At school, I was actually on track to study medicine. But the closer I got to making a decision, the more I realised I wasn’t quite ready to give up maths, which had always been my favourite subject. After a bit of searching for something that combined both interests, I stumbled across biomedical engineering, and it felt like it made perfect sense.
I went on to get my Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, including a year in industry at Abbott Diabetes Care, which was brilliant for getting a taste of the real world beyond lectures. I realised pretty quickly that I was most interested in the design side of things; the “how do we actually build/improve this?” part. I like figuring things out, asking too many questions, and getting stuck into problems until they make sense.
If I had to pick, it would definitely be the prototyping stage, the “tinkering” phase. That moment when you’ve done the CAD, you finally have something physical in front of you… and then reality politely points out all the things you didn’t quite account for. There’s something really satisfying about taking something from “it works in theory” to something that actually works well in practice, and then pushing it further so it’s not just functional but genuinely well thought through. I love getting into those small details that take a device from good to great.
Honestly, a lot of my inspiration comes from everyday things. I tend to look at objects around me and naturally start questioning how they actually work, which usually ends with me disappearing down a Google rabbit hole for 20 minutes.
Once you start doing that, you realise just how much thought goes into things you normally take for granted — a coffee machine, a phone, a Rubik’s cube. That curiosity has made me more aware of how ideas from one area can often be applied in completely different contexts.
I knew going into my final year that I wanted to move into consultancy, I’ve always liked the idea of variety and exposure to all stages of product development rather than one narrow area.
What really stood out about HD was how personable everyone was, even from the early conversations. Now that I’ve been here almost two months, I can confidently say that’s held true. In terms of what I’m most looking forward to, it’s the breadth of work! Every project is completely different, and getting stuck into those different challenges early in my career is really exciting.
Honestly, it changes fairly regularly! I like to keep myself busy and tend to go through phases of picking up different things.
Most of the time I try to stay active in some form, whether that’s running, going to the gym, playing touch rugby, or going to a dance class. It’s usually less of a fixed routine and more of a “what do I feel like doing this week?” situation.
Outside of that, I really enjoy live music and going to concerts with friends. I love travelling too, so when I can I’ll combine the two and turn a gig into an excuse for a trip abroad — a 2-for-1 holiday and event!
Really great — it’s gone quickly! I’ve loved getting to know everyone and settling into the team, and what’s surprised me most is how quickly I’ve been able to get stuck into real work across a variety of projects.
In terms of what I’ve been getting involved in, it’s already been a nice mix: CAD, creating technical drawings, and building and testing prototypes. Getting hands-on exposure to different stages of the design process across multiple projects so early on has been brilliant.
What I’m most looking forward to is honestly just how much there still is to learn. Every area feels like it has so much depth to it, and I’m excited for all the things I don’t even know I don’t know yet!
Holly graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2025 with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. During her studies, she completed a year in industry at Abbott Diabetes Care, where she worked as a Project Engineer and gained hands-on experience in medical device development.
Drawn to engineering for its challenge, Holly chose biomedical engineering for its impact. She is motivated by the opportunity to apply core engineering principles to create products that make a tangible difference to people’s lives. With a strong interest in design-focused engineering, particularly in FEA, CFD, and 3D CAD modelling, she is excited to contribute to innovative, user-centred healthcare solutions at Haughton Design.
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