A little about me
I’m a curious creature and love to work with others who share a passion for solving problems. Having worked within design agencies, I have a very broad range of creative skills and am comfortable either rolling my sleeves up and leading a project full cycle or teaming up to deliver a solution.
I’m at my best exploring ideas that weave a narrative through design, products, spaces or experiences that not only fulfil their function but also evoke emotions and tell captivating stories.
I’m passionate about creating digital products and using my UI/UX skillset. Yes, I love tech too.
I’m always learning something new and am currently experimenting with AI in my daily work to develop a deeper understanding of its potential applications.
Magnus, (my black lab) is usually curled up snoozing under my desk whilst I work, unless he’s chasing his ball outside like a loon. And, when I’m not working, you’ll either find me on the beach in the sun or wild Scottish rain, eating anything and everything that’s seafood or renovating my quirky little house.
If you fancy a cuppa and a chat, I’d love to meet you.
Skills
Design thinking | Sketching
Persona development | Task flows
Journey mapping | Competitive analysis
Information architecture | Wireframing
Interactive prototyping | Usability testing
UI / Visual design | Motion design
Video editing | Illustration
Tools
Figma
Adobe Creative Cloud
(InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop,
After Effects and Acrobat)
Miro
Loom
Some nice words...
“
Being in a team with Tess is a pleasure. Her work style is thoughtful, detailed and open to collaboration, with her years of experience clear in how she manages a project. We have bonded over strong decision making and a practical outlook on problems, making each project we work on streamlined and effective. Working with Tess is a blast!
Wynne O’Brien, Experience Designer
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Tess is very good at taking complex messages and distilling them into eye catching and impactful campaign materials that patients engage with. I have no hesitation recommending her!
Steve Birnie, Clinical Priorities Team at NHS Scotland
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One of Tess’ many strengths is as a true collaborator, her keen eye, bold style and attention to detail is implemented in every project no matter the scale or significance of the project.
Roxana Haines, Staff Director at Scottish Opera
“
We have collaborated with Tess on a number of high profile projects and she is a pleasure to work with. Calm, creative, assured, insightful and bright, Tess is a top notch designer who continually produces excellent work. Her ability to think ‘on and off the page’ is a major asset.
David Dunn, Managing Director at 442 Design
“
Tess has consistently surpassed my expectations and demonstrates an ability to analyse and understand complex issues with dedication and flexibility to meet our needs. This combined with her knowledge, experience and intrinsic aptitude is why I would highly recommend both the quality of work and Tess, whose passion, commitment and enthusiasm are inspiring.
Laura Sharpe, Programme Manager Education and Young People at See Me
“
There are not enough attributes that describe the brilliant work that Tess delivers. She has real talent for design and consistently delivers work of the very highest standard. We have worked with Tess over a number of years the inventive approach to her work has been of real benefit to Artlink. I certainly hope to work with her on many more projects.
Jan-Bert van den Berg, Director of Artlink Edinburgh and the Lothians
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I have worked with Tess twice in the last year and on both occasions have been impressed. She is very creative, highly professional and pays great attention to detail. I look forward to the next collaboration.
Jane Burridge, SHS Burridge Architects
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It’s rare to find a designer who engages so intelligently and creatively with the subject matter. She’s professional, efficient, and a pleasure to work with.
Barney Jeffries, Editor at World Wildlife Fund
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Tess provided an insightful response to our brief, encapsulating our ideas and producing an excellent design very well in tune with our ethos and values. Excellent communication, consistently responsive to our needs and highly professional service.
Thursa Sanderson OBE, Chief Executive of Drake Music Scotland
“
Tess listened to what we wanted but she also pushed our creative boundaries and encouraged us to try new things – resulting in a more exciting and engaging product. She was always patient, flexible and personable, and she delivered top quality work on time.
Leonie Brown, Editorial Manager at British Lung Foundation
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Tess always delivers on time and never fails to throw in that sparkly magic dust that gives the project that creative edge we all look for. I wouldn’t hesitate to bring Tess into a design team.
Paula Murray, Director at Supertonic
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Tess is fantastic to work with. An extremely creative designer, her response to a brief is spot on every time. She’s also fast, absolutely accurate, helpful and reliable. Oh, and really patient – she makes projects so much easier!