About me
I am a forward-thinking storyteller and experienced layout and cover designer with an entrepreneurial mindset, fascinated with brand psychology and the relationship between culture and design. I studied for an art degree and became an expert visual communicator with advanced technical abilities. In the process, I fell in love with fashion and culture media. My passion and ambition pushed me to complete a masters in publishing, specialising in marketing and design. I developed the critical skills necessary for the sales and marketing of media, including audience research, market assessment, consumer behaviour, and targeted marketing. Collaborating my business acumen and design practice gives me a unique perspective that I can apply to problem-solving and innovation strategies. I have experience extracting a brief and working within guidelines to create purpose-driven solutions that directly position value to a market. Valuably, I can provide support and improve communication using my shared vocabulary, education and experiences in luxury sales, marketing theory, linguistics, design, art, fashion, and admin. I have six years of experience using Adobe software, my creativity and execution abilities are not limited. The current world chaos has put my priorities into perspective.
I feel energised and deep a purpose to provoke, inform and inspire.
Projects
- JewelleryIn recent months, I taught myself to make jewellery. I decided to collaborate my creative skills and entrepreneurial mindset to create a business and sell my necklaces. Last night I made a set design using clay as I felt instantly inspired and energised after drawing concepts. Today I photographed editorials and documented the process to create video marketing content for social media. Here are some of the product images:
- Cover and Layout Artist for Letters from the Little Blue RoomMy task was to produce an effective design report that considers financial and technical constraints for the managing editor. The report includes layout, typesetting and cover recommendations for the new edition of Letters from the Little Blue Room, a rare out of print book, originally published anonymously in 1917. - Performed market and audience research to inform purpose driven and consumer centric design to position value and maximise engagement with the ideal audience - Confidently presen
Work history
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Layout and Cover ArtistBarbican Press
- Manchester, United KingdomInternship
I redesigned the cover and book interiors for Letters from the Little Blue Room. A book originally published anonymously in 1917, providing the managing editor with ready for print files and a design report considering financial and technical constraints.
I performed market research to create a positioning map and realise the titles competitive advantage within the market. As a strategic thinker, I knew this would help me decide on key marketing elements to include in the design to generate maximum interest with the target audiece. I devised a document of competing covers to establish dominant genre conventions. I referenced this to increase loyalty with the ideal audience through familiarity. I learnt the importance of economics and its impact on a project. As a result of delays in production and receiving the necessary information to start my work, I proactively scheduled a meeting with my manager to confront ambiguity. Following this, I developed a project plan and workflow to reduce risks and ensure deadlines were met. I concepted initial ideas for the art direction and developed the design through collaborative meetings. I realise collaboration and clear communication is critical to ensure clarity for deliverables to be successful.
I professionally exercised my typography, picture research, copyright, image-editing, graphic design and Adobe software skills to create high-quality designs. Exploring book design developed my understanding of the relationship between text and image and how these can work together to advance meaning and the user experience. Each design element was a direct response to research to heighten the books emotional impact and sales potential. As a result, I gained professional communication skills as I used my research and expertise to appropriately present, justify and challenge the managing editor’s direction, when necessary.
Responding to a brief and brand guidelines presents my ability to create engaging layouts for various contexts and audiences. I know collaborating my design expertise and business acumen gives me a unique perspective and competitive advantage designer to meet the needs of the customer and brand as I have a shared vocabulary that can benefit communication.
Skills
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Editorial Illustration
- Report Writing
- Market Research
- Audience Targeting
- Print Design
- Digital Design
- Typography
- Custom Typography
- Artwork
- Picture Research
- Picture Editing
- Graphic Design
- Visual Communication
- Visual Merchandising
- Google Drive
- Communications
Education
MA PublishingManchester Metropolitan University
Manchester, United Kingdom
Gained a comprehensive understanding of the publishing industry, exploring different markets, trends, innovations, and challenges. Learnt how content is commissioned, designed, produced, marketed, and delivered across different media. The MA made me more commercially aware. Developing my investigative eye strengthened my approach to design and picture research.
Modules include:
- The Business of Publishing
- How Publishing Operates
- Sales and Marketing
- Book Design and Production
- Dissertation in collaboration with Barbican Press: Creating a new and updated publication for a rare, out-of-print book. A design and production role. Involving scoping out the best layout, design, typesetting and cover for the book.
BA (hons) IllustrationLeeds Arts University
- Leeds, United Kingdom
Strengthened my craftsmanship skills through workshops that allowed me to master digital and analogue image-making processes and software. Worked with a range of subjects for social, commercial, cultural, and political contexts. Developed creative problem-solving skills helping me become an expert in visual communication to create critically and visually engaging work. Extracted briefs for editorial work in response to audience and market research to create purpose-driven designs. During extensive projects, I learnt excellent management, planning, and research skills.
Most valuably, my degree taught me the importance of play and experimentation, contributing to my inherent curiosity to master new processes. The encouragement has contributed to the continuous development of my creative practice, which is rooted in experimentation.