How did Young Guns get on your radar?

I came across Young Guns at university after reading about it in one of the design publications at the time. I remember looking through the winners, past and present, and thinking, “One day I want my name there.” But I genuinely didn’t think it was possible.

I wasn’t from a big agency, wasn’t in a major city like NYC, and didn’t feel like I fit the mould. And yet, here we are!

How did you end up in the creative field?

Honestly, it feels inevitable in hindsight. My three favourite things as a kid were: a. drawing, b. pretending to be a DJ, c. pretending to be a chef. So design, music and food were always the pillars.

But I struggled with design for a long time. I dropped out of art school to DJ full-time. After about a year, I realised I spent more time designing posters for musician friends than actually playing gigs. That felt like a sign, so I went back to study.

From there, things clicked. I tried illustration and that felt right too. I got a job at an agency in my final year of uni, and that’s where I met Jasmine, now my partner and co-founder at After Hours. Everything since has unfolded from there.

Why did you decide to enter this year?

I’ve wanted to enter for years, and turning 30 meant this was the final window. If there was ever a “now or never” moment, this was it. I knew the deadline was coming, but had convinced myself I would just try next year.

Then I realised there was no next year, so I submitted at midnight, barely made it in, and hoped for the best. It really does prove the point that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

“I submitted at midnight, barely made it in, and hoped for the best.”

You only get to submit six projects. How did you decide what made the cut?

Choosing six felt impossible. I wanted work that shows the whole spectrum — the stuff we build at After Hours from scratch. Strategy, identity, illustration, motion, the lot.

I also wanted a mix: smaller founder projects, bigger brands, branding, campaigns, everything in between. A proper snapshot of the range.

What was your reaction when you found out you won?

It was 4:30am in Tokyo. Jasmine woke me up by poking me and telling me the news. I genuinely thought it was a prank. We celebrated the only way we know how: a night out in Tokyo.

In what ways does where you are living right now inspire your creativity?

After Hours is a fully remote studio, which means we live out of a suitcase for most of the year. I hit 11 or 12 cities this year alone. Being constantly in motion forces you to rethink everything — how you move through the world, how you communicate, how you adapt, how you understand different cultures. Even a trip to the grocery store hits differently in every city.

Right now in Tokyo, I’m obsessed with how much illustration is embedded in everyday design. Commercial, niche, everything. It is such a distinct visual culture.

Travel pushes you out of your comfort zone. It forces perspective shifts. You start to understand the zeitgeist on a global scale. You see what is happening in New York, then London, then Melbourne, then Paris, then Tokyo, and how those ideas bounce between cities. It is endlessly inspiring.

Now that you’re a part of the Young Guns community, are there any past winners you look up to and admire?

Angela Kirkwood, Noemie Le Coz, Leo Porto, Angela Freya, Bobby Doherty. They all have incredibly defined points of view — not just in their work, but in how they contribute to design culture. They don’t just make things, they help move the conversation.

If you could create a new Young Guns tradition what would you want it to be and why?

A mentorship chain. Young Gun alumni mentoring the newest winners, who then mentor the next group a few years later. A way of keeping the ladder open and the community thriving.

Name a creative/professional dream project that you have yet to fulfill.

I’d love to creative direct a visual package for a band or artist — do the whole shebang: vinyl, music videos, merch, staging, etc. HMU.