Making and using pictures is an art, typography and graphic design are arts. Art direction and design are the art of making of meaningful communications.

Most outputs are easy to make these days - what really counts is how you make things that mean something to an audience. Is it of its own? Does it move me? Will it change my behaviour? Will it set the right type of expectations?

I am an award-winning art director, creative director and designer with over two decades of experience in marketing, content and publishing. I work with marketing teams and content agencies. Redwood and The Week have been my biggest clients in recent years. Working with their CEOs and multi-skilled teams, I have led the brand messaging, art and design for launches, pitches and ad campaigns.

I have been creative director at Men’s Health at its height, Giant Magazine at its most loved, Jack Magazine at its most fun and GQ at its most lauded. I use the skills I developed on these titles to make and direct visual communications across multiple platforms, from photo direction.

What have I learned?
- Design craft still counts.
- Critical thinking still counts.
- Projects succeed when optimists collaborate. 
- Publishing experience means knowing your audience… which is where the best content begins.
- My art direction is about finding the connections between an idea, a business and its audience.

Recent projects:
- Content marketing for YouTube, JP Morgan, Land Rover and Oakley.
- Film for The Week Junior, The Book of Man and Head & Shoulders.
- Brand message and ad campaigns for The Week, The Week Portfolio and Buyacar.
- UI and brand-mark creation.

To see more of my creative direction visit Thinking and Doing with my creative partner Bill Dunn:
thinkinganddoing.co

Clients:
Redwood, WIRED, JP Morgan, The Week, Land Rover, Oakley, Cyclist, Which?, Shortlist Media, Rotageek, Popbitch, Big Al’s Advertising Agency, Jason Bruges Studio, Limited Brands (Victoria’s Secret account), London Advertising, M&C Saatchi, SapientNitro, Stingray Studios, Complex Magazine/Ecko Unlimited, Dennis Publishing (U.K & U.S.), Future Publishing (U.S.), Ketchum, John Brown Media, Sunday Publishing, The Sunday Times Magazine, Viewpoint magazine.

Photo direction - credits:

Lighting test with Patrik Giardino. On location in Los Angeles shooting Amir Kahn for Men’s Health.