Speakers

As Head of Design Management for Icon, Ash Barnes is a driving force behind elevating design quality, strengthening documentation standards, and enabling predictable project delivery across complex built‑environment programs. With deep expertise spanning design coordination, multidisciplinary team leadership, and documentation assurance, Ash brings a sharp focus on aligning design outputs with project intent, construction realities, and commercial certainty.

Ash is recognised for building high‑performing design teams, shaping design governance frameworks, and leading organisations toward more disciplined, data‑driven design processes. Across her career, she has championed initiatives that improve documentation completeness, reduce rework, strengthen consultant performance, and enhance the end‑to‑end flow of information from concept to site delivery.

With a calm, engaging style and a commitment to continuous improvement, Ash brings both strategic insight and practical experience to the conversation. As moderator for this session, she will guide a focused, outcome‑oriented discussion on how design documentation quality directly influences time, cost, constructability, and ultimately the success of every project.