-person team, implementing design systems, workflow improvements, and cross-functional collaboration rhythms to align business goals with creative excellence.
A key success was redesigning the student experience - enhancing how we structured and delivered online education in collaboration with universities like Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford and MIT.
Redstor & Cloud Design Thinking
At Redstor, I shifted into the world of cloud infrastructure, SaaS, and cybersecurity, leading product design for Microsoft Azure and AWS-based solutions. Here, I applied design thinking to simplify complex cloud security products, ensuring they remained intuitive and accessible for users at scale.
Driving Impact at GoMetro
Now, at GoMetro as Head of Creative, I lead design efforts that simplify complex mobility data into intuitive user experiences. The challenge? Transforming raw transportation analytics into visually compelling, actionable insights - bringing clarity to a world that’s often data-heavy and inaccessible.
Beyond Work: The Radical Design Party
Parallel to my leadership roles, I founded Radical Design Party - a space for design exploration, consulting, and creative problem-solving. This venture allows me to mentor teams, experiment with emerging technologies, and help startups define their brand and product experiences.
Leadership Philosophy: Building Teams That Thrive
Throughout my career, I’ve learned that great teams don’t just happen—they are nurtured, challenged, and empowered. My leadership is anchored in:
Vision: Every team needs a north star - whether it’s redesigning education or simplifying cloud security.
Process & Systems: Creativity flourishes within structure. I implement scalable workflows and design systems that empower teams to focus on meaningful work.
Growth & Culture: From internal training to mentorship and feedback loops, I believe in building cultures that encourage experimentation, respect, and cross-functional collaboration.
Measuring Impact: Whether through analytics, design adoption, or brand influence, success is always measurable.
Process & Systems: Creativity flourishes within structure. I implement scalable workflows and design systems that empower teams to focus on meaningful work.
Growth & Culture: From internal training to mentorship and feedback loops, I believe in building cultures that encourage experimentation, respect, and cross-functional collaboration.
Measuring Impact: Whether through analytics, design adoption, or brand influence, success is always measurable.
At the heart of everything I do is a simple goal: Build teams that create work that matters.
