I only work with good humans. Everything else follows from that.
Life's too short for bad branding and bad relationships. I started Snapper Studio because I believe the two are connected. When a client trusts you, when there's genuine respect on both sides, the work gets better. Every time. That's not a coincidence. It's the whole point.
I saw what bad agency behaviour looks like up close. I built Snapper as the opposite.
Eight years into my career, I spent time inside a branding agency in Auckland. In the first twenty minutes I watched a client get strung along for as much money as possible while the people running the room treated the work like a transaction and the client like a source of revenue.
I'd been in the industry long enough to know it didn't have to be that way. That experience didn't put me off branding. It made me more certain about what kind of studio I wanted to build.
Snapper exists because I think clients deserve better than that. Honest conversations. Real pushback when something isn't working. A designer who cares about the outcome as much as you do.
I grew up in the UK countryside. I designed books for Ferrari and Michael Jackson. I ended up in Newcastle, NSW, and I have no plans to leave.
I started my career designing giant, limited-edition luxury books for mega-brands. The kind of work where every detail mattered and the margin for error was essentially zero. It was an extraordinary education in craft, in strategy, and in what it actually takes to build something that lasts.
After eight years in branding and marketing agencies, I relocated from England to Newcastle via New Zealand in 2015. Swapping cow pats for sand, looking for a community where our family could thrive.
Coming from somewhere else gives you a particular kind of vision. I see Newcastle businesses clearly because I have never assumed the way things are done here is the only way to do them. That outside perspective is exactly what a brand strategist is supposed to offer. It's also why the Murky Paradox works. A fish can't see the water. I can.
I'll tell you if something isn't working. That's not a warning. It's a promise.
People say don't treat clients like friends. I think that's wrong. My most meaningful working relationships are with people I can sit down for a good coffee or lunch with. When there's that level of trust, clients tell me things they haven't told their team. And that's where the real brand work begins.
I push back. I ask the questions nobody else thinks to ask. I will tell you honestly when your brief is pointing in the wrong direction. Not to be difficult, but because getting it right matters more to me than getting it done quickly.
I draw on over 20 years of experience across branding, graphic design, marketing, and photography. I bring in the right people for each project, web developers, copywriters, SEO specialists, photographers, but I stay across every part of the work. You always have one person to talk to who knows exactly where everything is.
I work with businesses that give a shit about others. People, planet, or both. That filter shapes everything.
This isn't a marketing position. It's the one thing I genuinely won't budge on. If you're building something that makes life better for your customers, your community, or the world around you, I want to help you build it properly.
I co-founded Chatterbox, a monthly business networking event in Newcastle, because I believe in connecting good people with good ideas. I host the Level Up Your Brand podcast for the same reason. And I do a cartwheel every time a client signs on because I genuinely mean it when I say I'm glad you're here.
If that sounds like the kind of studio you want to work with, let's talk.
Strategy first. Everything else follows.
Every project starts with understanding your business, your audience, and your market before we touch a single design element. We run workshops, gather research, and challenge assumptions until we're confident we know what's actually going on.
From there we build your brand core, the strategy and messaging that everything else hangs off. Then we bring it to life visually, roll it out across your touchpoints, and make sure it stays consistent long after the project ends.
The first three phases are scoped and costed upfront. Everything beyond that is agreed together as we go. No surprises.
Branding myths, honest conversations, and tips you can actually use.
No gatekeeping or fluff. Just practical brand strategy for businesses who want to grow with intention. New episodes drop regularly and past guests include marketers, founders, and creatives from across Australia and beyond.
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Guest appearances on other Podcasts
I love sharing my insights and experiences on various podcasts.
If you give a shit about your brand and the people it serves, we'll get along just fine.
Book a discovery call and let's work out what your brand actually needs. No hard sell. No jargon. Just an honest conversation with someone who is genuinely invested in getting it right.
