When people hear that I completed a Diploma in Psychology, they're often surprised.
After all, my work has always revolved around design, art, and making things.
But to me, the two have always belonged together.
I didn't study psychology because I wanted to become a psychologist. I studied it because I wanted to become a more thoughtful designer.
I've always been fascinated by why some objects become treasured while others are forgotten. Why do certain gifts end up tucked away in a drawer, while others are kept for decades? Why do some designs spark emotion, nostalgia, or joy the moment we see them?
The answer isn't just in how something looks.
It's in how it makes us feel.
Studying psychology gave me a deeper understanding of memory, emotion, perception, and human connection. It reinforced something I'd always believed instinctively: the most meaningful designs aren't necessarily the most extravagant. They're the ones that tell a personal story.
One project that perfectly captured this philosophy was a custom set of wedding money designed for a money gun.
At first glance, it sounds like a fun novelty. But I wanted it to become something much more meaningful.
The newlyweds had spent years travelling the world together, so instead of creating generic notes, I designed every detail around their journey. Their favourite destinations, shared adventures, and personal story became part of the artwork. During the celebration, the notes filled the room with excitement. Afterwards, many were collected, kept, and remembered as part of the day itself.
The money wasn't valuable because of what it represented financially.
It was valuable because of the story it carried.
That project reminded me that good design can transform even the simplest object into something deeply sentimental.
It's the approach I bring to every project, whether I'm creating wedding invitations, branding, interiors, artwork, or custom products. I always try to look beyond aesthetics and ask a different question:
What memory will this create?
That question has become the foundation of my creative process.
Psychology didn't replace my creativity.
It strengthened it.
It gave me another way to understand the people I design for and reinforced my belief that design has the power to connect people, celebrate stories, and preserve moments that might otherwise fade with time.
Because in the end, the most successful designs aren't always the ones people admire.
They're the ones people never want to let go of.