In recent years, I have taken on many more projects requiring creative thinking which bridges the gap between strategy and design. Across these projects, I have helped teams to define why a brand exists, how this purpose is communicated, and what this looks, sounds and feels like. Extensive market research, brand modelling, and conceptual directions are distilled to one driving thought – providing the basis for design and digital teams to bring the brand to life.
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Common Seas is a social enterprise which exists to tackle the plastic pollution crisis – driving new policy, investing in the circular economy and catalysing a cultural shift in how we make, use and dispose of plastic. A confident new identity states their optimism for a brighter future, and ability to look both above and below the surface to discover creative, innovative solutions to the problem. The idea of ‘new horizons’ inspired a simple graphic idea which plays out in many ways across communications and helps to focus their efforts in ‘charting a course to healthy seas’.

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The Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) represents thousands of coffee professionals, from producers to baristas all over the world, but their presence was almost invisible. They needed to become a brand that would connect and resonate with their audience at each level – fostering a sense of belonging for members and building affinity with consumers. Built on foundations of openness, inclusivity, and the power of shared knowledge, the new positioning was of a unifying force committed to raising industry standards – invested in creating a worldwide circle of like-minded professionals, and identified by a distinctive mark of quality.

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MiCA is a development by US-based Henry Street Partners, located in the Logan Square area of Chicago – one of the city’s trendiest up and coming neighbourhoods. Its position, at the intersection of Milwaukee and California Avenues, marks a thoroughfare that has long brought prosperity and cultural diversity to the area. Combining the names of the two avenues to form ‘MiCA’ created a new term of reference for the neighbourhood, describing a place that will come to mark the meeting of all Logan Square has to offer. A concept that formed the basis of a distinctive visual language and tone of voice which could be used to drive online and marketing content.