HEllo!
I have over 20 years of experience as a Graphic Designer and Brand Manager, with a strong dedication to delivering successful creative solutions.
I am highly skilled with experience in graphic design for both print and online purposes, with strong layout and typographical knowledge, and can produce high quality production-ready concepts and artwork. I am fully competent in using Adobe Creative Suite and use InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator daily. I previously worked as Global Graphic Design Manager at Crabtree & Evelyn for 8 years where I managed the design and production of packaging, marketing materials, corporate documents, store collateral, and online advertising. I developed brand guidelines and attended press passes, ensuring the brand was represented accurately. I have also managed workflow and timings of projects, ensuring all deadlines were met.
In my current role as a freelance graphic designer, I work alongside a variety of companies such as P&O Cruises, CooperVision, West Thames College and Hilditch Group, amongst others. I work within their specific corporate identities to produce on brand designs and creative solutions. I am adept at navigating the entire design process, from initial briefing stages to providing conceptual ideas and visuals, and ultimately developing accurate final production-ready files. I have a strong commitment to delivering outstanding work while meeting client expectations. Building strong relationships with my clients has been integral to producing successful creative solutions for them.
I have successfully set up and managed my own community magazine business, which involves overseeing the entire design and production process. This includes office management, building and maintaining relationships with local businesses, editors, printers, and advertisers. Additionally, I handle invoicing, billing, and overall financial management, demonstrating my ability to take on multifaceted responsibilities and ensure the smooth operation of the business.
Having previously worked both independently and as part of in-house teams and agencies, I have honed my skills in managing design studios and leading graphic design projects. My experience includes developing strong relationships with colleagues as well as external professional organisations and individuals, managing job briefs, and delivering effective graphic design solutions within specific client needs and project deadlines. This broad background has equipped me with the versatility to adapt to different working environments and manage workflow and build strong professional relationships.
EDUCATION
• Social Media Management Course 2018
Digital Mums
• BA (hons) Graphic Design, 2000
Bath Spa University
• Diploma in Art and Design, 1997
Portsmouth University
SKILLS
• Fully experienced on all Creative Suite programmes including InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. I also use Mailchimp, Shopify, Squarespace, Stripo, Klaviyo, Hootsuite, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Experience of designing a broad range of materials including brochures, packaging, brand identity, print advertising, magazines, events collateral, social media, digital advertising and print campaign creation.
• Working with clients to understand their objectives, and develop creative solutions and strategies to meet their needs – and then deliver to the highest standards, on time and within budgets and brand guidelines.
• Management of design briefs, developing projects, work flow, and studio management.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with third parties, businesses and the local community.
• I am used to working to tight deadlines and am flexible in my approach to match my client’s preferred ways of working.
• Having worked in design for many years and social media more recently, I understand the benefits and opportunities for businesses within each social channel.
• Financially experienced in managing budgets & forecasting, ensuring resource and margins are managed effectively.
• Experience of designing for print, websites, e-marketing and online advertising.
• I am able to generate social media content and use scheduling tools such as Hootsuite. I can monitor online statistics for social media posts and create strong brand visuals and communication.
EXPERIENCE
FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND BRAND MANAGER
Connock London • Hilditch Group • CooperVision • out&about Magazines • West Thames College • P&O Cruises • Côte and Bills Restaurants • Wylde Moon • Epsom BID • Sutton BID
• Graphic Design and production of printed materials, working within artwork templates, brand guidelines, and preparation for print.
• Brand design and development, creation of brand guidelines.
• Creative solutions designed for website and social media channels.
Online advertising and production of marketing emails.
• Print production management - ensuring products are printed accurately, consistently, and adhere to the client’s brand guidelines.
• Creating designs for point-of-sale, marketing materials, advertising, packaging, magazines and brochures, corporate documents, event displays, menus, vouchers, photography, re-touching and online imagery.
• Designing concepts, visuals and brand identities. Retouching and
re-sizing documents for multiple uses. Presenting concepts to clients.
• Studio management - ensuring workflow of designs and deadlines are met. Book keeping, invoicing and scheduling.
• Customer relations - developing strong relationships with customers and colleagues and communicating with them daily.
• Ensuring projects are delivered on time and to an accurate, high standard, whether for print or online. Proof reading and liaising directly with third parties.
OUT&ABOUT MAGAZINES
• Set up and managed my own community magazine, out&about, including overseeing the entire design and production process. This includes office management, invoicing, print buying, and building relationships with local businesses, editors, printers, distributors and advertisers.
FHW EVENTS & MARKETING Graphic Designer 2017 - 2019
• Responsible for the creation of designs, artworks, and branding for events such as business awards, business networking events and food and drink festivals.
• Developing creative solutions for marketing materials, emails, social media visuals, advertising, brochure layout and brand development.
• Event designs produced included large scale banners, awards, PowerPoint presentations, brochures, coasters, flyers, chocolate wrappers whilst ensuring the whole event brand was accurate.
• Responsible for creative responses to internal and external clients’ briefs. Supervising design projects from concept and layout, preparation for print through to production.
• Ensuring projects are delivered on time and to an accurate, high professional standard. Maintaining strong relationships with third parties.
• Creative solutions for their second company, The London Prosecco Company. Including vehicle branding, stage artworks, large format backdrops, online and offline advertising and marketing materials.
• Project time management, ensuring all items are produced to the highest standards, on time and within budget. Workflow management.
CRABTREE & EVELYN Senior Graphic Designer, 2008 - 2016
• Design and production of global product packaging ranges, POS, online advertising, print advertising and corporate literature, ensuring design and brand consistency. Internal and external store communications, shop front artworks and window clings.
• Print production management - ensuring products are printed on brand consistent materials, colours and fonts accuracy, knowledge of print and production techniques, attending print press passes.
• Responsible for management of creative responses to internal and external clients’ briefs. Workflow management.
• Working on projects from concept and design, preparation for print through to production.
• Developing concepts and design direction for print and online through extensive research and visualisation. Brand development, creation of brand guidelines and ensuring they are always met.
• Ensuring projects are delivered on time and to an accurate, high professional standard and withing brand guidelines.
• Managing and maintaining relationships with external agencies, copywriters, illustrators, photographers and production houses.
• Buying print and attending press passes and photoshoots, briefing and assisting photographers on shoots.
• Management of complete product ranges globally. Ensuring all items of packaging, point of sale items and online visuals are produced accurately, on time and within budget.
STRADA & BELGO Senior Graphic Designer, 2004 - 2008
• Management of all creative projects for Belgo and Strada Restaurants, managing freelance artworkers, photographers and agencies and controlling workflow effectively.
• Ability to work from any creative brief from concepts through to finished artwork and production.
• Designing and artworking direct mailers, advertising, posters, flyers, corporate literature, photography, point of sale, visual merchandising, and brand development.
• Buying print and managing production.
• Website updates for Belgo and Strada restaurants - updating
the sites, regularly inserting new pages and links. Creating online banners and adverts.
• Working alongside external clients and PR agencies to generate successful advertising campaigns.
• Working to tight time scales, efficiently and effectively.
• Managing the artwork, production, and printing needs of the individual restaurants, advising on the most effective solutions for successful results, within time and budget.
OTHER CLIENTS
In addition, I have also previously worked on a freelance basis with: Disney, Persil, Bodeans, Tapas Revolution, Comptoir Libanais, Sutton BID and Epsom BID companies.