Creative Direction, 

Strategic Digital Design
and Website Optimisation

Independent design director helping businesses grow through strategic design that is intuitive, engaging, accessible and creates measurable value.

SVG of 'By'
Pink woodside logo with rotating food images behind.
Homepage of Savage Bean Coffee Co website in front of red background
Hand holding a business card for two birds & one stone that is brightly coloured and shows information
SVG of 'Mel'

Introduction

As an independent strategic designer and former agency director with 10+ years experience, I aim to bring collaborative and senior level design expertise to business owners, digital agencies and marketing teams to create considered brands, digital strategies and products that are user-focused and generate business value.

Services

Digital Strategy Creation
UX Research & UI Design
Strategic Website Design
Workshop Facilitation
Customer Journey Mapping
Digital Design Systems
Component Libraries

Webflow Development

Website Optimisation

Brand Identities
Brand Photography
Design Advisory

Skillset

Strategic Problem-Solving
Figma Design & Prototypes
Customer Research
User Testing & Analysis

Creative Direction 

Design Ops & Planning
Team Leadership

Stakeholder Management

C-Suite Presentations

Cross-functional Collaboration
Accessibility Standards

Interactive Workshop Leadership

Words from teams & clients

"Mel is an asset to any client or design team lucky enough to work with her. Calm under pressure and highly intelligent, Mel has an exceptional ability to take complex, often ambiguous requirements and distill them into a clear, actionable plan.

Her leadership style is both professional and empathetic, she builds and nurtures talented teams while remaining deeply attentive to individuals who may need coaching or support. She sets out clear pathways for progression, ensuring her teams grow in skill and confidence.

Mel is meticulous in her design work, and can balance the attention to details with large-scale, complex architectures for global organisations. Beyond her design expertise, she has been instrumental in establishing robust design operations, systems, and processes, significantly enhancing agency efficiency, quality, and delivery speed. I would recommend Mel to any business or team without hesitation. Once you work with her, you won’t want her to leave."

James Bearne

Head of Experience Strategy @ UNRVLD

“Mel has done a fantastic job building my website! Her precision and sharp eye have truly been a game changer for my online presence. What I appreciated most about working with Mel is her genuine passion for listening to me as a business owner. She took the time to understand my vision and then used her expertise to bring it to life beautifully. I highly recommend putting Mel at the top of your list for a website uplift or a brand-new build, either way, it’s a win with Mel. Her service is excellent, and deadlines are never a problem.”

Kim Savage

Owner of Savage Bean Coffee Co.