About Me

I have over a decade of experience as a print and digital creative designer at two of the UK’s largest multimedia publishers working across editorial, advertising and marketing departments. In 2017 I was honoured for my work in editorial design by the Society of Editors when I made the final shortlist of six in the Designer of the Year category at the UK Regional Press Awards. I have recent experience of the financial sector, children’s magazine design and communication design for the IT sector.

I am experienced in all aspects of the creative process, from brief-taking and concept to final artwork execution. I am comfortable working to established brand guidelines and have executed artwork for many well known brands

I have extensive in-house creative experience and have also been freelancing for many years, with clients ranging from small start-up enterprises through to established companies and organisations both remotely and on-site. As an Illustrator I have worked in sectors including animation, publishing and advertising.

In the past I have also worked for a time as a project worker for people with learning disabilities, as a postman and as a farm hand.

I am fluent in a range of industry standard design software and have advanced skills in Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. I have motion graphics experience (After Effects and Animate) as well as web design, UI/UX, video and social media. I have knowledge of HTML, CSS and WordPress.

I have strong typography and layout skills, experience building production templates and have a thorough knowledge of print processes. My command of written English is very good and I have experience of copywriting for advertising, marketing and editorial.

I am skilled in traditional media including pencil, ink, paints and photography… as well as more unconventional techniques.

My broad skill-set rests on a strong foundation of drawing ability. I studied Graphic Design & Illustration at the University of Lincoln, specialising in Illustration for the latter part of my degree, and graduating with a BA (Hons) 2:1 in Illustration in 2003. Prior to that I studied BTEC Foundation Art and Design at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, (now UCA, Farnham). I have three A Levels and nine GCSEs (A-C grade) including Maths, English and Art.

I am a relentless self-educator, always working to fill gaps in my knowledge and skill-set and build on those I already have.

Born in 1980, I grew up on the Surrey/Hampshire border in southern England, the son of two university lecturers. My dad, an art teacher for much of his career and to this day a practising artist, taught me to draw and paint from a young age. With the exception of brief periods where I held aspirations of becoming a goalkeeper, a basketball player (both unlikely given my height) and – for a time – Indiana Jones, I’ve never seriously entertained going into any other line of work.

I spent time living and studying in Lincoln, went backpacking for a year and a half, and now live with my wife and our mischievous offspring in a leafy little village by the woods not far from my childhood home.

My work takes up a lot of my time, because I love it, but I know the importance of taking time for other pursuits. I spend much of my spare time with my family, as many people have in recent years, enjoying my favourite people. I go running in the woods and the hills; I kayak on the local canal; I love music and go to gigs and festivals often; I always have a good book on the go; I love the sea and on certain tides can be spotted falling from a surfboard into the English Channel (sometimes having ridden it for several seconds). I love films; I’m a keen photographer; I see my friends; I see my family; I sometimes go to the pub.