Born in Ireland, Paul Hughes received his degree in Visual Communication from The National College of Art & Design, Dublin, Ireland. Thereafter he moved to Amsterdam to work as a part of the creative industry there.
Currently he is the partner at Lava graphic design, Amsterdam and principal Creative Director, New York — Amsterdam at Design Machine, New York.
Lava is a leading creative studio in Amsterdam with a variety of national and international clients. Lava does not have a specific visual style but rather a specific approach to design. Working collaboratively with clients brings Lava closer to the real content which results in more intelligent design. Lava calls this approach Content Driven Design.
Design Machine helps companies to precisely position themselves among the competition, to strategically identify their primary target profiles and creatively implement a tight connection between the brand and its audiences by establishing a unique and consistent voice for all integrated communication initiatives.He has held visiting lectureships at a variety of academic institutes in USA and in Europe, including: School of Visual Arts New York, Parsons School of Design New York, New York University, The Fashion Institute of New York, University of Arts Vilnius (Lithuania), The National College of Art and Design (Ireland), Hojer College of Visual Communication (Denmark), Bergen National Academy of the Arts (Norway), Willem De Kooning Academy (Holland), and Eindhoven Design Academy (Holland).
A frequent theme running throughout his engagements is the subject of Unpacking the Creative Process. Creative processes need not be haphazard or questionable procedures; rather, creativity can become deliberate and effective procedures. This deliberate approach to creativity and innovation is captured in what he calls Design Thinking.
