TheBottlerocket.co.uk
Hello. All designers need a folio and this is mine. In a nutshell, I am a freelance Digital Designer and Art Director. Sometimes people ask me what that means, and my usual reply is, “I help tell stories”. All my work revolves around the interplay between a consumer/user (or whatever title they are) and a product or service. That dialogue is the bit where good design can help with the most. Helping make things clearer, enhance something unique, and generate interest and excitement. It’s the bit that I really enjoy doing.
The aim of this site is not to catalogue every project I have been involved in over the last 10 years, but to highlight some of the work that has special significance for me. To that effect, the work here is either projects I am particularly proud of, an illustration of the type of work I am good at, shows the breadth of thinking needed to realise a successful project in the Digital realm or is a combination of all three.
The work here also represent differing levels of project involvement. In all cases I work directly with the client, pitching, presenting and working with Project and Account Managers to get sign off and to generally help move things along. In other cases I may well be the sole person involved int he site, helping realise the site from wireframes, through to visual design, development and deployment. This is especially in smaller companies where resources are scarce. The point here, is that I can easily slot into either an established team or work directly with the client as their sole design resource.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy looking. If you want further information about myself then this should all be in my biography in the About section. If you don’t find the answers there then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
UniEuro
Ecommerce, Interface design
UniEuro is one of Italy's leading consumer electronics and whitegoods retailer. After acquisition by Dixons Group in the UK, the previous site was overhauled and relauched to bring it more in-line with Dickon's ecom offering in the UK. I joined the team and Complete ltd and was the principle designer for the first two stages of the project.
The interface worked hand-in-hand with the IA, and followed an exhaustive process of interface design for almost every page within the site. Special attention was given to the shopping cart process and functionality, in order to maximise sales within what is notoriously a sluggish uptake of online buying within Italy.
All this had to work with the incumbant CMS and was document and handed over to a development team in Italy for implementation.
Brady Software
Creative direction, Interface design
Brady develops a range of software solutions for global commodities trading. Although the explicit brief was to develop a new corporate website, a key component of successful delivery of this was missing. They had a rudimentary identity but no 'brand' to speak of.
Although our process was not as comprehensive as a true branding exercise, what we did develop was a series of photographic and typographic foundations on which to build the the design of the site. This would provide a platform for not only the site interface, but for other online and offline communications in the future.
This was backed up by a strategy based on thorough examination of what they wanted to communicate on the site, the audience and ways of engaging with them and generating leads and enquiries. This was all reflected in a solid IA which worked hand-in-hand with the design of the site.
Sony Handycam
Creative direction
Design realised by Sim Wishlade
Sony produce a number of education modules around their products which typically seek to explain, in plain english, a feature or development of a particular aspect of technology.
In this case, HandyCam was seeking a module to help give consumers a greater understand of the new XV Colour system, an advancment of the typical RGB colour space, that was now a part of HandyCam models.
Taking the lead from the Human Eye, a device capable of capturing an 'infinite' amount of colours, the module explains the advantages that XV colour will have for home users of HandyCam.
Eurostar
Direct Marketing, Art Direction, Design
Developing strong digital marketing campaigns is something I have done for a number of clients over the years with this work for Eurostar being some of the strongest DM/Email campaign work.
One of a number of monthly emails for Eurostar, this creative looks primarily at dispelling the 'myth' or Brussels as a boring and unimagnative destination by taking aim at the vegetable that for many people, symoblises such lassitude.
An intentional shift in the art direction away from over visualed emails in the past to a more typogrpahic approach, helped set the tone of this message. A micro-site carried the metaphor further, forcing users to use their mouse to clear the sprouts in order to get to the content underneath. Interestingly enough, complaint was registered by the UK Sprout growing association.
28 Dorset Square
Art Direction, Design, Flash development
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The website was part of a integrated campaign that spanned across different media, including a 28 page brochure, site hordings and print advertising.
The project is ongoing with the website mimicking the development of the actual site, with regular site updates and concluding with a post-completion brochure
WSP Environmental
Digital strategy, Interface design
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One thing I enjoy and do very well is solid interface design which is underpinned by a strong architecture and good usability. Doing this all within the confines of a client's communication goal requires excellent understanding of their brand to ensure the best possible result.
The previous site was mired in poor planning, poor usability and poor communication: the result of years of an ad-hoc approach to web publishing. The first thing we did was a complete review of their information design, right back to presenting wireframes showing a refined content and navigational structure.
We also got buy in at this stage from both the board and from their in-house development team, the people who would ultimately have site ownership.
From that foundation the design, following on from the brand guidelines developed by Radley Yelder, began to take shape and was eventually handed over to their in-house team to develop.
The site is still in production but from the success of this project, we are now doing two additional sites for two different departments and we are currently pitching for the redesign of the global site.
Delicious Magazine
Interface design
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Delicious magazine launched in the summer of 2004 as the latest addition to the food publishing world. A website formed an integral part of the marketing campaign both pre and post launch. It was firstly an awareness raising exercise, and after launch it served as a support and preview for that month's edition.
The hallmarks of the magazine are excellent writing coupled with fantastic food photography - the desing of the website made the most of both these elements. Delicious also supply a monthly newsletter and run regular competitions to increase traffic and eventually magazine subscriptions and sales each month.
Sugababes
Interface design, Art direction
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Every new album requires a restyle, a new look and a new website. This was done for the Sugababes 2nd album, a design borrowing heavily from the 80's, inspired from the art direction of their photoshoot. It was an all flash site, featuring song downloads, message board (not in flash), and a couple of videos.
The girls have had a number of new albums since this site was launched(as well as a couple of new members) so I have archived the old site.
Other work
That's not all
The proceeding work only covers some of the major projects I have been involved in and is by no means an exhaustive list of the projects I have been invovled in during the last 10+years of professional practice.
As is no doubt common with any working Designer and Art Director, my daily life isn't just design. Managing client relationships, negotiating between various stake-holders within a project: design team, project managers, account managers, etc is all part of the job.
If you're ineterested in finding more about me and what I do, and perhaps what I can bring to a project you are working on, then please, take a look at the imaginatively titled 'About' section.
Some of the brands I have worked with:
