Awards

My relationship with awards began in the early 1990s, as digital design and creative technology emerged within advertising and communications. Early recognition came from work exploring how interactivity and usability could enhance storytelling and brand experience. As digital evolved from static websites into complex, multi-channel ecosystems, this work was recognised by bodies including D&AD, Cannes Lions, Design Week, Echo, Euro Effie, and the One Show, reflecting a period when innovation focused on proving digital’s creative and strategic value.

Through the late 1990s and 2000s, awards tracked the maturation of digital into a core business capability. In senior leadership roles across global networks and high-growth independents, recognition increasingly reflected the ability to combine strategy, user-centred design, and technology at scale—shifting the focus from novelty to execution, effectiveness, and meaningful outcomes.

Over the past five years, awards have taken on a different significance. As Co-founder of A-dapt, recognition has centred on the development of Adaptive Media® and the responsible application of AI within education, learning, and training. A-dapt has now won over 20 awards across AI, learning technology, and innovation, including Webby, BIMA, Anthem, Davey, Telly, Learning Technologies, BETT, and the Stationers’ Innovation Excellence Awards, where the company was named Overall Winner in 2023.

A defining milestone was being invited to the SXSW Innovation Awards Showcase in both 2023 and 2024, making A-dapt the only small British company selected in consecutive years. Across three decades, these awards reflect a consistent approach: combining innovation, human-centred design, and creativity to create work that is both impactful and enduring.