Three words were enough to describe Ireland's favourite chocolate brand: ‘Chocolatey’, ‘Creammmy’ and ‘Chunky’. The iconic Cadbury ‘C’ opened each word and sat atop the unmistakeable brand purple enticing consumers to indulge.

I crafted the custom typography by hand initially before and giving it a simple three-dimensional feel. The words were displayed on both 6-sheet and 48-sheet outdoor sites and even replaced the brand name on the chocolate squares themselves for product executions.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

There's a house in Dublin with the unusual number of ‘twelve and a half’. I don't know where the first half came from or where the second half has disappeared to but I do know that the house is my home. It's also the name I've adopted for any freelance projects I work on.

Recently, when I found myself in search of a full-time design job in today's difficult creative climate, I decided to create a printed promotional piece entitled ‘twelve and a half things worth knowing about me’. The idea was to showcase my range of skills, from concept to copywriting, illustration to typography, alongside photographic examples of my work in a self-contained folded package. The piece worked both as an illustrative booklet about me and as a container for a DVD (featuring my complete Portfolio and CV). The highlight of the booklet was that, when fully opened up, it revealed a poster displaying ‘twelve and a half pieces of my finest work’.

I hand-delivered the completed packages and, thankfully, the responses to my self-promotional booklet were extremely positive. It earned me a number of interviews at some of Dublin's top ad agencies and, ultimately, the job I was looking for.

I recently designed a suite of wedding stationery for my cousin Conor and his bride-to-be, Emma. She is a huge fan of the Arts & Crafts Movement and of the traditional Drop Cap which led us to design classic and striking day and evening wedding invitations and a complementary RSVP postcard.

The letterpress-printed two-colour capital 'I' set in Goudy Initialen opens up the bold typographical layout with the remainder of the text tucking in around it in a neat justified block. The final flourish came by edge-painting the stationery in the pink used for the capital 'I'.

'Anamnocht' on TG4 was a wonderfully rich television series about little-known historical Irish people. Working with a creative team made up of Dan O'Neill and Kris Clarkin, Maxi McDonnell and I each took a character from the show and set to work creating this distinctive pair of hyper-real photo composites.

The faces of the main characters were covered with a sticker which states that 'All will be revealed' enticing the audience to watch the series. My character was Paddy don Patricio, an Irishman who managed Barcelona Football Club and, by taking them on a tour of America at the time of the Spanish Civil War, helped save them from destruction at the hands of General Franco in the 1920s.

The pair of press ads were awarded Best Ad of the Month by The National Newspapers of Ireland in September 2012.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

A bright and cheerful design for Guy & Laurie’s country fair-themed wedding invitation. The two colours were carried through all of the other materials along with the marquee. The letterpress printing by Blush Publishing was incredibly precise and the overall effect of the heavily embellished typography was really beautiful.

The Renault Carculator was a simple but effective web app. designed to inform Irish motorists of how cost efficient their cars were. It asked for each motorist’s Vehicle Registration Number and mileage and calculated their running costs to the nearest Euro. But it didn't stop there; it also showed motorists how much they would save by switching to a brand new Renault.

Launched in November 2012, the Renault Carculator has been hugely successful and, has had over 100,000 unique visits and generated over 600 test drive requests. Not bad for one brand in a heavily saturated car market and one which is projected to only sell 60,000 new cars over the course of 2013.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

Visit Carculator.ie

Getting things done nicely is what Nicely Done does best specialising in all aspects of media production and event management ranging from TV commercials to corporate parties and weddings. This multi-disciplinary production produces everything from TV or radio commercials to corporate and online video.

Laurie McGann, the brains behind Nicely Done, approached me to brand her new company and help develop her website. The simple but classic typography saw the two words link through descending flourishes all contained in a simple circle. The colour palette is bright and cheery which is exactly what you'll get from Nicely Done when you work with them.

To give her stationery that Nicely Done feeling, the logotype was made into an embossing stamp for that tactile finish you just want to run your finger across.

Visit NicelyDone.ie

After the wettest summer in Irish recorded history, we were asked by Murphy's to advertise their famous Irish Stout. They wanted a traditional advertising campaign but we convinced them that earned media was a viable way to reach a younger customer base.

In true Irish take-the-mick style, we decided that a smartphone app. was the best way to reach this younger customer base. And so, the 'When It Rains It Pours' smartphone app. was born.

In a parody to an app. created by Budweiser called the Ice Cold Index, the idea was simple: whenever it rained in Cork — which is a lot — you get a free pint of Murphy's in participating pubs. All you had to do was check the app. to see if it was raining and head on down the local for a tasty pint. The app. was a huge success with sales of Murphy's increasing as a result. The earned vs. owned media proved to be a winning approach.

