What do I do? How do I define what I do?
You call yourself a Creative Director.
Yeah but not always, it depends what project I'm working on.
I'm a Creative Director, a Visitor Experience Consultant, a Project Director, a Concept Designer...
I don't want to be defined. You can't tell me I'm the only creative at the moment having this dilemma.
Sam, we have to start somewhere. We have to start to make marks on paper.
I want people to interpret me.
Maybe it's about honesty. You can't define yourself so let's not try to.
That's it, isn't it!
We should have recorded this discussion, it would have made great quotes for the website. The discussion of how I can't label myself.
You're writing this down now, aren't you?
No, I'm interpreting.
I came up with that, you were really struggling.
A Poem of a House, Red House (National Trust) | London, UK
Project Director
Rainham Hall (National Trust) | London, UK
Creative Director
The Gobbins | Northern Ireland, UK
Creative Director
Toynbee Hall | London, UK
Creative Consultant
Save the South Terrace, Cliveden (National Trust) | Buckinghamshire, UK
Visitor Experience Director
Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre (National Trust) | Northern Ireland, UK
Visitor Experience Director
Moving Bodies, Wellcome Trust | London, UK
Creative Consultant
Museum of the History of the Polish Jews | Warsaw, Poland
Creative Consultant
Kuwait Oil Museum | Adhami City, Kuwait
Creative Consultant
Terracotta Warriors and Qin Mausoleum Site | Xi'an, China
Creative Consultant
Da Ming Palace | Xi'an, China
Creative Consultant
Bournville Experience | Birmingham, UK
Creative Director
Mantegna's Triumphs of Caesar, HCP | London, UK
Creative Consultant
Purple Planet, Cadbury World | Birmingham, UK
Creative Director
Guinness Storehouse | Dublin, Ireland
Creative Consultant
Bfi Southbank | London, UK
Senior Designer
Tank Museum | Bovington, UK
Senior Designer
pod | Wales, UK
Creative Director
Le Bioscope | Ungerheim, France
Concept Designer
Dublin Zoo | Dublin, Ireland
Senior Designer
Science and Technology Museum of South Korea | Seoul, Korea
Creative Director
Urbis | Manchester, UK
Concept Designer
Dom ITI | Warsaw, Poland
Senior Designer
Glasgow Tower | Glasgow, UK
Concept Designer
Magna, Science Adventure Centre | Rotherham, UK
Concept Designer
I struggle with what to call myself, but to sum up in one sentence, I have over 19 years' experience of leading and directing large, multidisciplinary teams to produce engaging visitor experiences.
I graduated with a master's degree from the Royal College of Art after studying graphic design at Central Saint Martins. I joined Event, Europe's largest museum and exhibition design company, as Project Director in 1998. Through 8 years at Event I was involved in the creative direction of a number of significant projects including: Magna, the Stirling Prize winning Science Adventure Centre; pod, travelling exhibition for the WDA; the refurbishment of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin; and interpretive concepts for the National Science and Technology Museum in South Korea.
I began working for myself as a Creative Director in 2004. I originally worked entirely on the consultant side (clients included Arup, Historic Royal Palaces, Terracotta Warriors and Qin Mausoleum Site, and Cadbury) but since 2008 have seen myself work more and more as part of the client team, working for clients as their in-house visitor experience specialist. I haves acted as the client for the Wellcome Trust, National Trust and Larne Borough Council. In 2011 I become an Independent Visitor Experience Consultant for the National Trust. I creatively directed the design and install of the award winning visitor centre at the Giant's Causeway, and the newly opened Rainham Hall.
I have considerable experience across all stages of delivering visitor experience projects, whether that be on the consultant or the client side. I bring expertise in writing briefs, audience development, procuring teams, strategic planning, content development, interpretation design and project management.
My background means I have an unrivalled knowledge of visitor and user experiences and the ability to be able to 'get inside the mind of the visitor'. I am constantly researching new techniques and methods of presentation, seeking fresh insights that will deliver clients' messages in the clearest and most exciting way.
I am a Trustee at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, a delegate of the Design South East Expert Review Panel, and an Associate Lecturer on MA Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins. I also speak regularly at conferences and I am frequently published – the most recent being 'Museum Participation: New Directions for Audience Collaboration' by MuseumsEtc.