ABOUT
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Expertise & Skills
Throughout my (now very long!) career, I have tried to learn and develop skills in as many design disciplines as I could. This has been achieved in various roles and places - whether that be as a single designer or part of a team; in-house or in an agency setting; taking work all the way from concept to production, or just doing parts of the process.
Although I did have a couple of positions ‘pre-Mac’, where I did paste-up or illustrations by hand, the first truly Mac-based Graphic Design position I had was with a newly-formed Publisher. On day one I sat down in front of my first Mac (a Quadra 700) and was given three boxes: Quark XPress, Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop. Two days later there was a fully laid-out 64 page magazine ready to go to press; they were two very long nights!
Since then, I have always been able to learn/re-learn new software very easily and also have an aptitude for general Mac hardware, software and networking. And this ‘old dog’ definitely can learn new tricks. For instance, I have taught myself Adobe XD recently, and you can see, from the “Non-Design Achievements” below, that I am willing to get stuck in, if there is something I don’t know or I am a bit rusty on.
There’s more information, on what specific software packages I am conversant in, in my CV, but the usual suspects are there (inDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, MS Office etc.). As software usage can be heavily influenced by the position/company/task, there are some I haven’t used for a while (such as Quark, Dreamweaver and various 3D/Video packages), but I feel confident that I could reacquaint myself very quickly. If you can’t see a specific software package listed, ask me, as I may have used it, there’s just not enough room to list every single one!
As well as my creative/concept experience, I am a fast and accurate Artworker (I’m not precious about labels and see myself as both creative and production orientated), having solid Typesetting and production skills, with full print-process knowledge, such as Imposition, CMYK/Crops/Bleed, Lithographic, Flexographic, Digital Print, ISO Callibration and more. And I know my Dusted Crystal from my Vinyl!
Although I’ll admit I don’t have quite as much “online” experience as ‘offline’, I've undertaken both design/build and just front-end, for web sites, banner advertising, HTML emails and other UI/UX projects, including designing an iPhone game. The extent to which I have done online work, in various positions has depended on whether other members of the team (if there was a team) were more specifically-skilled as ‘Web Developers’. In this scenario I have designed front ends and elements for the Developer to use. Where I have been the sole Designer, I have then undertaken the whole process using mostly WYSIWYG software; but I have written/edited a small amount of HTML/CSS.
Recently, to try and 'keep up' with the latest trends, I have undertaken (Stackskills Certified) online courses in Adobe XD, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Lightroom and Spark; also a Digital & Social Media Marketing course.
I have also had positions at various levels, so have good studio management understanding, being skilled in hardware/software (installation/upgrading/trouble-shooting), networks (mixed Mac/PC), job/time tracking systems, budgeting, staff training/mentoring and supervision. On many occasions, I have found myself the main point-of-contact for colleagues in issues of advice, problem solving, training, and development. I’ve always been an effective communicator and negotiator, whether with colleagues, clients or suppliers. And I reliably meet demanding deadlines and targets, whilst working well under pressure, on multiple projects.
I have a long list of disciplines, under my belt…
Branding: from just a Logo, through to a full Corporate Identity.
Marketing Design: Direct Mail, Brochures, Annual Reports, Advertising, Conference Materials.
Large Format/POS: Exhibition Stands & Graphics, Signage, Wayfinding, Posters.
Long Document: Magazines, Catalogues, Books.
Packaging/Products: FMCG, Food, Console Games, Hockey Sticks(!).
Online: Web Sites, CD-ROMs (when they were a thing), HTML Emails, Banner Ads, Animated GIFs, iPhone Games.
Illustration, Retouching, Photography, Presentations, Copywriting.
… and more.
Non-Design Achievements
Scoraig Sea Taxi/Ferry: Qualified to skipper the small (12 person) ferry boat. Courses undertaken: RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities, VHF Radio Course and First Aid at Work.
HCB (Community Broadband): Helped to install and administer a community broadband system, using the Ubiquiti (UNMS) WiFi network system.
First Responder: Undertook the intensive, four day course, to become a First Responder, who the ambulance service call upon, in remote areas, to attend an emergency first.
Off-Grid Crofting: Designed and built Poly Tunnels, Sheds and a Bothy (small holiday lodge), reared animals, grown food, utilised quad bikes and small boats, learned about (installed/fixed) Off-Grid systems (i.e. wind, solar, batteries, inverters).
Education
A-Level: Art & Design
GCSE: Graphic Design, Photography & Art History
O-Level: Art, Technical Drawing, English Language & Literature, History, Geography, Maths, RE.
Online Courses: Stackskills Certified courses in XD, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Lightroom, Spark, Digital and Social Media Marketing.