hey, i'm ben
I’m a Salford-based multidisciplinary graphic designer working across brand identities, design systems, long-form documents, presentations, video and AI-assisted design. My background is an unusual mix, ranging from trackside photography at the Isle of Man TT to creating commercial design for national businesses.
I like making things look good, but I’m even more interested in making them work properly. Whether I’m building a visual system, laying out a tender document, editing a film or making something physical, I’m focused on why it needs to exist, who will use it and how the individual parts come together.
what I actually do
Most of my day-to-day work involves taking complicated information and turning it into something clear, consistent and engaging. At Elior UK, I work across commercial bids, presentations, brand development, menus, visual concepts and video, often collaborating with people from very different parts of the business.
I’m particularly interested in design that survives contact with the real world: templates people can confidently use, identities that remain recognisable across different applications and ideas that still work when deadlines become tight. I work quickly, but I don’t confuse the first answer with the finished one. I enjoy returning to the details, solving technical problems and refining something until it feels properly resolved.
AI has also become part of my everyday process, helping me explore ideas, develop imagery and visualise things that would otherwise be difficult to communicate. I’m excited by what it makes possible, while still believing the strongest results need clear human direction and judgement behind them.
how I got here
My creative career started with a camera in my hand. Working as a photographer for a Superbike racing team taught me to think quickly, work under pressure and maintain high standards while everything around me was moving—sometimes literally—at 200 mph. Seeing my photographs used by outlets including BBC Sport showed me where creative work could lead.
That “get stuck in” attitude hasn’t changed. I’ve since worked across automotive, financial and commercial environments, each of which taught me something different about customers, communication and solving practical problems. I bring those experiences into my design work today, whether I’m working independently, collaborating across teams or presenting an idea to senior stakeholders.
how I learned
I found myself doing design in almost every job I had, from newspaper adverts and social media graphics to six-foot point-of-sale displays. After sixth form, I skipped the traditional university route and went straight into work. I’ve been an Apple Specialist, completed a vehicle-parts apprenticeship with Honda and worked for Barclays, but in my mid-twenties I decided to return properly to my interest in making things.
I spent six months teaching myself Adobe Creative Cloud before moving into the design industry, later completing Adobe Certified Professional training in Illustrator and InDesign.
In 2024, I set myself a much bigger challenge and began an MA in Graphic Design at Falmouth University, having been accepted on the strength of my portfolio and industry experience without a bachelor’s degree. I completed the course in 2026 with Merit. It pushed my practice into experimental typography, AI-assisted processes, 3D modelling and physical making, while giving me new ways to approach the commercial work I already do.
