Alumni & Graduate Pathways
Graduates of Product Design at SETU work across a wide range of sectors where design research, creative problem solving, and applied design practice play a central role. Alumni apply the skills developed through studio-based learning, portfolio development, and real project experience in diverse professional contexts, including physical product development, digital design, healthcare, technology, and creative industries.
The programme’s emphasis on user-centred design, research-informed decision making, and iterative prototyping supports graduates in progressing into roles within in-house design teams, design consultancies, and self-directed or freelance practice, as well as in UX/UI and digital product design. Others choose to continue into postgraduate study or specialise further within related design and innovation fields.
The alumni featured here reflect the breadth of opportunities enabled by a Product Design education at SETU, demonstrating how studio practice, critical thinking, and practical skills translate into meaningful professional pathways.
Alumni Mentorship & Peer Support
As part of the Product Design programme at SETU, structured mentorship opportunities are organised in Year 2 and Year 3, connecting current students with programme alumni working across a range of design fields. Through this mentorship, students gain insight into professional practice, portfolio development, and career pathways, while alumni provide guidance based on their own experiences transitioning from study into industry or further research. These relationships support confidence-building, reflective learning, and informed decision-making, complementing studio-based teaching and helping students navigate key stages of their design education.
Unum - UX Design Lead
Studying Product Design Innovation at SETU was an experience that shaped my approach to design and career. The course equipped me with strong user-centred design thinking skills through immersive, hands-on studio learning. With a strong emphasis on empathic and accessible design, I developed the ability to deeply understand user needs and solve real-world challenges through research and an iterative design processes. This passion for user research led me to complete a Master’s in Design Research at SETU, further strengthening my practice. These experiences have significantly influenced my career path from my previous role as a User Experience Designer at AIB to my current position at Unum Ireland, where I create meaningful, people-focused solutions grounded in insight and empathy.
Adrian O Heney
Stryker - Design Manager
As a Design Manager at Stryker, Adrian has spent the past seven years building and leading a global user experience medical device design team. His work is rooted in a passion for user-centered design, identifying deep user experience insights, advanced task analysis, ergonomics, and human factors to create solutions that enhance healthcare and improve lives. His design leadership has earned multiple prestigious iF and Red Dot Design Awards, product launches, issued and pending international patents. Recently Adrian earned the Global Design Excellence Award for Design Leadership at Stryker. Education & Professional Development - Adrian holds a B.A. in Industrial Design and a B.A. (Hons) in Product Design Innovation from SETU, an M.Sc. in Medical Device Design from NCAD, and advanced diplomas in Empathic Design (Western Michigan University), Human Factors (AAMI), and UX Web Design. Mentorship & Industry Collaboration - A dedicated culture and team builder, design mentor and advisor, Adrian has also collaborated with SETU, Institutes of Technology, University of Limerick, and NCAD to supervise students on live projects, inform course syllabi and inspire the next generation of designers. Over the past seven years, he has shaped project briefs and guided emerging talent, reinforcing his commitment to elevating design excellence in Ireland and bridging industry and academia. Reflecting on his Journey - Adrian credits SETU’s Industrial Design program with unlocking his early potential: “Where I saw limitations, the program brought out my creativity, sharpening my problem-solving, ideation, 3D visualization, teamwork, DFM, prototyping, presentations, and professional practice. These skills transformed uncertainty into a career path and a mindset of lifelong learning, which I now lead. That early guidance set me on a path of curiosity and learning, one that later led me to NCAD’s Medical device programme and beyond. I’m grateful to have been part of such a supportive and thriving design community in Ireland, where top Irish design institutions like SETU, NCAD, UL and others help shape the future of the field.
Claudia Nevin
CarveOn Leather - Designer
I loved studying Product Design at SETU Carlow. It really set me up for the hands-on, creative role I have now at CarveOn. The course covered taking an idea from a sketch and bringing it right through to a finished product. Learning to use workshop machinery, printers, finishing techniques and fabrication tools made the transition into a practical, production-based role feel really natural. Today I work across graphics, printing, machine maintenance, engraving, photography, branding and client communication. All of these skills started at SETU. At its core, the degree focused on problem-solving, which is something I rely on every single day.
