ACI Group welcomes Hannah McVittie as Interior Designer, as part of the company`s mission of creating a close knit of designers that put people at the heart of everything they do.

Originally from Belfast, Hannah came to ACI Group with a beautiful blend of technical abilities and creative skills.

Landing her first graduate job on the eve of a global pandemic, Hannah confesses that she has been lucky enough to work, and work hard, throughout the past year.

Having graduated with a First Class Honours in Interior Design, Hannah has a comprehensive understanding of the design process and she has learned to adapt this to the real, fast-paced world of design.

Having worked as an Interior Designer for a creative event décor company in Manchester, Hannah was involved in a variety of projects and seen them throughout the whole process, from idea to completion.

“One of the most exciting parts of the job was seeing initial ideas and notebook scribbles become reality.”, she mentions.

We have chatted with Hannah to find out more about her passion and goals and here`s what she shared with us:

What was the moment you knew you wanted to be a designer?

Design was something I knew from an early age and was always something that was a huge interest. After a slight detour studying History of Art & Design I thoroughly enjoyed gaining more knowledge on design history but realised that, ultimately, it wasn’t enough for me to read and write about it – I wanted to be hands on creating and designing myself.

What inspires you the most?

Having started on my career a little later, graduating at the age in 30, what inspires me the most is learning and developing. I’m enthusiastic about gaining more knowledge in my field and developing my skills and in that respect it is more than a 9-5, clock in, clock out existence. I’m a big proponent of wellbeing in the workplace and design that influences people lives for the better.

What excites you about this role?

After a university project in office design I knew this was something I wanted to explore more – I’m very interested in the psychology of how people work and how people work best and designing environments which respond directly to that. It’s exciting to come on board with such a reputable company and gain first hand experience in live projects such as this. Workplace design is something that has a large impact on peoples’ lives, spending much of our day working – how can we as designers provide the best space to work in?

How do you see your future at ACI Group and what are your short term goals?

I hope to continue my growth and development as a designer and looking forward to bringing a few projects to fruition. Having come from an event and hospitality design background I’m keen to learn and immerse myself in all things workplace design with a view to becoming a confident middle-weight designer in a few years time.

Tell us about your favourite project.

My last role was in an events and design company in Manchester. As the last year largely decimated the events industry many companies had to learn to adapt to get through a difficult time. I was able to work on three large scale drive-in cinemas in Manchester as these were amongst the few events that could operate under many restrictions. I designed it as an immersive experience from the moment you arrive, including a drive through tunnel. I think this highlights the beauty of design, that it has to change and adapt to what is going on in the wider world.

What phase of the design process you enjoy the most?

I really enjoy the early research & development ideas where I explore different concepts and get a thorough understanding of how best to respond to the design brief. There is a lot of collaboration at this stage with colleagues bouncing ideas off each other and this is usually where the strongest ideas form.

What is it that made you join ACI Group?

I was aware of ACI’s work when studying locally in York St John University and always kept an eye on what they were working on with a hope to someday be part of that team. I’m excited to join at a time of expansion and see how the company continues to grow over the next few years. When job hunting I think work culture plays a huge role in decision making and where you end up; with ACI I could tell that it was a close-knit team with an interest in looking after its employees and providing a fun, comfortable environment to work in.

How do you think the pandemic influenced office design and interior design trends?

I think the pandemic has placed office design at a real turning point and it’s an exciting time to see, and implement, changes to how we work. The last year and a half have led many to re-evaluate quality of life and work/life balance and office design needs to respond to this. As hybrid working becomes the new normal, the office needs to offer a home from home space that encourages the collaboration and socialising many miss working from home. I think office design will adapt further to give the power to employees to choose how best they work, and in what environment and as designers, we need to listen.