Ben’s take on:
The power of visual storytelling.
Before you put pen to paper, you have to listen and learn. Ben starts any project by first understanding the strategy behind the campaign, the needs of the audience and the desired outcomes of the campaign.
“There are emotions and ideas that visuals can communicate in ways language can’t,” Ben says. “Design catches your eye before the message reaches your brain, and that makes it an incredibly powerful storytelling tool.”
Ben says:
“Design can act as a megaphone for the goals and messages you’re trying to communicate. The way a message is delivered influences how it gets received, so design becomes part of the message itself.”
The promise of a blank page.
Ben has been drawing and sketching since childhood, and he remembers filling the margins of school assignments with doodles. That habit has stayed with him, and freeform illustration is still an important step in his creative process.
“I try to follow the happy accidents that happen while you’re experimenting,” Ben says. “The strategic side of design is important, but there’s something exciting about starting with a blank page and seeing where your hand takes you.”
But there also has to be intention behind the work, Ben says. “You have to be able to explain why what you created is effective. Strategy and research give you that foundation. They help you connect every design decision back to the bigger picture.”
Stories of the sport.
When he’s not at work, you can find Ben exploring the outdoors, playing guitar or following Liverpool Football Club. A fan since childhood, Ben’s love of soccer was a main reason he ended up at university in Manchester, England.
“I appreciate the athleticism of the sport,” Ben says, “but it’s really the stories that unfold over a season that interest me most.”
Education
Bachelor of Arts, graphic design, Manchester Metropolitan University