Kim Hong Tee
Boxclever - Product Designer
My time at PDI Carlow was a defining chapter in my professional development. Moving abroad independently was a significant personal milestone, fostering a level of self-reliance and grit that now forms the backbone of my work ethic. The program’s demanding environment encouraged me to venture beyond the standard curriculum, where I found that a proactive, hands-on approach to mastering technical tools was the most rewarding way to learn. The true turning point was the faculty's emphasis on industry integration. I am deeply grateful for the networking platforms provided; my dedication unexpectedly supported my continuation for my final year and ultimately led to my current career. This experience turned high-pressure challenges into a definitive professional launchpad.
Lee Gaynor
NHS Wales - Sr Service Designer
Studying Product Design Innovation at SETU Carlow shaped how I approach my work today. The course focused on research, understanding real user needs, and clearly defining problems before designing solutions. This taught me how to design with purpose and impact. In today’s technology-led world, this human-centred approach has been invaluable across every industry I’ve worked in. The studio environment, along with the visualisation and presentation skills I developed, built my confidence in tackling complex challenges and working with different stakeholders. I currently work as a Contract Senior Service Designer on a large-scale public healthcare programme with Digital Health and Care Wales.
Orlaith Byrne
CarveOn Leather - Designer
The PDI course at SETU Carlow gave me a really strong foundation in design, particularly in problem solving, initiative, and strategic thinking. The studio based environment pushed me to collaborate, work independently, and explore ideas creatively. The hands on nature of the workshop helped me understand how to take an idea from a sketch to a physical product. Regular presentations also built my confidence in explaining and defending my concepts. The course has had a huge impact on my career. I am now a Designer at CarveOn Leather, confidently working one-to-one with clients, developing new products, refining existing designs, and guiding projects from concept to production, ensuring every piece meets our high standards of craftsmanship and quality.
Cook Medical - R&D Engineer II
PDI Carlow gave me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally through a strong studio-based culture. Working through projects and frequent presentations built my confidence and strengthened my communication skills, something that has stayed with me throughout my career. The programme’s emphasis on sketching, prototyping, and iterative development equipped me with practical design capability and helped me progress to a Master’s in Medical Devices Design NCAD. Those core skills translated directly into industry, where I worked on developing medical devices and learned the value of clear, evidence-led design decisions. The course environment encouraged ownership, decision-making, and the confidence to propose and communicate novel solutions effectively. Previous Roles: Synecco, BD, Sedana Medical.
Emma Holden
PhD Researcher
Product Design Innovation at SETU gave me a strong foundation to grow both personally and professionally within a dynamic studio-based culture. Working on user research–driven projects, engaging in critiques, and collaborating in studio strengthened my ability to think critically, communicate ideas clearly, and approach complex problems with empathy. The programme’s emphasis on research, iteration, and user-centred design shaped my career direction. After graduating, I worked as a Research Assistant on the SFI-funded PEStech project, leading benchmarking, user testing and co-design workshops to improve how labour market data is communicated to the public. That experience led me to undertake a PhD at SETU, where I now explore digital exclusion among young people and access to public services through design research. - Area: Design Research / Digital Public Services
Microsoft - Lead Product Designer
Product Design Practice Lead in Security UX - Studying Product Design at Carlow laid the foundation for my career in design. The studio-based approach cultivated rigorous critical thinking, fearless experimentation, and a lasting commitment to human-centered practice. Since graduating, I’ve worked across a broad spectrum, from designing bespoke chandeliers to building Wall Street trading systems, global health platforms for the United Nations, and experiences now used by billions at Microsoft. Carlow’s emphasis on research, iteration, and inclusive design continues to shape my work today, guiding my pursuit of thoughtful, elegant solutions that earn trust, spark delight, and create meaningful real-world impact.
Stryker - Lead Interaction Designer
I loved my time on the PDI course in Carlow, where I learned the foundations of what it truly means to be a designer. The studio environment, hands on learning, and friendships formed there were hugely influential. PDI’s emphasis on design rationale, usability, ergonomics, anthropometrics, and physical form grounded my practice in user centred thinking across both industrial and interaction design. Learning empathetic research methods, unbiased interviewing, and design thinking frameworks shaped how I approach complex problems holistically. Today, as Lead Interaction Designer in the Neurosurgical business unit at Stryker, I am responsible for the end to end design process, from conducting user research and extrapolating insights, to informing design decisions and iterating solutions throughout the new product development process for connected surgical systems and operating room interfaces.
