The business of brand.

I work with leaders to bridge the gap between brand and business, helping organisations grow with greater clarity and direction.

Skills & Ethos

Strategic designing. Creative thinking. Straight talking.

Branding is often sold as a kind of magic: a big reveal and a beautiful result. I see it differently. It's a series of decisions, and most of them aren't visual.

Brand is at work every day, in every pitch, hire and price you set. Yet most businesses treat it as something to manage. It gets built in pieces and never quite adds up, and when the business scales, changes or pivots, the cracks show.

So I start with the business: who you are, where you're going and what's in the way. Whether the problem turns out to be strategy, design or people, the job is the same. See the whole thing, ask the difficult questions, and join it up creatively, culturally and commercially.

Then I design what it needs.

Approach

Where I come in.

Most people who call me can't quite name the problem. They just know something isn't working.

Sometimes the business has outgrown its brand. Sometimes it's hard to explain what makes you different, or the identity no longer feels like you. Sometimes everyone has a different opinion about where it should go next.

You might think you need a new identity and actually need to sort out the thinking underneath it. You might have a perfectly good brand that's become muddled or hard to manage. Or you might simply want someone experienced in the room who can see the whole thing, ask the awkward questions and help you decide what matters.

You don't need to know which. That's my job.

My approach

A trusted partner.
Work who care as much as they do but it’s a ruse because we actually care more.

Clear thinking. Straight talking.
Work who care as much as they do but it’s a ruse because we actually care more.

Dot joiner. Question asker.
Work who care as much as they do but it’s a ruse because we actually care more.

Perceptive th

Principles

10 things you can always expect when we work together

  • Make it make sense before making it look good.

  • Brand problems are usually business problems.

  • Design is not defined by the output, it’s the process.

  • Uncomfortable questions. Honest answers.

  • Clearer decisions are better decisions.

  • Sometimes what isn’t said speaks louder than what is.

  • The right answer, not my answer.

  • High standards, no egos.

  • Join the dots.

  • Make it last.

Background.

How I got here.

I talked my way into a web agency in 2005, with no design training and a lot of Flash. Later, at a young brand agency, I built the design and web team from scratch, with no name to attract talent, and learned more about leading creative people than any title could teach.

In 2014 I moved to London and went independent. Twelve years on, I work with founders, leadership teams and agencies across health, finance, technology and consumer brands.

People tell me I read the room well. I notice what sits between the lines, and I think about things for longer than is strictly necessary. That's usually where the answer is. I'm not precious about being right, only about getting it right.

Questions I’d ask if I were you…

  • We deliver advisory and implementation services in strategy, operations, marketing, and technology.

  • We calculate fees based on scope, complexity, and projected resources, then present a transparent proposal.

  • Engagements range from two weeks for focused audits to several months for comprehensive transformation.

  • Yes, we remain actively involved until solutions are fully operational and staff are confident.

  • Our adaptable methodology serves manufacturing, retail, professional services, and public sector entities.