.
Kate Parsons MA
0117 909 4540 · 01793 420938 · kate@parsonscreative.co.uk · www.parsonscreative.co.uk
I add value and clarity to organisations’ communications – exploring viable options, understanding client objectives and audiences’
expectations to create visually compelling, articulate and appropriate communication materials across numerous industry sectors –
in budget and on time. An accomplished graphic designer, writer and illustrator with 20 years experience in the creative industries,
I’m a creative and pragmatic thinker able to transfer core creative communication and business skills in response to a wide range of
client objectives through appropriate channels: TTL marketing communications, branding and identity, art marketing, fundraising and
philanthropy, business documentation, education and safety-critical control-of-work information for high risk industry.
With a freelance portfolio career spanning over 15 years, this section details major
projects and longer term client relationships.
Art Director – Visual Communications: Network Rail, Planning and Delivering Safe
Work Programme (04/2012– 01/2015) Multi-million pound safety initiative that is changing the way
the UK rail industry undertakes planning and control of work.
• Audited existing ‘safe system of work’ staff information materials, working closely with
risk management consultants, front-line staff and Network Rail programme managers.
Business Critical Rules Delivery and Management Team member.
• Created and developed a visual language system and the logical flow of pertinent
information, applied to schematics and permitting, to create at-a-glance, safety-critical
outputs with the objective of reducing workplace accidents and fatalities.
• Project managed interactive prototype production, sub-contracted technical staff –
tested and proved the visual information concept through trials with front-line staff.
• Produced progress reports and presentation materials to inform high-level management
decisions; designed programme branding and launch publicity at Rail Live 2014.
Creative Copywriter – Proposals: University of Oxford Development Office (part-time
10/2011–10/201)
• Researched, wrote and designed philanthropic proposals and donor reports for the
Oxford Thinking fundraising campaign – recipients included foundations, the business
community, government High Commissioners – liaising with development executives,
academics, students and departments. Edited academic reports for lay recipients.
• Achieved a change in emphasis from Oxford’s history to address target audience’s
context. Curated department’s photo library into ordered print-ready resource.
Since contract end I continue to work for freelance to design alumni annual fund direct
mailings, raising response rate 41.5% in the first year.
Community Arts Event Organiser: Big Draw Swindon Style, at McArthur Glen
Shopping Centre, Swindon (08/2010–10/2010) Self-initiated community arts event
• Secured funding of £4,000 from private and public sponsors through writing proposals,
presentations and meeting stakeholders.
• Recruited staff, sourced materials and in-kind support.
• Marketed and publicised the event, and event branding – attracting 200+ participants
from a c. 30 mile radius. Commissioned photographer to document the event.
• Devised feedback mechanism. Collated and presented participants’ feedback for endof-event report.
95% of participants polled stated they enjoyed the event ‘a lot’ and wished for further similar
events in Swindon.
Marketing Design Consultant: Emotion Electric Vehicle Company, Swindon and
ToyGuard (UK) Limited, Kinross (06/2007– today) Start-up SMEs – Wiltshire’s first electric
SKILLS
Versatile communicator: strong visual
and verbal communication and creative
concept skills.Wide experience of
creating concepts for B2B and B2C
communications.
Able presenter: educational materials,
client and concept presentations.
Experienced workshop leader.
Excellent graphic designer with
practical creative ability – Adobe Creative
Suite proficiency, hand-drawn scamps
and illustrations. Exhibited visual artist.
Strong copywriter: able to research and
write in appropriate style, edit existing
texts, devise straplines. Pedantic proofchecker.
Wide commercial experience of
different business sectors including
financial services, third sector, education.
Experience and understanding
of differing cultural needs and
expectations through working overseas,
linguistic abilities and master’s degree in
International Design and Communication
Management.
Cost-efficient able to plan work to meet
budgets of small organisations and large
scale projects such as £150,000 Network
Rail safety programme.
Resourceful and organised, I manage
marketing communications projects,
community events: source suppliers
and collaborators.
Curious about context: prolific googler,
researcher of pertinent information
through conversation and observations.
Self-motivated and teamworker, able to
question conventions and assumptions to
explore possibilities, achieve consensus
and best way forward.
vehicle retailer and ‘the first complete hygiene resource for the play environment’.
• Developed logos, identities and brand imagery toolkits.
Qualifications
• Designed e-commerce websites: advised on web content, devised navigation, sourced
and briefed web-developer, supplied graphics and edited texts.
MA International Design and
Communication Management:
Distinction University of Warwick.
• Designed, wrote and edited all companies’ materials including franchise documentation,
technical datasheets, marketing materials, press releases and business press articles,
and press advertisements.
Arts Educator/Illustrator: Sevenfields Primary School, Swindon (ad hoc 2011)
• Devised and delivered a cross-curricular – PSHE, SEAL, art and Spanish – schools’
educational programme and facilitated international art exchange project.
• Created a set of illustrations of historical events (KS2 curriculum) for teaching display.
City & Guilds Level 3 Delivering
Learning New College Swindon.
RSA Certificate TEFL Gloucestershire
College of Arts and Technology.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design: 2:1
Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.
