Lira Nikolovska

One of my earliest memories is “helping” my parents with an architectural competition for one of those Yugoslav WW2 monuments that will be exhibited this year at MoMA in NYC. I recall first drawing while seated under one of the many drafting tables and then stamping “trees” on the urban plan taped to the wall using a half-sliced & carved potato topped in ink. Design and architecture have been part of my life for as long as I remember.

So if I were asked who I am, my immediate response would be that I am an architect and a designer. Not that I was born and raised in Macedonia, whether I studied at MIT Architecture or worked at Philips Design, whether I am pretty good in the woodshop, or can cook up a storm… But that I am a designer who enjoys unpacking complex, gnarly problems and solves them in a way that empowers and delights those that experience the end result.

Most recently I have worked as a Director of Experience Design for the Building Information Modeling Product Line at Autodesk in Boston. Autodesk is a multinational company that develops software for architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturing, and media & entertainment industries. I have been fortunate to work across industries and geographies, tackling a wide array of projects: from new product visions based on business requirements and global trends to communicating, defining and detailing design direction, and driving implementation of interactive products and experiences.

Together with my colleague Jason Winstanley we are currently detailing a startup initiative, defining the problem, researching the market etc. Stay tuned as we evolve and report on the work!