Meet our Designers: Darren Grunwald

Working 17 years as a Designer for the ABN Group, Perth is dotted with Darren Grunwald’s designs. Throughout his career he has designed hundreds of homes and now works as the Design Team Leader at Webb & Brown-Neaves.

Having spent his whole career in home design, Darren is an expert in his field.

“After TAFE I started out at a local Building Company as a Draftsperson, which gave me a taste of design,” he said.

“From there I was given an opportunity to work in the Design Team at Dale Alcock Homes. I loved the team environment and the passion everyone showed to come up with a product we were proud to produce.”

After his time at Dale Alcock Homes, Darren was approached to take the position of Team Leader of Design, managing the team of six at Webb & Brown-Neaves. “I couldn’t refuse such an amazing opportunity. WB is the pinnacle of home design at the ABN Group. For me, it was a no-brainer.”

“My role as Team Leader involves managing the workload of the team and working closely with the Sales Team as the main point of contact to ensure we are delivering our designs efficiently for all of our clients.

At WB, it’s also incredibly important that we consistently challenge and develop the team, so we are developing our skills as designers and are at the forefront of innovation,” he said.

With years of leadership experience, managing a team is second nature to Darren, who credits some of his knowledge to the training he has undertaken with the ABN Group.

“During my time at Dale Alcock Homes I was part of the ABN Management Academy, which allowed me to develop my management skills,” he said.

“I was also lucky enough to be selected to take part in and complete the ABN Coaching program. This has had the greatest impact on my own career development to date; it has provided me with skills I use in all parts of my work.”

“I feel my strength in my role is developing people to be the best they can be while allowing them to enjoy what they do at the same time. I think this creates the best environment to design.”

The constantly changing nature of home design and the innovative attitude of Webb & Brown-Neaves keep our design team on their toes.

One habit Darren credits his success to is embracing change: “The desire to challenge and constantly improve and then refine what we do.”

“I love the constant change and always looking for new and exciting ways to stay ahead of the trends,” he said.

“Also, the challenge of problem solving to achieve the best outcome for our clients’ needs. In the end, it’s all about our clients and providing the best home for them.”

The WB Design Team are always busy creating beautiful new homes for Perth’s residents. “Something is always happening in the design space,” Darren said.

“We work at a fast pace and need to be able to juggle multiple tasks and questions at once.”

“I love the people I work with and the passion they show for their work. The team here constantly challenge and inspire each other to improve.”

“The best part of being a designer is presenting a final plan and seeing the client’s reaction to what we’ve created, be it a final drawing or build. Seeing the pleasure it brings to the way they live is so rewarding.”

This blog post is the intellectual property of Webb & Brown-Neaves and is being used on this site solely as a representation of my work.