I'll be in your corner. Looking after your brand, design and photography.
I'm a British guy, in Newcastle, Australia. I'm originally from Somerset, England — think funny accents, pasties, cream teas and scrumpy cider.
I'm trained as a graphic designer, and from the age of 4, I was fascinated by photography. Ironically, I don't enjoy being in front of the camera – hence awkward selfies.
I am a creative in every part of my life. I love cooking and brewing odd beers — anyone for a mango, mint, lime and chilli IPA?
I'm a typography nerd! There's nothing better than fonts...
And, as a kid, I used to swim against the world record holder for 50m backstroke and comfortably beat him.
I spent 8 years working in branding agencies, creative studios, publishing and marketing. I worked with dream clients — Ferrari, Major League Baseball and Michael Jackson, and incredible photographers, designers and brand coaches.
I created visual identities, immersing myself in brand stories and pairing beautiful photography with copywriting and design.
But, life in the agency world is exhausting — deadlines are tight, sleep was limited and customer service was pretty terrible.
It lit a fire deep down inside. I wanted to create a brand design studio that was the opposite. An anti-studio studio. Where no question is daft, sleep is had, crazy deadlines are non-existent and the work makes a difference to peoples lives without breaking their banks.
To make sure deadlines don't stack up, I only schedule a small amount of projects each month, I collaborate with you the whole way and make sure I give you excellent customer service.
Much love, Martin x
My mission is to help small businesses create engaging brands and stories, grow their audiences, share how incredible they are with the world and leave them with beautiful documents, templates and photography that are usable in their everyday lives.
Being hands-on with a project.
I love diving into a business. There's nothing better than working with a small business. If you're a restaurant, hand me a knife, I'll chop your onions. A gym? Get me moving! When I fully understand your customers experience, I can offer the best solutions to fit their needs.
Exploring new opportunities.
Exploration is like design and photography 101. Without exhausting angles and connecting dots, you won't find that beautiful little nugget of amazingness that you're looking for. So, I am always exploring. Sometimes, it takes time to create something you will be proud of.
Collaboration on projects is key!
Big. Small. Size doesn't matter. I love collaborating on projects, partnering with people who love their work and value what I do. If you are open-minded to the outcomes and trust my capabilities, you'll end up with a project that makes a lasting impact.
Giving you the support to flourish.
I am committed to giving you the very best and most relevant support possible. Each project is unique, so you'll need different levels of support. Some projects will involve me learning new skills/buying photography equipment to help you flourish.
My beautiful home studio.
Nestled into a little corner of Wallsend, NSW, is my design and photography studio. The tools for a designer are straightforward, computer, sketchpads, pencils. The photography studio has taken time to set up. I needed flexible lighting, backdrops and a converted garage with space to invite people in for COVID safe photography.
DISCOVERY
No one knows your business like you do. So, let's grab a coffee or jump on a call to find out more about each other. This makes sure were a good fit and that we undertand the project.
Investigation
After a proposals been accepted. I'll do my homework. From preparing mood boards, to looking at your past work. I need to see your current brand before I can suggest improvements.
Development
If you're in for a design project, there's concepts and developments to make.
If you're in for a photoshoot, I'll shoot at a time, place and location that fits you.
Delivery
When you're happy with the design work, I'll move the project into production. Get ready for design magic.
Photoshoots are retouched and uploaded to a customised online gallery, that you can share and download from.
