THE SMILE
So, yes, I am usually smiling and yes, it's genuine. I am an optimist who proudly wears her rose-tinted glasses but looks at the world through realistic eyes. I love contrast and variety, which is probably why I have a hybrid working life, allowing me to indulge my creative side, push boundaries and explore ideas, at the same time fulfilling my need for structure and order, paying attention to the details and making things as perfect as possible. THE BIRD Originally from England – a Yorkshire lass, born and bred – I moved to Melbourne, Australia several years ago and it instantly became my home. At the heart of my world and my work are people: I am at my happiest when I am collaborating with fellow creatives. I gain a lot of energy from other people, but when I do find the need to retreat and have some quiet time, I enjoy reading, going for walks in the fresh air (I do miss the Yorkshire hills for that), marathoning tv dramas, and hanging out with my family (my partner and our cat). I began my professional life in education, teaching in primary schools, further education colleges and even a prison for teenage boys. Growing more and more frustrated and disillusioned by the education systems, I craved something more creative. As a result, I took the plunge and enrolled at Shillington College, Melbourne and started my career as a graphic designer. I have never been happier. THE WORK My design work is heavily concept driven and one of my favourite parts of the design process is the early stages of idea generation, thumbnailing and creating mood boards to focus in on what will work best. It is a very exciting process and I love it when 'happy accidents' end up taking me in a new direction, especially if it ends up defining the end result. Being able to take a project from the initial idea through to the final product is incredibly rewarding. In addition to being a designer, I am also a freelance proofreader and copy editor. In both roles, my purpose is to make the communication of information and stories as beautiful and well constructed as possible. Whilst I focus carefully on the rules of structure and meaning in the English language, I let my mind break loose when designing — the best of both worlds. |