the communication with a difference award goes to...
In December last year, I wrote about designing a Shorthand report for Euromoney Thought Leadership and Deloitte on the aviation tax industry. Well, it won 'Communication with a Difference' in the Shorthand Awards 2017! Woo!
Cocktails &…
At the beginning of this year I had the chance to work on an exciting new cocktail creation from the geniuses at LAB 5. Cocktails &. is a drinks experience platform that delivers quality craft cocktails at high speed and large volumes.
how do you make tax data compelling?
Gifs. Lots of gifs. In January, I created a report for Euromoney Thought Leadership (EIITL) and Deloitte on the aviation tax industry. A few months ago they came back to me to create another report, this time on how the introduction of a new international accounting standard will reshape the balance sheets of companies that rent valuable equipment.
new brand, who dis?
I've been providing freelance services to MarketInvoice for a couple of years. During this time, they have grown from being a disruptive start-up offering invoice finance into a more established business finance company with multiple solutions. With this growth came the need for a new identity to better reflect MarketInvoice's positioning.
Nora Charles: “I’ll be with you in two shakes of a cocktail.”
One of my favourite things about freelancing is that it allows me to squirrel away morsels of knowledge on a variety of topics. Cryptocurrencies? Can give you a shaky run down. Main players in the Syrian war? I can regurgitate information written for 10 year olds. Strategies for developing talent in a FTSE 500 company? I can name a few.
sail away with me
MarketInvoice always throws a summer bash for the team, and this year it's on a boat on the Thames. Head of People, Anouk, revealed that she's a dab hand at creating origami boats, so I created a design to work with the folds.
progress: issue 5
In late April, with an upcoming holiday back home on the horizon, CRF got in touch to see if we could squeeze in a new issue of Progress before I left the UK sans laptop. With a 3 week turnaround, 6 articles yet to be commissioned, but full trust in the well-oiled machine that is CRF, we went for it.
explaining digital currencies
Most people have heard of Bitcoin. Most people can't explain exactly what it is. But the subject of digital currencies isn't just restricted to Bitcoin - there is the prospect of mainstream centralised currencies and how they could affect developed market economies.
game changer not game over
Six months ago I created a report for Euromoney Thought Leadership on Shorthand, a digital storytelling platform. The feedback from EIITL and from their client Baker & Mackenzie was incredible, so within a few months, EIITL were back with a new client, a new subject, and a new Shorthand challenge.
unpacking beauty
The wonderful Silver Ghost Communications and I go way back - we have known each other since we were toddlers and followed each other through school, ending up in London together. She has recently gone freelance and this was our first project together.
what's occurring?
It's a rare Tuesday night without any work to do, so I'm going to write a little update on what I've been up to recently. In all honesty, I'm waiting for a film to download so rather than twiddling my thumbs I thought I'd be productive instead. And so, what have I been up to? Some logo design, some brand guidelines, a new website for the Foundation, a whole lot of wedding invitations, and other bits and bobs.
progress: issue 4
So far, it's been a busy summer. Not that it's been much of a summer, thank you English weather. One project that is always a delight, is CRF's Progress magazine. This issue looks at the fall out from Brexit, smart simplicity, and what it's like to be a digital worker.
my thoughts on freelancing
Freelancing can be stressful. There are multiple clients, jobs, invoices, expenses, deadlines, schedule clashes. There's a lot to think about beyond just doing the actual work. To cope with this, I use an app called Cushion to help me maintain my sanity. It allows me to input all my clients, projects, timeframes and revenue, and helps me to forecast when I'm going to be busy and when I can take on extra work.
ghosts in the machine
Towards the end of last year, Tom from Euromoney Thought Leadership got in touch to tell me about an exciting new project they had coming up. Their client, international law firm Baker & McKenzie, wanted to commission a survey on artificial intelligence and the implications for the financial markets. Not only that, but they wanted the report design to reflect the subject and not just be another stale white paper; they wanted something fresh and exciting. The game was afoot.
content that connects
For the last eight months, I've been working with Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership to build the brand of their new business. I've created their identity, brand materials, brochures, and website but we had just one final part of the puzzle remaining. Their showcase piece. A report and survey that shows their capability as a business. The report researched the impact of content marketing and thought leadership as a B2B marketing strategy tool, taking results from a global survey of senior business executives.
badge of honour
I've been able to design a lot of cool stuff over the years, but this was probably the thing I was most excited to receive a sample of. My client, The Economist Educational Foundation, runs a news club called The Burnet News Club, and membership includes a little pin-badge that students proudly wear on their school jackets. Manufactured by Stupid Tuesday, I'm besotted with them, and one is proudly adorning my leather jacket.
dearly beloved
Let 2015 be known as the year of the wedding. I've been lucky enough to help several couples with their weddings and it's always been a delight. Not a bridezilla or groomzilla in sight, just lovely, unique and beautiful people and their equally beautiful celebrations.
festival lifesavers
I remember Up&Go breakfast drinks launching in New Zealand when I was a kid and everyone going mad for them. Well they've now hit the UK shores with a cheeky campaign to get them noticed. To engage their target audience, they worked with Lab5 to create an Aussie Surf Club style experience at this year's Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall.
what to do if the bank says no
What To Do If The Bank Says No is the second e-book I've produced for MarketInvoice (you can see the other bits and bobs here). Useful for anyone with a small to medium business, I know I learned a hell of a lot. I've been working in-house with the lovely folk at MI and getting to work on all sorts of fun things so I'll have a bit more work coming to the site soon!
no looking, just leaping
I've done it. Finally done it. I've been talking about it for a while, but only really felt earlier this year that it was possible. It was all those lovely ex-colleagues-now-friends who did it. The ones who got in contact and wanted my help on their projects, the ones who referred me to their friends and their teams. They gave me the confidence to realise that I actually do have enough of a network to work for myself.