I landed in design in New Zealand after taking a digital communications undergrad. My first hands-on project was for a local Italian restaurant; Buon Venuti. I hand-coded their website, and, to my surprise, they decided to keep it. Their purchase wasn't just of the website but of my educational journey, too—I was stepping away from formal education and into the deep end of the design pool.

I took on contracts with a naive boldness, often punching above my weight in what I agreed to do. I saw these not as insurmountable obstacles but as stepping stones, a chance to learn while doing—the best education for me.

The attraction of Europe eventually proved irresistible, and I followed the well-known path of many a Kiwi to London. Over the next decade, I worked my way to a great position, managing a team of 12 designers at GoodNotes. But it was less of the hands-on design I loved and different from how I'd envisioned the role.

Three design systems, countless iterations and hundreds of releases later, I call Copenhagen home, and I’m thrilled to be part of Monta’s mission, helping make electric vehicle charging as intuitive as plugging in your phone at night.

My guiding principle in user experience has often aligned with Richard Thaler’s wisdom, “If you want people to do something, make it easy.” And that's what I intend to do.