The App. won three Golds at the APMC Star Awards 2013 and a Silver at the Appy Awards 2012.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

When working on a simple leaflet for the Black Church Print Studio I decided that they needed a new identity. When I wrote out the words 'BLACK' and 'CHURCH' I realised that the 'A' looked like a church steeple as it fell nicely over the 'U'. And so, an identity was born. Not one that the client ultimately chose but one that developed into four weights of an uppercase typeface as a personal project.

The website for the Happy Dales Montessori was designed to put a smile on a parent’s face when they visited it and the colourful illustrations of hills, animals, trees, clouds, the sun, a river and a rainbow certainly do that. The slightly retro feel of the smiling sun and the animals across the lands were intended to appeal to young parents and children alike and the graphics lift the simple website. The graphics were also carried through to the classroom itself in the form a landscape made of hand-cut vinyl stickers.

Visit HappyDales.ie

One colour letterpress printed stationery for Cliona & Shane’s wedding. The couple wanted their personalities to shine through the invitation and RSVP card and, with sharp witty copy written by Neil Saul and some quirky illustrations, they certainly put smiles on peoples faces. The embellished typeface added to the overall feeling with the little love-heart details.

A selection of logotypes I have designed for a wide range of clients.

Febvre has been at the forefront of the Irish wine trade, therefore, for almost 50 years and the quest for quality and integrity has never waned, even in these difficult times. Carrying wines from many of South Africa’s finest wineries, the company wanted to educate Irish wine-lovers about South African Wine.

The brief called for the wine to be promoted to people who would usually look to France, Italy and Spain for their wines. Given that wine lovers are usually food lovers too, the proposition we developed was simple: pair food with South African Wine in their minds and they will be more likely to try South African Wine with their next meal.

My solution saw cutlery mimicking arms and embracing a bottle of wine while the label reads, “Food loves South African Wine”. The Operators did a great job creating the bottle in 3D and I designed both the identity and label myself.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

The Lisheen Mine is situated in Co. Tipperary in the heart of the Irish Midlands. The Mine provides much of the local employment in the area helping to keep the culture and traditions of rural Ireland alive. Now in its second decade of operations, Lisheen Mine is currently one of the largest producers of Zinc concentrates in Europe.

In March 2006, I was invited to the Lisheen Zinc Mine to photograph the inner workings of the mine for their Annual Report. I was taken 2km underground and given a guided tour of the processes and machinery being used by the miners. Documenting what these guys do in such a harsh working environment on a daily basis was a fantastic opportunity and I think the photographs really speak for themselves.

A selection of typography and typographical experiments.

A simple but elegant design for Kris & Caren’s wedding invitation. The letterpress printing by Blush Publishing was pristine.

The Lisheen Mine is situated in Co. Tipperary in the heart of the Irish Midlands. The Mine provides much of the local employment in the area helping to keep the culture and traditions of rural Ireland alive. Now in its second decade of operations, Lisheen Mine is currently one of the largest producers of Zinc concentrates in Europe.

The design of the Annual Report for 2006 fell directly out of my experience of visiting the mine in March 2007. This was particularly true with regards the choice of the orange stock for the cover of the report which referenced the colour of the protective safety suits the miners wear. The use of an industrial aesthetic is apparent throughout the document with a clearly defined grid to hold the bespoke photography and content. The photography itself was given pride of place with full-bleed images being used to break up the sections and give readers a sense of the scale of the mine.

‘Fireside Conversations’ was a collection of six conversations based on essays by artists from Ireland and continental Europe between the Fire Station Artists’ Studio. The notion of a conversation was a very engaging one to me and I wanted the document to be engaging to the reader on a tactile level. 

A deep purple was chosen for the cover to offset the warm red foil chosen for the word ‘fireside’. This colour was carried through to the interior with two-colour uncoated sections being reserved for the text and full-colour glossy sections for the image sections. The glossy sections, which sat in front of each conversation, were cut short in order to see the title of each conversation containing all of the images for that section.

Produced while working at Language.

Scéalta Átha Cliath, meaning 'Dublin Stories', was a documentary series broadcast on the Irish language channel, TG4. The series is a mixture of biography, history, mystery and myth with each episode unearthing the truths about an unusual but quintessentially Dublin story.

The ads for each of the three shows were the brainchild of Ger Roe, Neil Saul and Kris Clarkin. My involvement was to grade the images and craft the typography. I was also tasked with creating the ambient piece to help advertise one episode of TG4's Scéalta Átha Cliath (Dublin Stories) documentary series which was dedicated to Ivan Beshoff, a well-known Dublin figure who mutinied on the Russian Battleship Potemkin in 1905 and fought alongside the Irish rebels in the 1916 Easter Rising before establishing the famous Beshoff's Fish & Chip shop in Dublin.

