I turn business stories into distinctive websites, then build the finished systems myself
I’m a design leader and independent digital art director with more than 15 years of experience shaping websites, digital products and design systems.
I start by understanding the story, the audience and what needs to become clear. Then I turn that thinking into structure and visual direction. Because I also work directly in HTML and modern CSS, I can carry the idea through to the finished experience.
Design leader and systems thinker
I work across UX strategy, research, product direction and design systems. I turn complex requirements into experiences that people can understand and teams can build.
At Informa, I apply this thinking across digital platforms used by many brands, products and teams. The scale is larger, but the principle stays the same: find the central idea, make the direction clear and build a system that supports it.
I look for the connection between the business goal, the user’s needs and the finished experience. That connection helps teams make clear decisions across the whole experience.
Art direction for digital products
Usability helps people complete a task. Character helps them understand what the product or business stands for.
I use typography, composition, colour, imagery and editorial thinking to give digital experiences a clear visual voice. Every choice starts with the story the experience needs to tell and the people it needs to reach.
The visual direction changes from one project to another because the meaning changes. A technical safety consultancy should feel different from a personal brand or a publication for pharmacists.
A designer who builds
I work directly in HTML and modern CSS. Working in code changes how I design. I can test ideas with real content, see how they behave across screen sizes and make better decisions earlier.
For independent projects, I lead the work from strategy and visual direction to the final build. I stay responsible for the idea throughout, so the website stays true to the direction you approved.
AI supports the work. Judgement directs it.
AI is changing what designers can execute themselves, and I’m already working this way.
I use connected AI and agentic workflows to bring research, project context, Figma, design systems, documentation and code into one integrated process. They help me explore options and build more of the work directly, with less lost between steps.
Human direction stays at the centre. I remain responsible for the intent, the criteria and the final decision. AI can generate options; someone still has to decide which direction deserves to be built.
If your website undersells your business
Your work may be strong while your website makes you look like everyone else. The story that makes you the right choice gets lost inside familiar layouts and unclear language.
Most businesses I help share the same three problems: their story isn’t clear, their site could belong to any competitor, and the original direction gets watered down between design and build.
I work across all three. I make your story clear, shape how the website looks and feels, and build it myself. The finished site reflects the real quality of your business and stays true to the idea you approved.
Writing about design
I’m the author of “Don’t Start With Visuals”, a book about starting with the story, the users and the strategy before deciding what something should look like.
I also write about design, art direction, systems and the changing role of designers as AI becomes part of the creative process.
Writing is part of my design practice. It helps me turn practical work into clear principles that other designers can use.