One question I've been asked several times throughout my career is:
"How do you move between such different industries?"

At first glance, banking, air quality monitoring, hospitality management and enterprise software seem completely unrelated.

The users are different.

The regulations are different.

The terminology is different.

The business goals are different.

Yet after working across multiple industries, I've realised something important:
The industry changes.

Human behaviour doesn't.

Every industry has its own language
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One of the first challenges when entering a new domain is understanding its language.

Financial products have their own terminology.

Healthcare products introduce specialised concepts.

Enterprise platforms rely on internal processes and workflows.

Learning products focus on engagement and progress.

Before designing anything, I need to understand how that world operates.

Because designing without understanding the domain often leads to superficial solutions.

Curiosity becomes a competitive advantage
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One reason I enjoy working across industries is that every project starts with learning.

New users.

New challenges.

New constraints.

New opportunities.

Research becomes essential.

Instead of relying on assumptions, I need to understand how people work, what they care about and what problems they face.

The ability to learn quickly often becomes more valuable than previous domain knowledge.

Different industries, similar problems
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Although industries appear different on the surface, many challenges are surprisingly familiar.

Users want clarity.

They want confidence.

They want efficiency.

They want to complete tasks with minimal friction.

Whether someone is checking air quality, booking accommodation or reviewing financial information, the underlying goals are often similar:

Understand.

Decide.

Act.

The interface may change, but the human needs remain remarkably consistent.
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Every project expands your perspective
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One benefit of working across industries is that lessons travel surprisingly well.

A solution discovered in one sector may inspire improvements in another.

Research methods remain relevant.

Accessibility principles remain important.

Information architecture remains essential.

Design systems still create consistency.

Each project contributes knowledge that can be applied elsewhere.

Avoiding industry tunnel vision
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Designers who spend many years in a single domain often develop deep expertise.

That's valuable.

But working across industries provides a different advantage.

It helps challenge assumptions.

Practices that feel normal in one industry can appear unnecessary when viewed from another perspective.

Fresh eyes often uncover opportunities that established teams no longer notice.

The product always comes first
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Regardless of the industry, my approach remains largely the same.

Understand the problem.

Understand the users.

Understand the business goals.

Understand the constraints.

Then design a solution that balances all of those factors.

The process remains consistent even when the context changes dramatically.

Looking back
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Working across different industries has taught me far more than designing within a single domain ever could.

Each project introduces a new perspective.

A new challenge.

A new way of thinking.

And while the products themselves may look completely different, the objective remains the same:
Create experiences that help people achieve their goals more effectively.

That's what makes product design so interesting.