Marketing Design Consultant: RRD Creative at Zurich
Financial Services, Swindon (ad hoc 2008–2011)
• Campaign strategy and creative concepts for B2B and B2C
direct mail, advertising and trade events – Zurich Municipal,
Sterling, Zurich Financial Services.
Freelance Graphic Designer: Wanborough, Wiltshire
Teacher of Art and Design & Technology: Isambard
Community School, Swindon (part time 09/2007 – 09/2008)
• Devised and delivered lesson plans to fulfil curriculum objectives.
Graphic Designer: Fine Line Communications, Swindon
• Managed classes, disciplined and evaluated students, and
wrote end-of-term reports.
Arts Educator: Flux Arts, Swindon (part time 04/2006 – 09/2008)
A £1.5m government funded project in a new housing development to
help build the community through creative activities.
• Visual arts workshops for Key Stage 2 students including
weekly drawing classes; facilitating and curating art exhibitions;
creating publicity for community events.
Freelance Graphic Designer: Design Types Ltd, Salisbury
(06/1995 – 11/1996)
• Multi-language typesetting and design projects, including
writing and illustration a suite of assembly instructions for Early
Learning Centre products. (05/1994 – 06/1995]
• Designed logos and layouts for housing associations’ annual
reports. Managed translation and typeset multi-language
documents for Hoover and Royal Dutch Shell.
Graphic Designer: Presto Print, Swindon (05/1993 – 05/1994)
• Designed and produced print-ready artwork for small business
clients’ stationery and marketing materials.
Graphic Designer: Werbelicht Konzept Agentur, Bremen,
Germany (10/1991 – 04/1992)
• Designed and implementation of external signage for Becks
Brewery; translated company marketing materials into English. (ad hoc 2005–2011)
• Created packaging and advertising campaign concepts for the
design agency’s client sat-nav business, Road Angel.
WORKSHOPS AND COURSES
Freelance Graphic Designer: Three Big Names, Marlborough
• Proposal writing seminar: University of Oxford (07/2012)
(ad hoc 2005–2011)
• Concepts, design, illustration and artwork for B2C
communications for the agency’s financial services clients
Chase de Vere and Hargreaves Lansdown.
Map illustrator: English Heritage, Engine House, Swindon
(ad hoc 2007–2008)
• Technical illustrations for ‘Informed Conservation’ book series.
• Screen-printing workshop: Badger Press, Hampshire (08/2012)
• Fund It 2015 Fundraising workshops: Voscur at Watershed,
Bristol (02/2015)
• Barista training course: Extract Coffee Roasters, Bristol
(3/2015)
• Fundraising for the Arts: Cause 4/Arts & Philanthropy at Spike
Island, Bristol (03/2015)
• Using and Managing Data in Fundraising: The Audience
Agency/Arts & Philanthropy at Watershed, Bristol (03/2015)
Freelance Graphic Designer: Thomas & Cosh, Chippenham
(2001–2005)
• Concepts, design and illustration for integrated campaign for
the agency’s client Osram, and packaging concepts for Viner’s
Cutlery and Earlex.
Freelance Graphic Designer: Zurich Financial Services’
Creative Agency, Swindon (05/2000–02/2001)
• Re-branded Allied Dunbar marketing materials to new Zurich
guidelines, while developing identity guidelines: B2B and B2C
materials concepts, layout and art directing photoshoots
Senior Designer/Studio Manager: Envy Creative, Newbury
(05/1998–08/1999)
LANGUAGE SKILLS
• Fluent German (Institute of Linguists’ Intermediate Diploma
in German and Goethe Institute’s Zertifikat Deutsch als
Fremdsprache).
• Reasonable Spanish
• Deaf-Blind sign language
voluntary work
• Planned and delivered arts workshops, in Spanish, through
Charlotte Miller Arts Project at Fundación Juconi – a charity for
children affected by poverty and domestic abuse in Mexico.
• Design and art direction of creative projects, client presentations
and liaison.
• Marketing communications advisor to Give Something Back to
Berlin social initiative.
• Managing studio workflow, three creative staff (mentoring the
junior designer) and external suppliers.
• Volunteer gardener for Gemüse Ackerdemie, Berlin.
Principal Designer, Creative Direction Europe: Texas
Instruments GmbH, Freising, Germany (11/1996–04/1998)
• Co-ordinated and art-directed design and production of panEuropean marketing collateral and press advertisements:
commissioned and briefed of external design agencies in
Munich and Nice; managed translation and typesetting for
output in 22 language/country versions, and European print
budget.
• Sourced photography and art-directed photo-shoots,
conducted focus groups, wrote reports and presented at
international meetings. Represented TI at trade and education
fairs in Europe / USA.
• Volunteer general and kitchen helper Christmas Care homeless
shelter, Swindon.
• Co-founder, drummer and co-ordinator of members, purchases,
practice venues, performances and publicity for not-for-profit
voluntary community group Swindon Samba.
• Swindon Town Gardens café assistant. Market seller (Bath
Christmas Market).
For further examples of project work, and testimonials from
clients and employers see www.parsonscreative.co.uk