Alumni Stories - Marie Salova
"My work and research is all about uncovering actionable insights, whilst inspiring and helping clients or partners, to do better through design and strategy. In practice, much of my work centres on creating new ways to look at problems and to find innovative solutions."
_(June).png)
Name: Marie Salova
Current Career: Design Research / Service Design
Graduation Year: 2020
Discipline: Service Design Masters
Location: Ireland
What career path did you want to follow as a child?
I have been creative for as long as I can remember and took a keen interest in technology from a young age. Although I did not have a specific career path in mind when I was growing up, I knew I wanted to combine these two passions.
Thankfully, I followed my heart when choosing my career path. My first degree qualification is a BSc in Product Design and Technology from the University of Limerick (2019). My second degree is an MA in Service Design from The National College of Art and Design, Dublin (2020).
So far, the career path I have followed is not one I knew existed when I was a child! Sometimes you just have to follow your passion and see where it takes you.
Why did you decide to study at National College of Art & Design?
I had taken a keen interest in Service Design during my undergraduate studies and knew it was something I wanted to pursue further. I had heard only good things about NCAD from past graduates. When I discovered NCAD were starting a new the MA Service Design course I knew I had to apply! I was part of the first cohort of students to graduate from NCAD with an MA in Service Design.
How did you develop your career towards your current job or practice?
As a designer, I see real value in taking what you learn from one industry or field into another one. I believe this attitude and experience has opened up a range of exciting opportunities for me.
In my career, I have been fortunate to work as a designer in various capacities both in the public sector, as well as with big and small businesses. This work spans across various sectors from healthcare to recruitment, to hospitality and tourism. My work and research is all about uncovering actionable insights, whilst inspiring and helping clients or partners, to do better through design and strategy. In practice, much of my work centres on creating new ways to look at problems and to find innovative solutions.
Currently, I am working as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in Medical Device/Service Design for Circular Economy on a Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund project with NCAD.
I love the variety of work a career in Service Design offers and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
What is the one experience during your time at NCAD that has informed you most in your career and work to date?
Winning a national Service Design Network Award was the highlight moment of my time at NCAD. I still remember looking through projects from previous finalists on my first day. I never could have pictured my project being one of them the following year! I would not have entered the project if it wasn’t for all the encouragement of my lecturers Brian Gough and Dr Caoimhe McMahon and the support of NCAD.
This experience built my confidence in myself and my work that has helped shape my career path since graduating.
If you were chatting with current NCAD students today what is the one piece of advice you would offer?
Know how to use your contacts and enjoy every moment as it will all be over in the blink of an eye!
What new opportunities have developed for you as a result of changes in work practice during the Covid pandemic?
During the Covid pandemic, recent changes in work practice has opened up new opportunities to work on many exciting projects without having to worry about relocating from rural Ireland.
I have particularly enjoyed the chance to work remotely as an early career design researcher on a series of short projects. Many of these opportunities were through NCAD Origin8 or the Department of Innovation & Engagement, which often employs recent alumni as part-time researchers.
This gave me the chance to work with NCAD clients who needed service design expertise to develop better UX/UI for their app products. Most of these small businesses had availed of Enterprise Ireland Innovation Research Vouchers worth €5,000 each.
These sequential job opportunities helped me to discover new research areas and employment niches which wouldn’t have been possible for me previously. It also helped me secure the full-time design research job I have now at NCAD, this time working in the medical device design sector.
Portfolio Links:
Unfortunately, the majority of my work is completed under NDA but you can see some sneak peaks here:
