I’m a digital creative director with a nine-year track record.

I’ve directed online and offline creative work for organisations including Sony, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Goldfish, Orange, Arts Council England, Beck’s Bier and ITV Digital, the work ranging from the design of complex ecommerce and content managed websites to creating print-based marketing material and corporate identity.

I am most known for my design and art direction but have also done a fair bit of writing, both copy and editorial, in my time (especially for the Beck’s Bier website). My conceptual and presentation skills are excellent and I have spoken at new media industry events. My enthusiasm for the potential of digital technology to enable people to learn, share, communicate, have fun, or conduct business keeps me focused and useful, I hope.

My Mac skills are exemplary, with Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash at the forefront of my creative arsenal. I’m au fait with HTML and can even do a bit of DHTML and Javascript with a little help from Dreamweaver. Traditional design with Quark is pretty good too. I can use a PC as well, of course.

I guess my main strength lies in the ability to conceptualise strong creative ideas and understand the technical issues that will make the ideas a reality.

I started off as a film writer / editor / director and illustrator after taking Fine Art at Goldsmith's College. These are skills I can call upon now to complement my other abilities.

Overview:

I became freelance to broaden the scope of what I do and give myself extra time to pursue some interests that I had lost during my time as an employee.

I continue to design websites (see below) and have worked on online advertising ideas for the likes of LEGO, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Paramount Pictures, Burger King and Vauxhall Motors. I continue to work for Beck's, a relationship that has lasted six years.

I've also started to do more consultancy and corporate identity work, as well as moving back into illustration and film. I've directed two shorts and a music promo in recent years.

Notable work:

Creative Partnerships for Arts Council England

Since 2001, I have worked as a digital media consultant and art director for the Arts Council as they administer and roll out a massive educational change programme on behalf of the government. The site presents a formidable amount of evidential information in a simple, engaging and creative interface which meets accessibility standards and is valid transitional XHTML 1.0.

Holocaust Memorial Day

This site, for The Home Office, marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the extermination and concentration camps. Holocaust Memorial Day presents one of the greatest opportunities to show our respect for the survivors of Nazi persecution and mass murder, and to listen to what they can tell us about the best and the worst of human behaviour.

Inside Justice Week

A microsite for the Home Office, highlighting a week of events to open up the Criminal Justice System to the public. I designed the look and feel and provided illustrations.

Yù Health and Beauty

I am currently designing the corporate identity for this startup cosmetics and beauty therapy company which bases itself around the use of Chinese and Japanese herbal medicine. A website is due in the near future.

Hot Cherry, Just, Ed Sirrs

Various small sites for agencies and individuals.

Overview:

As joint creative head, I was responsible for the excellence of all our new media output; new business; guidance and management of designers, art directors and copywriters; and being one of the public faces of the agency.

Key accounts included Beck’s and Sony. I was also pleased with work I did for Sony Cineza, BTopenworld, Channel 4 and Goldfish (interactive TV).

I left TIA because I thought “enough is enough”. After six years working with an excellent group of people, I needed a change of perspective, some freedoms and more sleep.

Notable work:

Goldfish iDTV pilot

A small microsite for Goldfish designed to showcase their award winning consumer guides on tthe NTL interactive digital TV platform.

Sony Cinéza product branding and microsite

I designed the branding and art directed and copywrote the microsite for the launch of Sony's new range of prosumer LCD projectors.

Beck's - Art or Arse

I devised, art directed and wrote this long running (1999-2002) website focusing seriously and not so seriously on Beck's Bier's 20 year association with contemporary British art. "Art or Arse" became something of a catchphrase in certain circles.

The Wisdom of Kevin

An amusing piece of viral marketing for Premium TV's Nationwide Football League coverage.

Overview:

Part of the TPD Publishing Group, our excellent new media division delivered great work for Goldfish, ONdigital, Microsoft, Internet Technology Group and Granada under my guidance. This period also saw my relationships with Beck’s Beer and Sony commence and bloom.

I was creative head across the digital and print divisions. Key achievements include the award-winning Goldfish Guide and Beck’s sites. I also helped launch the printed ONdigital TV Guide magazine, a colossal achievement for a small publishing agency and spent a period directing the award-winning O Magazine for Orange. Finally, co-ordinating the online half of a Europe-wide rebranding programme for Sony .

Notable work:

Sonybiz.net and Sony MMS
(screenshots coming soon)

Sonybiz was a huge, Europe wide personalised and content managed web portal for Sony's business customers. I designed this complex, component architecture site which was localised into 8 European languages, which was the online interpretation of a radical new branding direction for the organisation. MMS was a design for an asset management application that Sony were developing in house.

Enjoy.com

A campaign microsite for Coca-Cola, aimed at the kids' market. All the illustration is mine.

Roger Craig Searle and pHreak

This is work done outside of the agency.

1996-1998

Senior Designer, TPD interactive

1995-1996

Graphic Artist, Intermedia Associates

1990-1995

Various TV, film, editorial and design jobs

1987-1990

BA (Hons) Fine Art, Goidsmith's College

2001

Finalist, BIMA Awards, best community or public sector site, Goldfish Guide

2000

Winner, PPAi Awards, best consumer website, Goldfish Guide
Winner, Revolution Awards, best marketing extranet, Microsoft Press
Site of the month in Yahoo, New Media Age, Daily Star, for Beck's Beer

1990

Finalist, British Film Institute, New Directors

1989

Winner, Thames TV Student Film Bursary

Hannah Charlton

Online Change Manager, Creative Partnerships

Matthew Beaven

Creative Director, MRM (formerly just)

Dave Taylor

Producer, Web Services, The Home Office