The Silver Card

Here is the first flyer design I produced for The Silver Card, one of my first commissions.

When the flyer was needing updated, we kept the front much the same as it had been and just improved the reverse.

I also produced some wallpapers for the computers in an internet cafe.

Here is advert for an a speed dating event run by the Silver Card. In the end this wasn't used as it was decided it was a bit risqué, but I still like it.

Beats n Pieces

Here are the flyer designs I came up with for the club I started with my mate, Richy.

Beats n Pieces ran for about six months, but never really took off despite some good press coverage and a lot of interest from other promoters and DJs.

In retrospect I think we charged too much to get in for a new club, and also the space we had in The Venue wasn't long opened and people didn't really know about it.

But life is a continuous learning curve, and I took a few lessons away from the experience even if I did lose a few quid in the process.

It also led onto a few more DJ gigs for me and some other flyer commissions for my fledgling design business.

In the beginning

I graduated from a degree in Graphic Communications Management from Napier University in Edinburgh in 1996. After that, I worked for a while at Standard Life, including for a time, as a Graphic Designer, on a series of temporary contracts.

I left Standard Life to work as a Test Developer at Scottish Equitable.

Realising that the IT systems testing thing wasn't really for me, and with a hefty bonus in my pocket, in May 2000 I left to travel south-east Asia and Australia.

During my time in Australia I worked in a chain of internet and telephone centres, greeting and assisting customers and providing IT assistance. I progressed from general staff member to be assistant to the manager and undertaking supervision and banking duties. During this time I started to think about setting up my own business.

I already ran a successful club night in Edinburgh which I had started in January 1998 and which was still running while I was away. My business was going to encompass that, and expand into other areas. Next Level Promotions was going to be it's name.

I returned to Scotland in July 2001 and started working in a busy record shop. At the same time I set up a new club night with a friend. For this new night we needed promotional flyers.

The first fIyer was produced by a mate of my co-promoter in this venture. We directed him and it turned out OK. But from then on, I decided to do the flyers myself. I had the design knowledge; the skills were a bit rusty however, and I basically had to retrain myself on Photoshop, Pagemaker and the like.

Around the same time, my girlfriend at the time was starting up her own business; an internet based discount card and advertising portal. She asked me to design her flyers and posters.

At this stage I decided that I should go into business for myself as a graphic designer, offering my services to anyone who is looking for innovative design solutions for printed media.

Next Level Design was born.

Email addresses and phone numbers still valid.