About

Good design is something you can’t do without. Whether you’re selling goods, providing a service, or promoting an idea. Design is not just about making things look good. It’s about clarity of purpose, efficiency, communication, user friendly-ness, and a whole lot more.

A tool that perfectly fits it’s purpose does not advertise it’s presence. It just quietly becomes the tool you always lay your hand on, without thinking, the tool you can rely on, the tool that feels perfect for the job in hand. Often, it’s only later that you begin to understand the subtleties that combine to make something pleasing, functional and indispensible.

How to consciously and creatively craft something with such qualities is not immediately obvious but comes with experience and practice. Human beings are complex, and so is their environment and culture. There isn’t just one solution to a problem, it’s usually a range between very good solutions and very bad ones.

About me

Following a a brief interlude with botany at Hull University and a foundation course at Famouth Art School, I completed a degree in textile design at Winchester School of Art and an arts teaching qualification at Cardiff.  I worked for many years as a graphic designer for print. In the 1980s I began working with computers which led me into computer typesetting. In 1996, when Apple introduced the Mac plus, desktop publishing seemed an exciting way forward.  I also started to experiment with multimedia, leading to collaboration with a market research company to produce the first computer based market research testing software. This led to collaboration with an educational publisher to produce a highly successful series of CD-ROM based language learning products.  Around this time I also began working with the internet and started creating websites. I gained experience in designing and working with content management systems.

Making a website sets you on a path involving challenges and problems. Having experience in many different disciplines helps find creative solutions and makes this an exciting and satisfying process.

My clients are small to medium size businesses, individuals, charities and organisations. I also work as subcontractor to other agencies.

I now live and work in Cornwall. With a lifelong enthusiasm for natural history and photography, I spend my spare time working on personal projects to promote conservation, biodiversity and engagement with nature.

Environment

I’ve been a lifelong supporter of wildlife and countryside conservation, measures to improve and restore biodiversity, renewable energy, organic gardening and agriculture, minimising environmental damage done by industry and agriculture and sustainability in all aspects of our lives.

My office runs on 100% renewable energy as do the servers which serve my websites. Heating here is by ground source heat pump and wherever possible we buy recycled, and dispose of by recycling.

I’m working to launch soon a blog to promote engagement with nature.