Professional Experience

May 2012 – Present  |  Zone Design, Datchet  |  Senior Digital Designer

Job description to follow (give me a chance – I only just started!).

March 2004 – Present  |  TriMedia Group, Abingdon  |  Designer / Studio Manager

I started working for TriMedia as a designer for their range of weekly newspapers, but was quickly given the additional role of Lead Advertising Designer for their flagship magazine, Oxfordshire Living. My daily duties included laying out editorial pages and working closely with the sales teams to create adverts for the clients before building the pages of the publications and preparing press-ready files. During this time I fine-tuned my technical skills as speed, accuracy and efficiency were essential to meeting the very tight deadlines.

In 2005 I was promoted to Studio Manager where I headed up a team of five other creatives and also became responsible for all in-house branding and design, including the building of websites for the various publications, as well as overseeing the day-to-day production of all print publications.

In 2011 I stepped aside from the role of Studio Manager to set up a new design department called The Design Box. This new role saw me bring my existing freelance work in-house, allowing me to concentrate on it full time. It gave me the opportunity to continue to offer the same high-quality bespoke design service as well as giving me more time to focus on in-house design and marketing projects such as redesigning the news websites.

In addition to being responsible for all digital and print design, I continued to manage all other aspects of the service including pitching, quoting, invoicing and generating new business.

August 2010 – September 2011  |  Tall Design  |  Freelance Designer

In 2010 I started freelancing in my spare time offering web and graphic design solutions as well as a print buying service. Having branded the venture as Tall Design, I quickly built up a strong client base that included some of the top Oxfordshire companies such as The Kassam Stadium and Heythrop Park Resort.

Working solo meant that I was responsible for both the creative and financial side of the business. As well as creating brand identities, producing print designs of all types and building websites, I was also responsible for pitching, quoting, sourcing suppliers, invoicing and generating new business.

In 2011 Tall Design was amalgamated into TriMedia Group and re-branded as The Design Box.

September 2002 – March 2004  |  Windrush Design & Print, Witney  |  Designer

My role at Windrush included liaising with clients to take briefs, then – working within the boundaries of their brief and budget – take the design from concept through to print-ready artwork. The client base was varied, and day-to-day work generally included creating logos, stationery, corporate literature, flyers,  posters, adverts and some web based work.

Whilst I was at Windrush I gained a great knowledge of the print industry, including pre-press procedures such as creating impositions and CTP technology. I also had the opportunity to learn about finishing techniques, and enjoyed being able to play a part in and oversee all aspects of a job. This invaluable experience now allows me to produce artwork with a working knowledge of the whole process, advise and ultimately offer the client a better finished product.

Skills

I am a Mac based designer with excellent knowledge of InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Fireworks, Acrobat and Quark. I also have good knowledge of CSS and HTML, and supporting applications such as Coda.

Qualifications

Higher Education

Abingdon & Witney College, Abingdon
National Diploma in Graphic Design

Secondary Education

Fitzharrys School, Abingdon
Nine passes at GCSE, grades ranging from A-C
GNVQ Intermediate Art & Design

Other qualifications

I have held a full clean driving licence for over nine years.

References

References available upon request.