JGD About Page

2009 Jan – Present

Caerleon, Newport

I’m currently studying a part-time Design by Practice MA in Caerleon University.
I’m studying the course to gain accreditation for all the experience and skill sets that
I have gained through the 16 years I have been in the Design industry. The course is
very broad and is covering all aspects of the design industry, including web design, print and multimedia. I have also been working on various freelance design projects.
I have now reached a point in my masters where I no longer need to attend college and I am looking for a permanent design role or more freelance projects.

2001 May - 2005 Aug

Pontypridd

I worked in the design studio for Zenith Print, based in Pontypridd. The company held some major accounts with the Royal Mint, Royal Mail, US Mint, Memorex and the WRU to name but a few, so the work was quite high profile. My job was very varied and I was usually working on many large projects at the same time and of course some had very tight deadlines and needed a quick turn around, but others could be on going and could last for months. I worked on multitude of different products including many variations of packaging styles, booklets, leaflets, adverts, envelope designs and in the past Welsh rugby programmes. The job could be fairly complex and there were many control procedures in place that had to be adhered to for each individual client. I would have costing budgets that needed to be maintained and kept within.

1996 March – 2000 May

Newport

I have experience in all facets of providing design solutions: not only to my clients but also to the Graphic Designers I’ve managed. Starting from a brief I would design a portfolio of styles and concepts, provide proofs to clients, offering a tailored range of media solutions to compliment their campaigns. I have experience in a multitude of outputs.

I have a wealth of knowledge in varied print and design processes. I utilise many different types of inks, varnishes and laminations as well as papers and cards to
realise the clients vision. I have an excellent understanding of corporate guidelines.
Not only do I strictly adhere to them for a multitude of clients, but I have also created corporate literature and guidelines.

I have the ability to explain technical issues & recommendations to non technical people. I present briefs to the team and encourage development of ideas around the table. Every assignment I work on is presented to the client whether that be in person or digitally.

I have a working understanding of web design and web publishing processes. I have previously designed websites from concept to on-line usage, incorporating images, slices and Flash graphics with the use of Dreamweaver, Flash and Photoshop. I have extensive knowledge and understanding of the Mac OS, I have a thorough knowledge of : QuarkXpress 8.0, Adobe Creative Suite 4 which encompasses Indesign, Illustrator
and Acrobat. I can also use XMPie which is a variable data driven add-on for
Adobe Indesign.

I created original designs for a variety of clients and products. Starting from a brief outline of the customer’s needs, I would design a wide portfolio of styles and concepts for each product, before preparing them for output to film or disk. I worked across a wide variety of products for clients such as Hoover and Welsh Pantry. I was also trained in traditional design techniques, including freehand drawing, colouring up, hand paste-up, camera and bromide work. These solid foundational skills helped me to approach my computer work in fresh and inventive ways.

1992 Feb – 1996 Feb
Newport

My last private sector position was as a Studio Manager / Senior Designer. I managed all projects and delegated where necessary to the two designers in my team. Multi-tasking and delegation of different projects at any one time meant applying stringent timescales and maintaining them to meet deadlines and the budget. It was a fast paced environment with a high turnover so excellent time management was crucial.
At particularly busy periods I worked from my home office. My output included corporate literature and re-branding, variable data print, e-solutions and exhibitions.
I dealt with all levels of clientele within major corporations and the local government sector with target audiences set from corporate bodies to the general public. Clients included Bridgend Council, St Davids Hotel & Spa, and the South Wales Police.
I also commissioned Printers and Repro houses, Picture/Image hire agencies, Translation agencies, Photographers.

2005 Dec– 2008 Dec
Bridgend

As always if you have any questions or comments then please contact me.

Working for a multi-media storage company, I created in-house packaging and sales literature for their CD/DVD branding. I also designed for external clientele including the DVLA and local government. A high level of resourcefulness was required as design briefs were limited and budgets were very stringent.

2000 June – 2001 Jan
Llantrisant

I originally started as a Advert Designer, designing adverts and feature layouts for a variety of titles and customers. After a year I was promoted to Recruitment Design Supervisor where I would work closely with the recruitment sales people creating new concepts and sales gimmicks. I was then promoted to Welsh Titles Supervisor, responsible for the co-ordination of a ten-person Advert Design team. Tight organisation was essential, as work had to be carefully delegated to meet print deadlines. When I received the editorial pages and the advertising layouts, I’d collate and soft proof them before the final output could be made to film. My last appointment was to Advert Design Manager, a demanding position in a high stress environment.
I had to oversee over 50 full and part-time Advert Designers, co-ordinating them according to print-deadline priority and make sure all titles were printed on time.