About me

My creative career began with me working mainly as a copywriter. This helped me in my later, preferred role as an Designer and Art Director by teaching me the importance of seeking the essence of a concept and focussing on the message it needs to get across. It still helps me in my everyday work to approach ideas from different angles and take the core of the proposition as key to everything. I think the tone-of-voice of a piece of communications is as important visually as it is for words.

I always try to get the absolute most out of every project, if it's a letter announcing boiler renewal or filming a TV ad. I think you can great satisfaction, and produce great work in any project.

I try to never trust the first ideas, the ones you get even as you're reading the brief or hearing about a project for the first time. However exciting they may be. It's likely it's the same road every other creative has been down at sometime, so your message is less likely to cut through. I always try to push through to more original ideas and approaches.

Whatever the project, concept has to be king. I concentrate on getting the idea right then let that dictate how everything else looks and sounds. Formats, typography, paper stocks, casting, sound, wording. All these decisions should be made after the idea has been cracked and reinforce the concept.

Most of all, I love what I do and the buzz you get when you crack a challenging brief or see through work you're proud of.

Skills

Computer Skills - Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Muse., Non-computer Skills I like to use the old-fashioned methods of pencils, pens and paper for illustrating and I do scamps and make dummies for concepts. I even get the UHU glue out and make 3D models on occasion.

Sector Experience

Abbey, Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre, Aegon, Amrut, Bank of Scotland, Baxters, Birmingham Midshires, Business Gateway, Business Stream, Capital Solutions, Carrie Mac, Careers Scotland, Catalyst, Clerical Medical, Construction Skills, Consumer Focus Scotland, De Vere, Energy Savings Trust, Erskine, Fife Community Partnership, Fife Police, Fourtrack Records, Gala Bingo, Halifax, Iain Petrie, Irn Bru, James Hay, Le Petit St Georges, Lifelong Learning UK, Lloyds Black Horse, Maclure Naismith, Marketing Society, McEwans, Miller Homes, New York Bagels, NHS Birmingham, One Hull, Rise, Refugee Week, Rowchester Music, S1 Jobs, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Government, Scottish Information Commissioner, Scottish Power, Scottish Water, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Subway, Tennents, Tesco Bank, The Drum, Tiso, Tokyoblu, Violence Reduction Unit

Awards

Education 2005 - MDes Furniture/Product Design, Edinburgh College of Art., 2003 - BDes (Hons) Design Futures, Napier University, Edinburgh., 1999 - BTEC Diploma Foundation Studies Graphic Design, Newcastle College., 1998 - Jedburgh Grammar School: Highers; Art & Design A, Craft & Design A, English B, French C, Geography B, Technological Studies D.

Recommendations
- 
Currently No Recommendations
Availability
Looking for work
Contract
Freelance, Part time, Remote
Location
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Skill Level
Middleweight, Senior
Creativepool member since 29 July 2011