Meet the Team

Anna joined as Director in 2018. She is a visionary CEO known for driving step-changes in organisations and previous directorships include Pride Festival & In Between Time.

Anna combines a scientific mind (PhD Biochemistry) with the creativity of a cultural leader; her unique approach ensures organisations flourish.

Anna is driven by excellence & creating positive social change, & thrives on collaboration & building innovative cross-sector partnerships. She develops impactful programmes that inspire – transformative examples include founding the current Bristol Pride (2010), Fog Bridge for Bristol Green Capital (2015), Night Songs with the National Trust (2015), The Tale (2017), Bristol Open Doors (2018-21). Outside of Design West, Anna leads Indigo Network (the largest LBTQ+ network in the UK) and Bristol Folk Festival.

Alex joined Design West as Chief Operating Officer in March 2025. She is an experienced senior manager and team builder, having worked in purpose-led organisations in Bristol over the past 20 years.

Alex began her career developing – and then leading – Sustrans’ Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, which included delivery of placemaking projects on the ground, as well as advocacy and influencing work around urban design and planning policy UK-wide. She has extensive operational management experience, building and nurturing teams of all sizes, as well as leading business development, strategic planning and financial management.

A naturally collaborative and facilitative leader, Alex is deeply passionate about supporting teams and individuals to thrive at work and about enabling positive change at the community level.

Pippa programmes our monthly public talks & manages the Design Review Service for Bristol, B&NES & North Somerset.

Pippa is passionate about shaping better places for people. She originally graduated in Civil Engineering with Architecture & enjoys working alongside architects & other built environment professionals creating exhibitions & events which illuminate the work that they do.

With a background in urbanism & an MSc in Urban Planning, Pippa is interested in bringing forward best practice in planning & urban design through harnessing professional design skills & combining them with innovative community engagement. She is a member of the Academy of Urbanism & previously served as a Town Councillor & Mayor of the award-winning Frome Town Council.

Favourite building: The awe-inspiring interior of the Pantheon in Rome (concrete can last for ever!) but also the beautiful domestic design of my grandparents’ house 2 Willow Road.

Julie Tanner BSc, DipTP MRTPI manages the Design Review Service for the South West & is based near Exeter.

Julie is a chartered Town Planner with a background in economic development. She combines a passion for architecture & urban design with a specialism in placemaking, & believes a design-led method will support better quality places through the planning system. Julie is an active RTPI Regional Activities Board Member for the South West & is a member of the High Street Task Force.

Julie specialises in working with large-scale new communities, infrastructure & public realm projects as well as individual buildings of strategic importance & aims to support efforts to ensure planners can be braver & bolder in shaping future places.

Shankari Raj, known widely as ‘Shanks’, manages our Education Programme & leads on Shape My City, our diverse talent accelerator programme for 15-18 year olds from across the South West.

Shanks was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in Nigeria, Oman, Toronto & London before settling in Bristol & setting up her own architecture practice Nudge. Shanks is passionate about inclusion & collaboration. Her approach challenges traditional architecture practice, instead investing energy in community-led & sustainable design processes.

Shanks is a visiting lecturer & external examiner at Architecture schools across the country: Cardiff, Newcastle, Sheffield & Bath University. She has been an ongoing judge for the Architects’ Journal & WAN awards & is regularly invited to speak at lectures & panels including the Design Council & Glass House.

Jon Trace is our Digital Designer & Content Creator.

Before joining the Design West team, Jon worked with clients including BBC 6 Music, Neighbourly, UWE, Reuse Network and the Forestry Commission. He enjoys the fresh perspective and inspiration that working across sectors brings, along with opportunities to try new approaches, develop creative ideas and learn new skills.

As well as bringing design expertise to the team, Jon is passionate about environmental issues, using his skills to bring our programmes to life and inspire action.

Mariana joined Design West in 2023 and manages the Design Review Service for B&NES, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

She grew up in Madeira, Portugal, and in 2009 she moved to the UK to study Architecture. She then moved to Bristol in 2015, and became a qualified Architect in 2019.
She first volunteered at Design West, then The Architecture Centre, in 2017 while working for a small architecture firm in Bristol. In her previous roles, she developed residential schemes in Bristol and London.

She is passionate about placemaking, good design and sustainability.
Mariana also enjoys discovering new places to eat in Bristol (the food scene is amazing!) and loves mid-century & brutalist architecture.

Alexis joined Design West in February 2025 and helps to organise the Design Review Service for Bristol and B&NES.

Approaching urbanism from a multidisciplinary background, Alexis first studied an MEng in Civil Engineering, before pursuing his interest in placemaking and sustainable development with an MSc in City Planning.

Alexis is passionate about masterplanning and designing places for people and planet, particularly the cities we live in and mitigating the impacts of our changing climate. Alexis is a chartered Town Planner, Young Urbanist member of the Academy of Urbanism, and the Vice Chair of the Bristol Young Planners Committee.

Olga is our Finance Administrator and she joined Design West in June 2024.

Olga was born in Ukraine and lived there for most of her life. She moved to Bristol in 2022. Olga is a part qualified UK ACCA accountant with vast experience in finance, tax and analytical roles. She has over 15 years experience in working for international companies such as Philip Morris, Flex and Jabil.

Olga is enjoying living and exploring the vibrant, friendly and multicultural city of Bristol, with its creative artwork and many historic buildings.

Amy is our Events and Marketing Trainee Producer and she joined the team in March 2025.

Amy has a background in the charity sector and has been organising successful fundraising events since 2021. Driven by a want to create memorable experiences, Amy’s previous events have ranged from treks and marathons to gala dinners, and have all shared a common goal of connecting people. She is looking forward to contributing to the evolving events programme at Design West and helping to promote our stunning harbourside venue.

Originally from Cornwall, Amy is passionate about improving and championing the South West. She moved to Bristol in 2025 and is excited to explore everything the city has to offer.

Juliet Bidgood MA Dip Arch RIBA is the Design Review Panel Chair for North Somerset & leads on our Placemaking projects.

Juliet is experienced in curating conversations to collectively shape places. She led the development of the WECA Quality Places Charter & the Two Towns Placemaking Strategy for Design West. She works with communities & local authorities across the South West. Formerly she was a senior advisor at the Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment & one of the founding members of the internationally recognised practice muf architecture/art.

Juliet is an accredited RIBA Client Adviser & Recognised Practitioner in Urban Design. She is currently an adviser to the AHRC/UKRI Place Programme & a visiting lecturer at Cardiff & Bath Universities.