Danielle Townsend is a designer, educator, and strategist committed to advancing the design sector as a centre of excellence while supporting early-career graduates. As the founder of BOUNCE, Danielle has created an event at the intersection of experimentation, process and critical discourse inspiring design professionals and fostering meaningful connections across the creative community. Alongside her work with BOUNCE, she serves as a Board Director at the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) and works as an independent design and education consultant, leading initiatives to enhance professionalism in the sector, elevate academic standards, and bridge the gap between industry and education.
Danielle co-founded The New Now graduate platform with former IDI President Kim Mackenzie-Doyle. This pioneering talent directory connects early-career designers with employers, providing crucial support as they launch their professional journeys. With a background in practice and education, she served as Director of Programmes and Head of Department in higher education, and has developed and taught on design Masters and Degree programmes across Ireland, serving as external examiner, and contributing to numerous validation panels, shaping the future of design education.
An advocate for design excellence, Danielle is actively involved in assessing a range of prestigious awards, including the ISTD Student Awards, IDI Graduate Design Awards, 100 Archive, Irish Print Awards, Universal Design Awards for the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. Her passion for advancing typographic standards is reflected in her role as a member and assessor for the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) and as a panel member for the 100 Archive (2022–2024).
Danielle’s work extends to the government forum for the Commercial Creative Sector under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) and Creative Ireland, where she is leading the development of programmes that address research, professional accreditation, and graduate opportunities.