About me

I am a university-educated graphic designer with over 20 years of publishing and digital experience in both agencies and in-house, in permanent and freelance positions. My ability to produce work to a high standard with attention to detail has ensured that I’ve maintained a strong client base over my career, delivering work of the highest quality in both permanent and freelance roles. I have a solid and extensive understanding of the Adobe Creative suite and Microsoft programs and excellent written English.

Throughout my career I’ve developed a wealth of knowledge from working on a diverse range of print materials and digital assets from magazines, leaflets, and posters to social media graphics, illustration, banner adverts, annual reports, flyers, magazines, event signage and logo design.

Working within the in-house creative team at The Labour Party HQ, I produced a huge selection of marketing collateral designing engaging print and digital content for general election campaigns, annual conferences, by-elections and day to day materials, all within a high-pressured and fast-paced environment whist maintaining attention to detail, consistency and accuracy. I was responsible for many projects from creative concept through to print working closely with internal departments.

I volunteered as an in-house photographer, capturing key events within the political calendar and was responsible for maintaining brand guidelines and standards plus ensuring that other local branches of the Labour Party and any other external companies did so too.

I designed the Labour Party Conference stand for their annual conference alongside exhibition graphics and signage for these events as well as the many press and media events that took place.

At Big Publishing I was the in-house Art Editor for glossy luxury hotel directories, produced printed marketing campaigns for all aspects of the company including leaflets, brochures posters, digital materials, exhibition graphics and signage, customised banner graphics for hotel booking engine systems and more. I happily took creative direction from the Art Director and liaised with other internal departments to push the brand forward. I was also responsible for art-working projects for output and creating print ready PDFs. I stuck to the brand guidelines for all aspects of the company and would happily liaise with printers discussing any special varnishes, die-cuts or spot colours and manage design and print deadlines. I confidently managed varied workloads and print schedules and would also sign off artwork for print.

I would frequently design pop-up banners and exhibition stands and event signage for the many international forums that took place across the world.

During work heavy periods would manage freelancers, briefing them in to projects and ensuring that they stuck to brand guidelines, style sheets and templates plus used the correct paragraph styles and swatches.

I was also Art Editor for the charity magazine ‘Lifestyle’ for members of the Motability Scheme (the car and scooter scheme for disabled drivers). I was responsible designing the whole magazine every quarter, coming up with fresh layout ideas, art-working and manipulating images in Photoshop commissioning and directing photo-shoots and illustrators and retaining the contract through redesign and pitch work which showcased my ability to think creatively and turn briefs into engaging designs.

My experience as a freelancer has furthered my design confidence and experience, working with a varied client-base, I’ve worked in fast pasted environments, hitting the ground running. Working with both agencies and in-house design teams and continuing my relationship with the Labour Party and Big publishing by frequently returning to work with them on a freelance basis I’ve continued to design in both print and digital.

As a freelancer I have continued my understanding of the importance of continuity and solidity within a brand and how this must be achieved by sticking to set brand guidelines, templates and style guides, and ensuring others do too. I have also set up my own guidelines, templates, paragraph styles and swatches for projects I’ve designed from concept.

I have become a highly confident communicator, happy to approach and liaise with other internal team members, printers, photographers, illustrators and suppliers to get the outcome intended.

I’m happy asserting myself whilst attending both client and project meetings, and have done so frequently throughout my career. I’ve also have the ability to proof read, edit and write copy when needed.

I’m very organised when filing and naming projects and files and understand the weight of importance of this when working on a projects, I have had experience with many different print management systems throughout the years.

My career has developed further my comprehensive understanding of design theory and practice. I’ve always had a strong interest in typography and the importance of legibility and readability and the balance with creativity. I’m also love to work illustratively, whether creating logos, icons and info-graphics, or taking a brand’s illustrative style and developing it into new materials.

I’ve worked both individually from my home office and on-site within a team managing and delivering multiple projects simultaneously. I keep myself inspired and informed by reading design blogs and visiting art/design exhibitions as well as following creatives on social media.

Skills profile:

Extensive knowledge of Adobe Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Microsoft programs.

EXPERIENCE:

APRIL 2011 – PRESENT DAY, FREELANCE ART EDITOR, CLIENTS INCLUDING:

• New Statesman
• Wordwide Publishing
• Spears Magazine
• Morrison
• British Airways
• Heineken
• RSA Magazine
• Elle Decoration
• Christie’s International Real Estate Magazine
• CoolBrands
• The Labour Party
• Financial Times
• Great Hotels of the World
• Which Magazine
• Ikea Family Live Magazine

AUGUST 2005 – APRIL 2011
ART EDITOR AT THE BIG AGENCY, ART EDITOR OF LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AND GREAT HOTELS OF THE WORLD DIRECTORIES:

Management of freelancers, directing photoshoots, photo research, magazine pitch and redesign work, marketing materials, sales brochures and exhibition graphics.

JANUARY 2002 – AUGUST 2005, DESIGNER - THE LABOUR PARTY

• Design of political materials, including conference branding and stand designs, posters, leaflets, manifestos and magazines from concept
through to final design.
• Photographing of various events and still life, including Jack Jones and Michael Foot’s 90th birthday events held at number 10.
• Photo research.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Expression with letterpress 6 week course at Central St Martins
• Beginners Web design course
• Indesign power users course

EDUCATION:

September 1998 - August 2001

Leeds Metropolitan University
Graphic Arts and Design 2:1.

September 1997 – August 1998
Middlesex University Art Foundation

Graphic Arts and Design 2:1.