Life at Queen’s

Before I begin, let's go back in time to the old Q logo...

…when I was a fresh-faced, young guy without a grey hair on my head, when I landed a secondment up in Queen’s in 2012. Working 3 days a week in the old ‘Marketing and Creative Services’ with a bunch of legends of Queen’s. It’s here where I found my love of design for education and even photography. Since then, I have created A LOT.

Years at Queen's

Starting in June 2012 as a designer, I’m nearly part of the furniture here. A good bit of furniture, like a workbench. Something supportive that gets stuff done. Well.

Prospectuses

That’s all of the Undergrad, Postgrad and International prospectuses that I’ve worked on. Some of those even had mini guides and/or digital versions with embedded videos and galleries.

indesign files*

Yeah, I checked. That’s a lot of posters, leaflets, 48 sheets, booklets, event banners, stage backdrops, digital publications, web pages, gif ads, social posts and PowerPoint templates. *As of July 2025

Over the last 12+ years there has been, a full rebrand, digital transformation projects, a website redesign and an evolution in general for the university, building on it’s reputation across the globe. I have been in the thick of it all. My role has also evolved over time, along with my growing skill set. I currently hold the position of Creative Marketing Manager, responsible for the creative team, including the design, copywriting, videography and photography. My previous role of Creative Lead primarily focussed on conceptualising, designing, and overseeing the creation of publications and campaigns, utilising cutting-edge software from Adobe Creative Cloud and Maxon to bring these projects to life. Each day can be very different from photographing the VC on the roof of the Main Site Tower, to flying a drones, building props, presenting to senior management, designing exhibitions spaces in Cinema4D, photographing world leaders, creating a gazillion page publication and a billion leaflets, creating a thousand gif ads per hour, preparing building wraps, billboards, signage and… You get the picture.

Named in top 15 Marketing Experts in Belfast 2024

Recognised among the Top 15 Marketing Experts in Belfast – 2024.
Driving impact through strategy, creativity, and results.
INFLUENCE DIGITAL MEDIA

Branding is at the heart of what I do—ensuring consistent, strategic representation across a vast and multifaceted university. I work to maintain a strong, unified brand presence that maximises visibility and connects effectively with the right audiences, and fits with the brand tone and heritage of the university.

Creative Driection | Strategic Marketing & Brand Development | Project Management | Innovation & Creative Solutions | Collaboration

Amongst a ton of print, in 2016, I completely redesigned the prospectus from the page size up. It has stayed the same format since, been up for awards in the Heist Education Awards, and now with the recent addition of the all-new digital prospectus, it is really a beast of a publication.

CREATIVE DRIECTION | STRATEGIC MARKETING | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | INNOVATION & CREATIVE SOLUTIONS | COLLABORATION

Another key part of my role is designing and creating campaigns with the team. These really are great fun to get stuck into. Sink the teeth into. Get the creative juices flowing, even having the team over to ‘Dan’s kitchen’ (my gaff) for the day for a creative session. I love how different these can be every time.

CREATIVE DRIECTION | STRATEGIC MARKETING & BRAND DEVELOPMENT | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | INNOVATION & CREATIVE SOLUTIONS | COLLABORATION

A major part of my role is translating all of the above—branding, creativity, print, campaigns, strategy—into unique and impactful event experiences. Some of the largest have been broadcast globally, with one achieving media coverage across 49 countries, reaching an audience of 78.2 billion and an estimated media value of nearly £14 million.

Creative Driection | Strategic Marketing & Brand Development | Project Management | Innovation & Creative Solutions | Collaboration

My photography journey began at Queen’s, where picking up a spare camera sparked a lasting passion. Since then, it’s led to award-winning work, unforgettable experiences, and the chance to meet incredible people doing amazing things. Combining photography with design has taken my creative work, and the unversity's marketing to the next level.

Personal development | Creative direction