About

The ultimate goal is that you overcome your business challenges.

Stage/01

Taking the time to understand your organisation and all the demands and pressures upon it. This is often called the 'Discovery' or 'Exploration' phase.

You could just as easily call it 'Finding out' or 'Getting up to speed'. There's listening and hopefully intelligent questions. Actually there are no dumb questions, freedom to ask anything clears up misunderstanding before confusion takes root.

This means learning and hearing about your industry, circumstances and issues. We'll ask questions and challenge preconceptions, we're looking for insights and inspiration.

The more understanding gained the better the final result.

It also educates us to any additional considerations and sensitivities before we put pencil to paper.

Stage/02

Understanding your world allows us to work with you to formulate a much more accurate and effective brief.

Stage/1 gives us the knowledge to compile a collaborative brief defining the deliverables and significant milestones within the project.

We'll highlight elements like interim and presentations before the final sign off. It will also inform us anything need from you in order to complete the project.

Additionally admin things, like how many rounds of changes we anticipate and what to do if the project expands beyond the boundaries we agree. That's not saying it's a bad thing just how to manage it.

We're balancing the functional and creative parts of the project to get the best outcome.

Stage/03

We do what we do best. Bring our combined experience, research, training and talent together in response to the brief.

Guided by the brief we explore and develop solutions and responses to the challenges and aspirations it contains, within the timeframe and budget.

In addition to the creative this can involve research, prototypes and testing before it sees the light of day. We may also license or commission assets as necessary - this could be illustrations, video, copywriting, photography or more as the brief allows.

We bring this together and deliver something that satisfies (if not exceedes) the brief, working with you to refine it as necessary.

Stage/05

Beyond implementation there's reflect and review.

Design is by nature a living thing that adapts and reflects its surroundings. Brands and websites especially need stewardship and nurturing in order to remain relevant and effective.

Eventually elements will need updating and refreshing. Technology and customer needs change and evolve and we all learn new ideas and ways of doing.

Positive critical hindsight allows us to discover what we can do better, more efficiently, with greater delight and effectiveness.

Under Observation

Background Story

Effective concepts and ideas are what I do best.

Taking information, experience and creativity and moulding them into effective solutions is both a passion and a delight.

My aim is to use these traits to bring value to clients.

I understand what makes business tick.

I've worked across many different industries. In the public and private sectors, in-house, agency and (some might say) out-house. I appreciate your commercial reality and I think that gives me a head start on delivering solutions that work long term.

I have enough perspective to know that your success is my success. I have every reason for you to do well and prosper.

I have the confidence to challenge preconceptions and encourage you to think differently.

A designer's duty is to offer the right solutions that will help your business grow and prosper.

Uncovering your bigger picture often brings the clarity that enables the exceptional. In today's competitive, fluid markets the exceptional is what survives.

Caught Your Eye is the graphic design work of Jonathan Harris.

I've been working in design, digital and marketing for over three decades.

To give you an idea, that stretches from the decline of analog presses, the beginning of digital print and desktop publishing, through the dot com boom and into the brave new world of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.

I'm a proud graduate of both Falmouth School of Art - now Falmouth University and Central Saint Martins, part of the University of the Arts London.

I was elected a DBA Bright Spark (kinda like a one to watch or upcoming design star etc) and a member of the Chartered Society of Designers.

My creative career has included Corporate Design in the UK and North America; Mangement Consulting; Digital and Branding Agencies, Global Advertising and finally to my own small if perfectly formed practice.

I'm thankful to continue working with large clients but also increasingly find exceptional pleasure working in the SME marketplace. Whenever I'm able I work in education and speak on art & design.

Do you fancy it?

If you'd like to explore working together then please drop me a line using the form below.
Thank you.

The What

I work with ambitious individuals, companies and organisations to solve their design challenges.

By solving creative problems their endeavours move forward and their objectives become attainable.

We build strong brands for start-ups from inception, giving them an immediate competitive advantage. Then partnering with them as they go on to grow and flourish.

Successful organisations big and small, realise their strategic and business goals with great design, compelling advertising and effective communication.

I purposely work with a broad variety of enterprises; from individuals, start-ups and SMEs to larger companies, governments and multi-nationals. Beginning with strategy, this regularly spans a range of disciplines: combining print with web, branding, strategic and experiential. To goal is to enable clients to talk to diverse audiences in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Design is more than a visual medium, it needs to be smart thinking not tied down by stock answers or tired repetition. It needs to innovate and avoid the predictable, always driven by the best solution to the task in hand, not merely reflecting and parroting competitors.

I strive to create something new that surprises and delivers beyond expectation. Design, delight, deliver.

The Why

My current ambition is to take the skills, processes and experience of thirty years working in design and advertising at the highest level and make them accessible to the Small & Medium Enterprise sector.

There are some amazing wider benefits to this:

Economic Growth: Small businesses contribute significantly to the economy, creating jobs and driving innovation. They often reinvest profits back into the local community.
Community Connection: Small businesses tend to be more connected to their communities, understanding local needs and preferences. This fosters a sense of belonging and support.
Diversity of Choice: They provide unique products and services that reflect the character of the community, offering consumers more choices beyond big corporations.
Personalised Service: Small businesses often deliver a more personalised customer experience, building relationships with their customers and tailoring their offerings to meet specific needs.
Sustainability: Many small businesses adopt sustainable practices and support local suppliers, reducing their carbon footprint and promoting ethical consumption.
Innovation: Small businesses are often more agile and willing to take risks, leading to innovative ideas and solutions that can benefit the market as a whole.

All good things don't you agree?

From brand development, to identity, business tools, websites, packaging, exhibitions and beyond. The ambition is to be a graphic design partner for the long haul.