About me

I’m Tara, a freelance art director + designer based in Edinburgh. I have over 10 years of experience across a range of industries and disciplines. I went freelance 3 years ago but prior to that I had worked in both in-house and creative agency roles. I now market myself specifically to solo service providers, but I take on all sorts of projects in the background for fun + variety.

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Projects

• #OnYourBusStopMorayshire, a council district in Scotland, were experiencing a lack of tourists to the area. This was leading to a downturn in the local economy. I was taken on as the design arm of this campaign to help turn things around. Muckle Media supplied the strategy and copy, while I designed the logo and all campaign materials - which included a bus wrap!
• Alexander MackenzieLogo, brand identity, and website design for local Edinburgh artist Alexander Mackenzie.
• Studio AdaA mini conceptual project to create a brand identity for a women-led creative studio.
• Soba: Private LabelLogo, full brand identity design and website for Soba: Private label, a copywriting white-label agency based in Glasgow. The guys at Soba recognise that too many agencies look and sound the same; and tasked me with the challenge of designing a stand out brand for them. Introducing: zingy colors, illustrations and an all-round original look and feel that ensures they won't be overlooked in the competitive agency landscape.
• Hilltop Doggy DaycareThe owners at Hilltop took over a doggy daycare centre, and needed a new brand identity in place that supported their increased prices and improved services. I created an entirely new identity that utilised a premium colour palette, a simple but fun logo design and bespoke iconography. The overall look had a more elevated and thoughtful feel that supported their raised prices and service offering.
• Battenburghs Gluten Free BakeryBattenburghs are a gluten-free bakery startup cleverly named after both the cake and the city of Edinburgh. Their mission is to grant individuals with celiac disease the delight of indulging in baked goods that they would typically have to avoid.

Work history

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FreelanceFreelance
Mar 2021Edinburgh, United KingdomFull Time
I went freelance mid-pandemic. This was a bold choice that (fortunately) paid off. I’ve worked with a lot of clients directly during this time, had multiple retainer clients and have freelanced within agencies. Now my outside offering is directed at solo service providers, but I still do general design work in the background for fun + variety.
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Graphic DesignerTurnbull Ripley
Dec 2019 - Mar 2021Edinburgh, United KingdomFull Time
My last creative agency role before going freelance. Turnbull Ripley serviced clients within the property sector, creating brand identities, websites and marketing collateral to help sell large properties.

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Skills

• Graphic Design
• Brand Building
• Brand Creation
• Brand Creative Strategy
• Brand Strategy
• Brand Identity
• Web Design
• Web Designer
• Squarespace
• Shopify

Education

CertificateUniversity of The Arts London (UAL)
Jan 2023 - Jan 2023London, United Kingdom
A short course on brand strategy.
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Bachelor of Arts (BA) The Robert Gordon University
Aug 2008 - Apr 2012Aberdeen, United Kingdom
I achieved a first class honours from Grays School of Art in Aberdeen. The course I did "Visual Communication" covered topics such as: Graphic Design, Typography, Illustration, Animation and Photography.