About

Hello.

2012 marks the 20th year since I graduated with my degree in Graphic Design and set out to find someone who’d pay me to design graphics for them.

I was lucky to secure my first full-time role at Parenthesis soon after and have worked as a Creative person in the design/marketing/advertising world ever since.

I now work at Vital as the Executive Creative Director, with a seat on the board and a mug with my name on it.

As two decades worth of career summary goes, that’s pretty short and to the point, but if you want all the detailed CV stuff, feel free to poke around on Linked-in. Which is like Facebook for spods.

Though we will be fleshing out the whole career thing as we go. That’s the point of all this.

Over the years I’ve got to work on some great projects, alongside some very talented people, though I’ve churned out some decidedly average stuff along the way too. This blog is intended to try and make sense of all those yellowing and dog-eared bits of work I have kept around in boxes and on hard drives for years and have never had the heart to destroy.

What it isn’t, is a glitzy portfolio site.

And you won’t see much on here that you’ll recognise from D&AD annuals. It’s not like I’m a ‘name’ or anything.

Nor is it me touting for more work.

My day job, and working with this lady keep me plenty busy enough. Though if you ARE George Lucas please leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you.

I fully intend all this to shine a spotlight on the good, the bad and the ugly-buggly of my life’s work (so far). Not just the sweet little logos I still have affection for, or the OK ad ideas that have stood the test of time, but also those jobs that fell short of their intentions and, of course, the stuff that clients and budgets conspired against and steered off course.

Whatever helps tell the story really.

Yeah, I suppose this is a bit of a vanity project, but it may have a value as background for some of the students I occasionally teach at Warwickshire College, Warwick University and Warwick Business School. Beyond that, and folks wondering why links to their current online concerns are tracking back to a voice from their past, I’m not sure who the audience might be.

So if you are here reading this, please leave me a note to say ‘Hi’ or just troll me because my kerning is a bit out.

It’ll be nice to know who’s passed through.

Craig Spivey
January 2012