Lisa designs an award-winning career comeback
Interior design graduate Lisa Hardie has turned a long-held passion into an award-winning career comeback, winning the KBDi Student Design Award along the way, as she begins a new chapter in the built environment.
After a varied career across marketing, technology and design, it was a career break to raise her two children that gave Lisa the opportunity to change direction and reconnect with the field that had first inspired her.
Lisa briefly studied fashion and considered architecture after school before completing a Bachelor of Multimedia Studies.
That choice led to roles in photography, website development, graphic design, marketing, mobile applications, user experience and product management, including three years with a commercial interior architecture firm in London.
Renovating her family home and helping friends plan their projects reignited her interest in how thoughtful design makes spaces work better for the people living in them.
“I naturally gravitated towards the layouts, spatial planning and practical details, thinking about how their homes could work better, not simply how they would look,” she said.
After studying residential drafting, Lisa completed a Diploma of Interior Design (MSF50222), combining her technical knowledge with a deeper exploration of creative and functional design.
“In many ways, it feels less like a complete career pivot and more like coming full circle,” she said.
“My previous career gave me a strong foundation in understanding people, communicating ideas and creative problem-solving. I wanted to apply those skills to physical spaces and improve people’s everyday lives.”
TAFE Queensland’s Online Learning allowed Lisa to balance her diploma studies with family life, while practical guidance and encouragement from her teachers helped her build confidence in her new direction.
“Returning to study later in life naturally came with moments of self-doubt, so having experienced teachers recognise my potential was incredibly validating,” she said.
Covering space planning, materials, lighting, budgets, contracts, documentation and compliance, the course suited Lisa’s problem-solving mindset and her background in user experience.
“Every project felt like a puzzle: understanding how the client lived, identifying what wasn’t working and finding the best solution within the constraints of the space, budget and brief,” she said.
TAFE Queensland teacher Melina Ramsey encouraged Lisa to enter the KBDi Student Design Awards, giving her the confidence to put her work before industry judges.
Her winning concept reimagined a heritage-listed Art Deco apartment, creating a warm, refined interior that respected the original architecture while meeting the demands of contemporary living.
Lisa supported the concept with polished visualisations, a comprehensive computer-aided design drawing set and schedules demonstrating that it could be delivered realistically and within budget.
“It was incredibly rewarding to have my work recognised by people within the industry,” she said.
“After investing time and energy in changing careers, it felt like meaningful validation of that decision.”
Lisa now hopes to bring her user experience and human-centred design background to residential interiors, creating intuitive, functional spaces that support people’s wellbeing.
Her long-term goal is to establish a sustainable practice built on thoughtful, personalised design and strong relationships with clients, builders and trades.
Her advice to others considering a career change is simple: do not let the fear of starting again stop you.
“I kept coming back to the idea of: if not now, then when? It’s never too late to change your mind,” concluded Lisa.