I’m a freelance creative director and designer. I’m in it to build brands and products with the resonance and flexibility to thrive, balancing function with the poetic. My own practice is broad and spans creative direction, strategic brand and campaign identity design, experience design, and all levels of print and digital design. Being a New Zealander means that I bring a unique perspective and diversity of skills to my practice: I’ve personally tackled every element within a project’s lifecycle, from concept to production.

For the past 10 years, I’ve been the co-director of Akin, a multi-disciplinary design and brand studio based in New Zealand, in partnership with Tana Mitchell — one of the very few creative studios owned by women, globally. We produced brand work seen around the globe, from ethical drinks company Karma Drinks, Dane Mitchell’s exhibition at the 58th Venice Biennale, to high-end fashion brand Paris Georgia, and deep-tech incubator Outset Ventures. 

In my spare time, I founded the social enterprise Tradespeople, an online directory of women and gender-diverse builders, electricians, plumbers, and so on. It has been regularly featured in national media and its members are booked months in advance. I’m highly involved in the design community: I mentor young designers, speak at industry events and university classes, and judge industry awards.

I have extensive experience in leading projects and teams from briefing to production, as well as high-level management and vision. Others describe my leadership style as generous, intuitive, and constructive. I have strongly formed opinions which I hold loosely — and I work carefully and thoroughly to realise and deliver the best ideas in the room. With a commitment to building and upholding a strong, happy, openhearted studio culture, I also enjoy mentoring young designers after hours.

My work has received international recognition from AGDA, BEST, Cannes Lions, Design Week, and ONE Show; featured in publications such as Communication Arts, Creative Review, and Monocle.

If you’d like to talk, drop me a line.