I began my career as a junior designer in 1990, learning the skills necessary to complete projects prior to the introduction of the Apple Mac. I steadily progressed to become Studio Manager at Europe’s largest independent sales promotion & direct marketing agency, STH. I went on to provide creative roles as Lead Designer and Creative Director.

I entered the industry just as Apple Macs were becoming powerful enough to handle high-resolution, large-screen design work and I adopted the technology immediately. Since then, I’ve built a fully equipped home studio, featuring the latest software running on Calman-verified ASUS monitors to ensure colour accuracy and production quality.

Today, I enjoy a successful freelance career as a designer and digital artist, a journey that has been nothing short of exciting.

Technically, I am highly proficient in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, using these Apps on a daily basis as part of my core toolkit.

For web design, I utilise Webflow, taking full advantage of its powerful CMS capabilities to deliver content-manageable websites that clients can run themselves, or continue to develop with my support.

Transitioning from an agency environment to freelance life has allowed me to collaborate with some of the most talented individuals and companies in the industry. From complex travel brochure pricing tables to detailed photo retouching and technical illustration, my freelance work has broadened my expertise across the full spectrum of design disciplines, ensuring I can always deliver high-quality results, on time and on budget.

I joined Stretch the Horizon (STH) as a freelance graphic designer at a time when most of the creative teams were still working with marker pens and layout pads. Although STH had recently purchased two Apple Macs, they were largely unused, sitting idle in the corner of the studio.

At that time, all digital artwork was being outsourced to a third-party studio located in the same building. My role quickly evolved: I was tasked with building an in-house digital artwork department from scratch. This included specifying new hardware, recruiting a team and setting up efficient production workflows.

The newly formed digital studio soon gained a strong reputation for both accuracy and efficiency. We significantly reduced pre-press errors, artwork remakes, and associated reprint costs, establishing a level of consistency and quality that was quickly recognised across the business.

One morning stands out: I arrived at the studio to find my team already deep into their day’s work. When I asked if anyone needed anything, the unanimous reply was, “Nope, everything’s just fine.” At that moment, I knew I had achieved what I’d set out to do - create a reliable, respected and self-sufficient in-house production team. It felt like the right time to move on and I now look back on that achievement with real pride.

While contracted as Creative Director at Conical Ltd, I had the pleasure of working alongside Sean Scully, a talented member of the client liaison team. Sean’s main client at the time was Oaklands College and together we delivered a wide range of projects, including the first of what would become many annual Full & Part-Time Course Guides (Prospectuses).

When Sean left Conical to take up the role of Head of Marketing at Oaklands, my contract was also coming to a natural end. We continued our working relationship, with me providing external creative and marketing support as an independent supplier (approved by Conical).

Over the years, I’ve completed hundreds of projects for the College, from simple flyers to the complex production of the 220+ page course guides and everything in between. I’ve worked with several Heads of Marketing during that time, supporting smooth transitions by introducing them to the College’s extensive creative archive and helping them meet the ongoing demands of a busy marketing department.

Working with Oaklands has been a genuine pleasure, offering a broad variety of design briefs and the chance to help maintain the strong, consistent messaging of one of Hertfordshire’s most respected adult education institutions.