Lucy Racktoo – "This journey has taught me so much – not just about design, but also who I am as a designer"

I was inspired by my father and grandfather, both highly skilled builders, carpenters and craftsmen in their own right who worked with Lenygon & Morant and Dudley Poplak – highly regarded interior designers known for their work with The Queen, Princess Diana and other high-profile clients. This heritage and knowledge provided me an early appreciation for construction quality, materials and detail, and one I wished to explore more fully!

With a diploma in interior design under my belt, achieved in 2019, whilst working full-time in the commercial industry, I finally transitioned across from the commercial corporate world into the interior design industry, and became immediately aware of the influence our working and home environments had, and how they affect us on a daily basis. With previous experience working in offices and environments in advertising and branding, and working as a project manager, I found the influence of our office environments and how they affected the team’s morale and engagement of particular interest.

I saw the importance of spatial design solutions within our homes and working environments, and how we as designers have a responsibility to provide better, more effective design solutions strategically thinking about the physical and psychological impact this has on the user.

However, after three years working in the interior design industry, I felt that a lack of knowledge on my part, about the intrinsic elements that supported us within our environments was still missing. Whilst I created and supported both clients and senior designers designing beautiful spaces, I felt there was so much more to understand and delve into. Interior design is more than just the aesthetic application; we must also consider wellbeing and longevity and the psychological impact these spaces have on us as part of the design process.

Whether that's in our homes or learning environments, our hospitals or commercial settings, understanding the psychology of space and how it all impacts our wellbeing, and how this will impact our future generations, is just as important. I was keen to further the academic and theoretical explorations within this industry. To become more informed through critical thinking and delve further into interior architecture and designed environments through conceptual thinking without boundaries or barriers. I had so many questions and I wanted to explore them all.

So, after months exploring the courses, I found the MA Interior Design (Online) course at AUB, which offered a part-time solution where I was able to still work and be a mum, but also soak up this new and exciting insight, which I could then apply in practice. Having previously studied at AUB many, many years before, for a Photography HND, and having had a really positive experience, I felt this was the right place for me to further my knowledge and grow more deeply.

Over the last two years, I have immersed myself in my research and studying, learning more about my own skills and drive to delve deeper into the industry than I had even thought I was able to do, gaining confidence and thriving. The process of learning was not new to me, having had to be self-motivated to gain my diploma whilst working full-time and being a mum, so to pick up the baton of learning again, and be self-driven and motivated, was not as hard as I had imagined with a supportive network of tutors there to guide me through. I found I loved all that I researched and the questions I asked were never discouraged or considered “silly”, but always encouraged and explored. I was encouraged to explore further, to find out more.

I relished learning, the visual storytelling, exploring key principles in design and reuse, understanding more about how and what I could design and create using the software, testing new ideas and reflecting on the work with peers and tutors alike. To delve deeper into understanding the importance of sustainability and our environmental responsibility, our human reaction and the psychology of self within our environment, all of which is now embedded within my own design process.

The whole experience has been incredibly positive. Don’t get me wrong – it challenged me too! Balancing life with study, but also understanding how to complete academic research and design practice, learning more about critical analysis, reflective practices, managing my time and self-evaluation. But all this ultimately strengthened my resilience.

This journey has taught me so much – not just about design, but also who I am as a designer and creative thinker, to be able to challenge and explore and offer alternative solutions. I am incredibly proud to have achieved a Distinction in the MA, especially when told at school I would never achieve much! This journey has provided me with a deeper, more informed understanding of interior architecture and design and the responsibility we have as designers to create environments that genuinely support both people and the planet.