I am a graphic designer and web developer living in Bristol. I work with a range of clients nationwide and occasionally internationally. I am always looking to take on new and exciting projects, so if you need some design assistance, please get in touch, and we'll speak. In the meantime, please have a look at my portfolio.
Through my work in design agencies, I've completed projects for clients including BT, John Lewis, Sony, Creative Skillset, and The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. As a freelance designer, I've worked for clients as varied as The Big Issue, David Atkins, Macks Faulkron, Shell, South West Artwork, and many more.
Publications
Web and Digital for Graphic Designers, Bloomsbury, 2020
'Web and Digital for Graphic Designers' was released November 12th 2020 through Bloomsbury Visual Arts; this book was written with Frédérique Santune and Andy Way.
Creative web design requires knowledge from across the design and technical realms, and it can seem like a daunting task working out where to get started.
In this book the authors take you through all you need to know about designing for the web and digital, from initial concepts and client needs, through layout and typography to basic coding, e-commerce and working with different platforms.
The companion website provides step-by-step tutorial videos, HTML/CSS styling tips and links to useful resources to really help you get to grips with all the aspects of web design. Working alongside the text are interviews with international designers and critical commentaries looking at best practice and theoretical considerations.
Written for graphic designers, this book delivers more than just an instruction manual – it provides a complete overview of designing for the web.
Purchase here, and here.
Becoming a Successful Graphic Designer, Bloomsbury/Fairchild, 2016
As students prepare to enter the world of work, there are many decisions that they need to make about what type of career they want: Freelancing? Working in a design agency? Setting up their own business? They also need the practical advice about how to work with clients, how to organize themselves, billing, etc. Through interviews with people at all levels of design, the author provides down to earth and straight forward information that is relevant to today's students looking to start a career in design.
Featuring interviews with:
Jessica Hische, Jessica Walsh, Acmé Paris, Janine Vangool (UPPERCASE), Lisa Hassell (WE ARE GOODNESS), Nick Clement (Glug), Lotta Nieminen, Roger Proctor, This is Crowd, and more!
This is an amazing book and one I am very pleased to have come across. I will be using this as a one of my key texts for the unit, and I will be encouraging all students to buy it. It covers all aspects of how to move into a successful design career; from looking at places of work, to the range and how to apply for varied and different types of opportunities, including the importance of attitude and networking!
Sallyanne Theodosiou, University for Creative Arts, UK
Purchase: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Bloomsbury
Basics Graphic Design 03: Idea Generation, Bloomsbury/Fairchild, 2012
Basics Graphic Design: Idea Generation explores the different ways in which designers can generate creative ideas in response to a given project brief.
Great designs begin with great ideas. Throughout this book, best-selling author team Ambrose and Leonard show how a clear understanding of audience, context and materials can lead to innovative, targeted designs. They also explore the many levels of idea generation, from the macro to the micro, explaining how budding designers can use simple techniques and strategies from brainstorming to more focused, selective and strategic systems to get their creative juices flowing and come up with a brilliant idea that will set their designs apart.
Creative thinking is a skill that can be developed - this book introduces a variety of approaches, theories and strategies to help designers do this, with practical exercises, engaging studio interviews and striking visual examples.
Basics Graphic Design 02: Design Research: Investigation for successful creative solutions, Bloomsbury/Fairchild, 2012
In a climate where a certain six letter word search engine is fast becoming the one-stop hit for every research need, this book shows a breadth of techniques, opportunities, methodologies and suggestions that will open up your creative thinking in a way that no algorithm ever could. You don't need to hit a search button, you don't need to feel lucky. You need to read this book.
Barrie Tullett, The Lincoln School of Art & Design, UK
Design Research is an easy to follow, clearly written, student-friendly guide on how to conduct research for practical projects. Although academic in content, the fact that there are direct links to professional practice throughout, gives the book a 'real world' authority. In fact, Design Research doesn't just take the reader through a step-by-step guide to the research process, it also highlights plenty of everyday good practice along the way. In writing this book, Leonard and Ambrose have gone a long way in validating to students what they are taught on a day-to-day basis in lecture theatres and workshops - Design Research should, therefore, be on any contextual studies reading list as a result.
Nigel Ball, Course Leader, School of Arts & Humanities, University Campus Suffolk, UK
Projects
Found Type Archive
Between 2007 and 2009, I studied for an MA in Design at the London College of Communication. In my last year of study, I developed an interest in vernacular typography and spent several months documenting Bournemouth (the city I lived in at the time), and the connected areas of Christchurch and Poole. Slowly, I am adding my visual research to this Instagram account.
The idea was to categories the various typographic styles found within the locality and hopefully uncover trends. There were several styles that I began to turn into typefaces, but due to life, this part of the project was derailed slightly. However, the archive remains and is slowly being uploaded to Instagram.
Hard Times
In 2011 the Big Issue celebrated its 20th Anniversary. To celebrate they commissioned award-winning photographer Paul Wenham-Clarke to undertake a project entitled Hard Times. The resulting photographs have toured the UK and are collected here in this volume. Included in this book are portraits of some of the many people the Big Issue have helped during the last 20 years. Each portrait is set with an interview that sheds further light on the good work of this remarkable charity.
The Westway
Identity design for Paul Wenham-Clarke's show 'The Westway' to be held at St Martins in the Field.
Event Organisation & Management
Design Your Career, March 27th, 2015, By The Sea, Bournemouth
Speakers included: Sarah Thelwall, Mark Masters, Stephanie Carswell & Marion Gillet.
Design Your Career, March 14th, 2015, Craft Central, London
Speakers included: Patricia van den Akker of The Design Trust, Cheryl Adamson, Sian Meades & Sarah Hamilton.
Design Your Career, October 19th, 2013, Ideastap, London
Speakers included: Patricia van den Akker of The Design Trust, South West Artworks, Perri Lewis of Mastered, The ID Group, Notonthehighstreet.com,Dan Goode of Seek&Adore, Sarah James of The Contemporary Craft Festival,Clare Yarwood-White of Create a Craft Business & Z Sinclair.
Design Your Career, February 2nd, 2013, Pavilion Dance, Bournemouth
Speakers included: Wayne Hemingway, Kresse Wesling of Elvis & Kresse, Patricia van den Akker, The ID Group, Notonthehighstreet.com, Laura Thomas, Seek&Adore, South West Artworks & Joanne Dewberry.