About

Early years

I love making things, I always have. From a young age I used cereal boxes, sellotape, Pritt Stick and scissors to build anything my imagination could think of. I loved painting and drawing, and had a curious mind for the visual world that surrounded me. It was almost inevitable then, that I would end up studying visual communication.

Education

I was taught by the best, his name was Ian Noble and he inspired me to work harder, think deeper and seek a full understanding of how we communicate visually. I owe a deep gratitude to him for what he did for me. This tribute page on Eye Magazine's website gives a glimpse of his work as an educator, and a sense of the inspirational teacher he was.

Since leaving University I've studied at post-graduate level, been awarded a European Media MA focussed around digital technologies, and I've worked in companies large and small designing content, products and services.

Family

I'm married and I have two daughters, and they challenge and inspire me each day to be a better person.

I set out to listen, empathise and understand the different dynamics of family life, and I try to encourage my daughters to think and question the decisions they make as they grow and mature into young women. Together, we are making our way through life's guesswork.

As digital natives their relationship to technology keeps me interested in how they consume, organise, educate and entertain themselves online, and how technology is fully integrated into their daily lives.

I've seen significant change in technology in my life, and I imagine they will see even more. My aim is to help them embrace the benefits, while remaining safe and protecting themselves from groups and individuals with negative intentions.

Together, we explore ideas of truth, meaning and influence, and how to navigate and think critically about the things we see, read and hear online.

Passions and interests

Outside of technology, I'm a passionate birdwatcher and photographer and have spent hundreds of hours watching different species of UK birds in diverse locations. I've also taken 1000's of photo's in a bid to capture the perfect shot of each UK species. I share the best photographs on my Instagram account TWITCHED.

My goal is to photograph all the UK birds on the British list and one day paint each one. My paintings will be gifted to my daughters to remind them of me, and to inspire them to follow their passions in life. They will be my legacy, and will live on beyond me.

Volunteering

I've put my passion for birds and conservation into action as a volunteer ranger for the RSPB at Pagham Harbour, supporting their Little Tern project. I educated visitors about avoiding designated nesting areas to prevent disturbance of the parents, or destroying the eggs underfoot.

By raising awareness, I helped protect ground-nesting birds and support their breeding success. At the end of the season Little Tern numbers increased from the previous year, and being part of the team involved, was a great source of pride for me.

The future

Into the future I remain curious and hopeful about all aspects of life, and I'm interested to see how we grapple with the threats and opportunites that face humanity as we move forwards.