Acquired Skills
Graphic Design
Logo & Brand Design
I have had a great deal of experience in designing business logos and brands for Irish, UK and US companies. This is the starting point for most new clients.
I like to create designs that are simple, adaptable and clever, that position the business away from the competition to create a stand-alone image.
This can be achieved by working closely with the client to really understand the core of the business, customers and competitors, and use this to accurately represent the essence of the business in the design.
Stationery Design
Stationery designs often follow on from the initial logo or brand design. Letterheads are an extension of the identity, and often less is more, so not to distract from the written communication.
However, I do like to make business card designs more distinctive, recognisable and memorable for them to work as effective marketing tools, while still providing the function of clearly communicating the contact details of the client for easy reference.
Brochure & Flyer Design
When designing brochures and leaflets, I will carefully consider how it is intended to work and what the objectives of the document are.
As a marketing tool, the document may intended to be used as a labour saving device for the sales team. In order to do this effectively, I invest time on the back-end during the preparation stage, so it works smoothly and effortlessly on the front end for the customer.
The skill comes in answering as many of the reader's questions as possible before they are even asked, with clear and concise information and a call to action, to lead to a new enquiry.
Books & Annual Reports
I have a background in designing book covers, health authority and corporate annual reports, and large multi-page documents.
The key to a smooth development process is good planning, and it is often useful to start with a rough page count by flowing in basic styled content, to see how it lands in the chosen document format/grid.
When building multi-page documents it is best practice to start as you mean to go on, with clear style sheets, a consistent (but flexible) grid, and clearly defined sections. This will allow for updates and amendments, with the minimum of disruption to the design process.
Packaging Design
When designing retail packaging, I like to think of the box, carton, label or bag, not just as a wrapper but as a Point Of Sale advertising opportunity, to promote the brand and product directly from the shelf.
My main goal is always to add perceived value to product, and to make it appealing to the specific target audience. The design should be distinctive and recognisable, and clearly display the product.
I have had varied experience with different types of packaging over the years, but I was most closely involved in the development of the Folding Carton production at Multi-Color Corporation over the past few years, providing valuable experience in best practice and the limitations of the process.
Clothing Design
As part of an overall branding strategy, I have been able to take custom designed logos and colour schemes, and cost-effectively apply this to workwear clothing and to create a consistent and professional uniform.
In addition to the design aspect and the supplying of artwork, I have also been closely involved in the production process of t-shirt designs, using laser printed heat-press systems and durable CMYW solutions.
Concept Designs
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- Photoshop
- Acrobat
- Inkscape
- GIMP
- Freehand
- Quark Xpress
Web Design
Website Design
HTML Email Design
Search Engine Optimisation [SEO]
Software Interface [GUI]
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Dreamweaver
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Imageready
- Text Editor
- Firefox
- Chrome
- Internet Explorer
- Opera
- W3C HTML Checker
- Joomla
- WordPress
- Amazium
- Bootstrap
Sign Design
Shop Fascia Design
Vehicle Graphics Design
Advertising Signage
Wayfinding Signage
Exhibition & Display Design
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Acrobat
- Freehand
- FlexiSign
- InkCut
Photography
Location Photography
Studio Photography
Product Photography
Retouching & Editing
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Photoshop
- Bridge
- Camera Raw
- Nikon Camera Control
- Lightroom
- Darktable
- qDSLR Dashboard
Copywriting
Brochure Copywriting
Website Copywriting & Planning
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Text Editor
- Web Resources
Marketing
Brand Name Development
Advertising Campaigns
Consultations
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Text Editor
- Web Resources
- Illustrator
- InDesign
Multimedia
Presentation Design
Animations
Kiosk Interfaces [GUI]
3D Modelling
Video Editing
Types of software used across Mac, PC and Linux:-
- Flash
- PowerPoint
- iMovie
- Shotcut
- Cinema 4D
- Illustrator
- FreeHand
- Photoshop
- Director
- Web Resources
Currently training:-
- Dimension
- After Effects
- Blender