Michael O’Riordan




Hi, I’m Mikey.

I’m a designer, researcher, and storyteller who turns complex ideas into simple, meaningful experiences. I have a wealth of experience as a designer in global higher education, and a growing love of design in healthcare settings. I enjoy working with curious and driven people who challenge norms. I am dedicated to using design to create smarter, kinder, and more human experiences.

hello@michaeloriordan.net



Brand Design & Strategy
Everything Else

CV

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Education
Maynooth University 
MSc. Design Innovation (2.1)
2023–2025

Technological University of the Shannon 
BA (Hons) Graphic & Digital Design (1.1)
2017–2018
Student of the Year

Technological University of the Shannon
BA Graphic Design (1.1)
2014–2017
Student of the Year

Art & Design Portfolio
Moate Business College
2013–2014


ExperienceMaynooth University
Research Assistant
HIVE (Healthcare Innovation Value & Evaluation)
2025 - Present

Minerva University
Interim Design Director & Senior Manager, Brand Experience & Strategy
2023 - 2025

Maynooth University
Guest Lecturing
2025

Entrepreneur First
Brand & Creative Consultant 
2022 - 2023

Minerva Project
Designer
2019 - 2022

Freelance Consulting
2014 - Present




Skillset
Adobe Creative Cloud
Figma & FigJam
Webflow
HTML & CSS familiarity
Miro

Brand Identity Systems
Marketing& Communications Strategy
Enrollment Strategy & Marketing
Service Design
Product Design
Universal Design
Digital Content Creation
Video Direction & Editing
Motion Graphics 
Editorial Design
Print & Packaging Design
Web Design
Logo Design
UI & Visual Design
Experience Design
Art & Creative Direction
Visual Communication
Typography

Project Management
Team Leadership & Supervision
Stakeholder Engagement
Co-design & Workshop Facilitation
Mentorship & Teaching
Presentations & Reports

Design Thinking
Design Led Innovation
Design Research & Synthesis
Interviewing & Thematic Analysis
Design Ethnography
Swimlane Diagrams
Journey & Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Prototyping & Usability Testing




AchievementsThematic analysis of FLCIs accepted for presentation at the Global Health Expo in Dublin in February 2027.

Presented ‘Understanding the impact of design-led healthcare innovation programmes: Qualitative case studies from frontline clinicians’ at European Healthcare Design Conference 2026.

Minerva University ranked #1 Most Innovative University in the World for four consecutive years (2022-2025) by WURI and placed in WURI’s Top 20 globally for University Brand & Reputation in 2025.

Featured in 100 Archive: 
“In With the New”

Featured twice in Design Research Society’s “Best of Emerging Irish Design” (2018) for the project Rec’d 
and Ryan Hoey’s ZINEGIRLZ



AchievementsMinerva University ranked #1 Most Innovative University in the World for four consecutive years (2022-2025) by WURI.

Minerva University placed in WURI’s Top 20 globally for University Brand & Reputation in 2025.

Featured in 100 Archive: 
“In With the New”

Student of the Year in 2017 & 2018

Featured twice in Design Research Society’s “Best of Emerging Irish Design” (2018) for the project Rec’d and Ryan Hoey’s ZINEGIRLZ









Centra
Convenience Retail
2024

Growing Centra’s market share by reaching relatively untapped markets in novel ways.

Background Centra is Ireland’s leading convenience retail chain, with around 480 locally owned stores operated under Musgrave. It blends the community feel of independent retailers with the scale and efficiency of a national brand, offering fresh food, grocery essentials, and modern convenience services like Centra Go.

Using user-centred ethnographic research methods, I worked with a small team of people to investigate how to grow Centra’s market share in a deeply competitive and dynamic landscape. 
Challenge
 Outcomes
Problem Statement

Research

 Process InterviewsThematic Analysis Insights Development