Matthew trained as a product designer before joining TG0 four years ago. Here, he talks about his working holiday in Sicily, finishing his Master's degree, and climbing walls with colleagues.
**Where did you grow up?**
I grew up in Penge in south London — somewhere I appreciate more as an adult than I did as a child.
**What did you imagine doing as a job when you were young?**
I loved drawing as a kid — always doodling. My favourite thing to draw was side profiles of cars; I wanted to be a car designer. Eventually I navigated towards art and graphic design and decided to go into the branding world.
**Did you go to university?**
I spent a year in industry first as an in-house graphic designer for Avery UK, a printable label manufacturer. Being an in-house designer is very different from the glamour of working for a big branding agency — much more grounded and formulaic. During that year, it shifted my perspective towards doing something more technical and I started thinking about university.
**Why product design at Bournemouth?**
I'd done product design at A Level and enjoyed it. Bournemouth was great for the course — the people were amazing and we built a tight-knit community without the competitiveness you sometimes hear about from other universities. I spent a placement year at a lighting design company, which really honed my skills for going into industry.
**What was your final year project?**
I developed a hands-on teaching aid to teach secondary school students about the concept of e-waste. The teaching aid was almost like a simulation phone that kids could take apart during a lesson — helping them understand the materials that go into phones, where they came from, where they might go when disposed of, and the health impacts for the communities affected by e-waste.
**How did you join TG0?**
Within a few months of finishing university, I came across TG0. I remember looking at the website and being really interested in the interactions and various projects they were working on. The variety of applications — from medical to automotive — was incredibly exciting.
**What's kept you at TG0 for four years?**
No two projects are the same. The range of industries, the scale of the problems being solved, and the pace at which the technology is evolving — there's always something new to get into. I've also been able to finish my Master's degree while working here, which has been a real opportunity.
**What do you do outside of work?**
I go climbing with colleagues quite regularly. And when I get the chance, I travel — which is why I'm currently in Sicily. It's a beautiful part of the world.
