semiBad.

About me

I'm a friendly and enthusiastic designer currently freelancing in the Northeast. I graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design from Cumbria Institute of the Arts. Previous to setting out by myself, I was Design Lead at K International, a company in Milton Keynes which supplies translation, interpreting and accessibility services to commercial and government clients. Since finishing at K International I have relocated to the Northeast and taken on a variety of freelance clients.

I currently devote most of my time and passion working on the web, which provides a constant and varied challenge. I am a firm believer in following best practice techniques throughout my work - whatever technology I work with, I always strive to create beautiful sites which are easy and enjoyable to use.

At the moment I'm available for freelance work and collaborative projects. I'm also interested in finding a great full-time position in the Northeast - I want to work alongside clever people to create some genuinely top-drawer work. Contact me using the details below if you have any further questions or comments.

If you'd like, you can download a pdf version of this CV for viewing offline.

Contact details

Skills profile

• Extensive knowledge of design fundamentals, and practical ability to apply this knowledge across a range of media.
• Excellent working knowledge of industry standard software such as Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks. Good working knowledge of Illustrator and Quark Xpress. Excellent working knowledge of common administrative software including Microsoft Office. Other relevant software experience includes Coda, BBEdit, Bridge, Aperture, and SketchUp.
• Fully IT trained. Equally comfortable working on and maintaining a Mac or PC. Some knowledge of hardware maintenance and networking.
• Full knowledge of best-practice web design techniques - HTML, CSS, and Web Standards. Good knowledge of server-side scripting with PHP and MySQL, including planning and building custom content management systems. Experience with client-side scripting, javascript frameworks and AJAX.
• Good knowledge of preparing artwork for print and publication, copy and artwork proofing, and preflight techniques. Some experience of copywriting for web and print marketing.
• Excellent conceptual and idea development skills. Good cultural awareness - I try to keep ahead of the curve with industry news and critical discourse. I'm always looking to learn new techniques or improve existing skills, in and out of the studio.
• Hot drinks expert - always happy to put the kettle on. Excellent knowledge of tea and coffee, some experience of hot chocolate...

Education

• BA (hons) degree in Graphic Design - 2:1 grade (Cumbria Institute of the Arts)
• Diploma in Foundation Studies, Art and Design (Cumbria Institute of the Arts)
• 2 A-levels - C/E (Stantonbury Campus Sixth Form)
• 12 GCSEs - all C+ (Stantonbury Campus)

Recent employment history

1. Freelance Designer

   January 2009 to Present

   Currently undertaking a wide range of freelance projects, mostly web based, for national clients. These have included transactional sites, custom-built Content Management systems, dynamic Flash sites — even building a social network!

2. K International plc — Design lead

   March 2007 to December 2008

   After showing initiative in work outside my main role, I was asked to take on this larger role. My initial task list included completely redesigning the company's web presence and strategy, involving the creation of several project-focused satellite sites. During the redesign of the organisation's main site, I also pitched, planned and implemented a complete company-wide rebrand. Oversaw the creation of all company marketing material across a range of media, including the promotion of a new carbon-neutral policy.

3. K International plc — Multilingual Designer / Artworker

   November 2006 to March 2007

   This role involved working as part of a small studio team on a wide range of multilingual design, typesetting, and accessibility projects. This included a huge variety of commercial and government client work, across the full spectrum of media. I was specifically responsible for designing and typesetting the unique country-specific layouts for Dodge and Chrysler's international magazines. Other clients included Transport for London, Muji, and the Home Office. This unique and varied role also gave me the chance to learn skills and software that I might otherwise not have encountered, as well as exposing me to text and typography from around the world.

4. Freelance Designer

   June to November 2006

   Freelance web and print work for a range of local clients in Carlisle and Milton Keynes. This included a new web site for a Carlisle artists studio, and web, flyer and poster design for Milton Keynes' most critically acclaimed club night.

5. Previous work

   1996 to 2006

   Before and during college I held a range of jobs for varying lengths of time. Suffice to say, I can pull a pint, clean a hospital, and politely deal with the most difficult customers available.

Referees on request.

Outside of work

Many of my interests are extensions of my design work - I'm an enthusiastic (but strictly amateur) photographer, and I have been known to attempt to build a screen-printing rig. Aside from this, I enjoy cooking, reading, and reading about cooking. I know a little bit about wine, and I'm of the opinion that Masterchef is the pinnacle of television's evolution. I have a long-running affair with dance music, which has admittedly moved out of the clubs and onto the iPod as I've gotten older. I know everything there is to know about video games, although I rarely have the time to do anything about it these days!