About me.

I help build connections between brands & people, by working at the intersection of brand, experience & campaign.


Hi there 👋

I’m a Design and Creative collaborator and leader with over 2 decades of creating award-winning, strategic work that helps brands and services connect with people through the power of design, creativity, experience, and innovation.

I’ve built and helped teams, agencies, and brands, and now I’m looking to help them dream up, craft, create, and bring the next great thing to life.

I’ve worked as a designer, interaction and flash designer, digital design director, creative director, head of design, and agency leader. As one of 6 partners and head of creative at Whitespace, I contributed to its growth to become one of the most respected full-service creative and design agencies in Scotland before it became Isobar and then finally Dentsu Creative in 2022.

Visit my Linkedin

Experience

Creative Design Director - 2025 to now
UK Head of Design, DC - 2024 to 2025
Joint MD & Head of Creative (Edinburgh), DC - 2023 to 2024
Head of Creative, DC - 2022 to 2023
Head of Creative, Isobar - 2020 to 2022
Associate Board Director & Head of Creative, Whitespace - 2017 to 2020
Creative Director, Whitespace - 2014 to 2017
Digital Design Director, Whitespace - 2010 to 2014
Senior Designer, Whitespace - 2007 to 2010
Freelance Designer - 2006 to 2007
Designer, Sketch - 2003 to 2006
Junior Designer, Engine Creative - 2001 to 2002

Off the tools

Vision and clarity
I have always aimed to provide a clear creative vision for the teams and agencies I’ve been part of. Simplicity is key—developing efficient processes and ways of working that deliver both design and creative excellence, effectiveness, and engaged team members.

Project planning and budgeting
I understand and help define project workflows, timelines, and deliverables, always seeking to identify and cultivate opportunities that benefit both people and profit—while ensuring they remain achievable (even when they may not seem so at first!).

Mentorship
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring designers and creatives throughout their careers, with many going on to great success (two in my team made Scottish Designer of the Year).

I recognize the importance of passionate, driven, engaged, and happy staff—leading to a positive impact on the businesses I’ve worked with, improving staff retention, reducing recruitment costs, and enhancing agency culture.

Career mapping and growth
I’ve always focused on developing team members’ careers and addressing their individual growth needs, while ensuring stability and cost-effectiveness for both the team and the business.

Team structure
Since 2007, I’ve been dedicated to building and nurturing multidisciplinary design teams with expertise spanning design, branding, digital, motion, technology, and conceptual skills.

Skillset

On the tools

Digital Design
Over the past 20+ years, I have explored, developed, and refined my core skill set, covering everything from marketing and innovation to eCommerce, digital experience, content production, and digital art direction.

Branding and Design
Throughout my career, I’ve worked on—and led—teams focused on design principles, design systems, and their applications for both large and small businesses.

Advertising and Campaign Design
My experience includes collaborating with many talented creatives and advertising agencies to ideate, develop, and bring their visions to life across various mediums. This has ranged from websites, interactive digital OOH, apps, and games to VR/MR, online WebGL experiences, rich banner ads, product prototypes, video and motion content, and even app- and web-based augmented reality treasure hunts and filters.

I understand and am well versed in (*but not necessarily a practitioner) of:

  • Graphic Design

  • Conceptual and Creative Design

  • Design Thinking

  • Visual Identities, brand, and systems

  • Digital, UI and Interface Design

  • Digital Art Direction (I have art-directed photoshoots and digital experience design)

  • *Experience Design (UX)

  • *Motion Design 2D / 3D

  • *Advertising and Campaign

Software:

  • Adobe Creative Suite

  • Microsoft Office/Teams

  • Google Apps

  • Figma

  • Miro/FigJam

  • Slack

  • Basecamp

  • Frame.IO

What I am

Design Led, Conceptual, Digital Experience, Leader, Crafted, Campaign, Geek, Tech Lover, Activation, Collaborator, Innovation, Problem Solver, Prototype, Project Conductor, Wrangler, Team Builder, Mentor, Cheerleader, Tall.

I’m not a big platform ideas or advertising creative, though I have made campaigns and helped activate them.

Awards

I consider myself very, very lucky to have worked with incredibly talented people throughout my career. I’m credited in close to 100 awards, shortlists and nominations, whether through direct involvement, or as a creative leader empowering the environment for ideas to flourish - it took many others to make it all happen through teamwork, grit and passion.

In 2021, I was named a Change Maker and one of the UK’s most influential people working in digital and creativity as part of the BIMA 100 and in 2022, I was ranked 6th in the Top 25 Digital Design Directors for Creative Pool.

x1 D&AD - Wood Pencil 
x1 Lisbon Ad Fest - Gold
x1 Lisbon Ad Fest - Bronze 
x3 The FWA - SOTD
x1 LIA - Bronze 
x1 Creative Pool - Silver
x2 Creative Pool - Bronze 
30+ Scottish Design Awards
30+ Scottish Creative Awards 
x3 Roses Awards - Gold
x2 Roses Awards - Silver
x3 Roses Awards - Bronze
x8 The NODS Creative Awards
Creative Edinburgh Awards
Awwwards - Commendation
BIMA 10 - Daydream Believers
BIMA 100 - Changemaker Award
Ranked 6th in the Top 25 Digital Design Directors on Creative Pool 2022
hundrED Top 100 K12 Education Innovations - DDB
Global Dimensions Top Resource 2022 - DDB
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The One Show - Shortlist
Kinsale Sharks - Shortlist
DMA Awards - UX - Shortlist
Creative Edinburgh Awards - Leader - Nomination
Many, many, many other shortlists!

Over the years I have been a judge for The FWA (and still am!), AdForum PHNX Awards, The Lisbon Advertising Festival, BIMA 100, D&AD New Gen Awards, The Scottish Design Awards, The Drum Cream Awards and Marketing Society Awards as well as involvement with Adobe Behance Portfolio Reviews and D&AD New Blood Mixer.

Juries

Ongoing - The FWA
2025 - AdForum PHNX
2025 - Scottish Design Awards 
2024 - AdForum PHNX 
2023 - DMA Awards - AR, VR, Innovation, Technology
2023 - Lisbon AdFest - Design
2023 - D&AD New Gen Awards
2023 - AdForum PHNX 
2022 - BIMA 100 - Tech Innovation
2022 - AdForum PHNX 
2020 - AdForum PHNX
2021 - dentsu Creative Link Awards
2021 - Lisbon AdFest - Film/Campaign/OOH
2019 - 2023 - BIMA Creative Council Member
2017 - Glasgow Design Festival Scotland (GDFS)
2014 - The Drum Cream Awards - Design 
2012 - Marketing Society Star Awards