Catherine Kinsella
Kent Stainless - Design Project Eng
I studied Product Design Innovation in Carlow, where I developed a strong foundation in creative thinking, user-centred design, and hands-on prototyping. The course encouraged curiosity and problem-solving, and it gave me the confidence to turn ideas into practical, well-considered solutions. I had a great time throughout the programme, it was a challenging but rewarding experience, and I built some amazing friendships and professional relationships that I still value today. After graduating, I moved into engineering, where I now apply that same design mindset to technical challenges. My background in product design allows me to approach engineering problems with a broader perspective, always considering usability, function, and the overall user experience. The combination of creativity and technical thinking continues to shape how I work.
Rob Crowe
Innovation & Business Consultant
Area of Work: Strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership development --- My time studying Product Design Innovation at SETU Carlow was hugely formative and changed how I approach problems and ideas. PDI wasn’t just about designing products, the course taught us to understand people, challenge assumptions, and think about how ideas actually work in the real world. It gave me the confidence to move from concept to reality and showed me that design sits somewhere between creativity, business, and problem-solving. Since graduating, my career has taken a fairly varied path across industrial design, innovation consulting, and business strategy. Today I run my own consultancy, working with founders and organisations to help them figure out what to build, how to grow, and how to turn ideas into something real. The way I work now still traces back to what I learned in PDI.
Flutter - UX Product Designer
The Product Design Innovation course in SETU gave me a strong foundation in design thinking, structured problem solving, and stakeholder collaboration. It emphasised customer-centred design, understanding real user needs and designing solutions grounded in research and insight. It taught me how to take an early idea, pressure-test it from multiple perspectives, and develop it into a purposeful product or service. Crucially, it shaped my ability to challenge assumptions, align stakeholders, and defend decisions with clear rationale within real-world constraints. Today I work in Customer Safety at Flutter Entertainment, designing digital systems that support safer gambling across large-scale platforms. Area of Work: Customer Safety for Paddy power, Betfair and Skybet & gaming
Lynne Whelan
SETU - Senior Change Management
My experience in the Product Design Innovation course built upon my previous work experience by deepening my understanding of design as a language—one that shapes how ideas are communicated, challenged, and advanced. Learning to articulate tacit knowledge made the invisible aspects of creativity visible and discussable, ensuring they were valued in the innovation process. The course also highlighted the importance of having a clear, user-centred design framework to anchor decisions. I have built on this over the years through a master’s degree in design by research and a PhD which focusses on organisational transformation through design principles. I currently hold the position of Senior Change Management Professional in SETU.
Donal Mayne
Main Circle Medical - Sr R&D Eng
I had a great time in Carlow completing the PDI course. The course has thought me valuable lessons and skills that I have used daily throughout my career and also met a lot of close friends while completing the course. It has allowed me to innovate, problem-solve and be confident in my skills and abilities to present ideas to colleagues, clients or management. My career has ultimately brought me to work with engineers and to be able to bring a user-centred focus to my colleagues around me is something that was instilled in the course in Carlow.
Lorna Murray
AIB - UX Design Lead
Katie Smullen
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Eoghan Fallon
CGL Retail Solutions - Designer
Since graduating from the Product Design programme at South East Technological University (SETU) Carlow in 2025, the skills I developed over four years have been central to my career. The lecturers placed strong emphasis on preparing us for real-world industry, encouraging us to make informed design decisions, justify our thinking and take ownership of our projects — a mindset that has been invaluable in the workplace. The course built a solid foundation in design thinking, CAD, prototyping and practical problem-solving. I now work as a Designer with CGL Retail Solutions Ltd, delivering retail solutions for brands such as Samsung, LG, Harvey Norman, Expert Electrical and more. My role spans cabinet making for electrical stores, 3D printing display elements and graphic design across projects. The broad, hands-on learning at SETU gave me the confidence and versatility to grow within a creative career I genuinely enjoy.