Hi, I’m Alex 

I’m a PhD researcher and retail project manager with five years’ experience delivering international retail projects and a long-standing curiosity about how design decisions actually get made.


My PhD looks at retail design decision-making across cities in Europe and Asia, exploring how culture, strategy, and organisational realities shape what ends up being built. Alongside that, I’ve spent the past five years working as a project manager, sitting between brands, designers, and delivery teams, translating big ideas into real spaces while juggling cost, construction, and creative intent.


Originally from Chicago, my path has taken me from studying International Business and Economics at Lake Superior State University, to a study abroad in Shaoxing, China, and then to University College Dublin, where I completed an MA in International Development focused on Special Economic Zones in China. I now live in Ireland, where I’ve fully committed to sea swims, pints, cafés, dogs, and an enthusiastic appreciation of Irish culture (weather included). 



This site is where I think out loud - sharing research, project reflections, and observations from cities and everyday spaces that quietly shape how retail and urban environments are experienced.