I first became interested in the way things are made at a very early age in my life. My parents have both been very craft based and this “hands on” approach to life gave me a keen interest in many different areas, be it the production of furniture for the family, home the intricacies of milling and turning or the pure craftsman ship gained from such things as needlework or carving. From this early beginning I gained an initial understanding of the quality that comes with bespoke work, produced fit for purpose. I believe that quality is the underlining factor that can help a designer bring their ideas from the drawing board in to an age where sustainability is one of the key ideas emerging as an underpinning for our consumer society. I do not consider myself to be an “eco designer” by any means. I feel that this term is just an attempt at jumping on the band wagon for people who don’t really understand what it is to ensure that we live our lives in a less harmful way. From childhood I have had an affinity with the outdoors and nature, be it the quiet rolling hills of the South Downs, the bleak desolation of the Brecon Beacons or the awe inspiring peaks of our countries tallest peaks. It is for this reason that I try and ensure that all my designs can be produced in a sustainable manner. For similar reasons I believe that “inclusive design” by its very nature is an exclusive design procedure. Designers should make all of their designs as accessible to as wide a range of people as possible and should not brag about the fact that they consider everyone one in a particular design. Aesthetics and function I consider with equal weighting and ensure that all my concepts are as attractive as is functionally possible. I feel there is little point in creating either purely functional or purely aesthetic products as their use then becomes flawed from conception. I decided to become a designer in order to help people’s lives become less of a hardship and I feel that my view on how products should be conceived is shown in my ideas. I always work hard to get a good balance between these two key areas.