To promote his show we brought back a piece of chip shop history and wrapped his chips in a bespoke newspaper, designed to look like it was from Beshoff's era. The main articles detailed the early history of Ivan Beshoff while other articles subtly alluded to some of the other Dublin stories featured in the series. A simple sign off told hungry readers where and when to watch the show. And get chips.

The bespoke newspaper was awarded a Silver Bell in the Ambient Media category at the ICAD Awards 2012.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

The SEAI aims to transform Ireland into a society based on sustainable energy structures, technologies and practices. In this press ad, they offer information on the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) Scheme which helps inform Irish companies about writing 100% of the cost of products against their profit in the first year.

To illustrate this I came up with the simple visual device of a plug shaped like a Euro symbol. Dan O’Neill produced the image in Cinema 4D using the V-Ray Engine to achieve a realistic finish.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

Sharp Suits saw Ireland's creative community collectively released their pent up frustrations through the medium of the A3 poster in aid of Temple Street Children's Hospital. Ad creatives, designers, animators, directors, illustrators and more took time out to dress up their most memorable client feedback transforming quotes, that would normally give you a twitch, into a diverse collection of posters. 

The work was exhibited by the kind folks at The Little Green Café, Bar and Gallery. The exhibition ran from November 2nd - 7th, with A3 prints of all entries selling for only €10 apiece, with all proceeds going to Temple Street.

Educate Together is the representative organisation of the Educate Together schools and associations throughout the Republic of Ireland. Today there are 58 primary schools educating 11,500 children. Many parents have to play the school-waiting-list waiting game due to the huge demand for additional capacity in multi-denominational school places in the Dublin 2, 6, 8 and 12 areas. Given the demographic make-up of the areas, it is clear that this demand is increasing.

Portobello Educate Together is working with a Catholic school in the area to achieve transformation and jointly become an Educate Together school. To highlight the work they do and increase membership they held their first Family Fun Day and Teddy Bears Picnic in Harold's Cross Park in September, 2010. I was invited to come along and photograph the event.

This campaign saw illustrations of an Irish landscape, each tailored with recognisable landmarks, paired with photographs of staff local to each county or Ireland. I created the illustration and retouched the images of the staff before bringing them together in the layouts.

Produced while working at Publicis Dublin.

I have an avid interest in photography and took to the streets of Dublin one night in October 2009 to capture some scenes in low light using slow shutter speeds.

Re-dress is an initiative which works to make a real difference by promoting positive action. The clothing industry is causing social, environmental and economic havoc but it is a hidden and disjointed industry with complicated production and supply methods which leave it difficult to trace and understand. Re-dress works to re-dress the balance and provide consumers with the information and tools to make better fashion decisions.

‘Maimed in China’ was my submission for ‘Fashion Evolution’, a week-long series of events aimed at drawing attention to the awful conditions faced by people working in the lower echelons of the fashion industry today. I set up a shot of mannequin limbs in a sweatshop-style dusty corner to reference the limbs lost by dangerous conditions in sweatshops in China.

Produced while working at Language.

The Strategic Plan 2010—2012 was an opportunity to incorporate hand-kerned type and bespoke photography. The Fire Station Artists' Studio logotype was set from a typeface called Aurora found in an old type specimen book. Text for the cover, the headings and pull-quotes were hand-kerned from a scan of the alphabet. An image of the Fire Station was printed in black on a black coloured stock cover with text in white and orange foils.

My design for the Fire Station Artists’ Studios Strategic Plan 2010—2012 was exhibited this year alongside 175 other pieces of Irish advertising and design work representing the high level of creative excellence this country has to offer. The exhibition showcases the work that was considered for the ICAD Home Made Awards 2010. It was work that creatives aspire to produce and clients aspire to commission all under one roof for the first time.

Produced while working at Language.

Verge Magazine was a one-off editorial publication aimed at increasing awareness of visual arts in the North West counties of Ireland. The name 'Verge' was a reference to the notion that artists in these areas feel as if they are on the fringes of the visual arts scene. Language were invited to respond to a tender for the graphic design for this one-off piece. The brief required only that it had to be eco-friendly and had to fold to A4 to keep postage costs down.

My design solution was to print on a recycled stock similar to newsprint at A2 size which folded down to A4 and was packed in a biodegradable plastic envelope. This large format was chosen to show off the visual arts content. The design itself relied on a tight but recessive editorial grid with classic typography which acted as an invisible structure to hold the content.

Produced while working at Language.

Drinkaware has emerged as the leading information portal on alcohol and drinking for consumers in Ireland. The Drinkaware initiative was launched in November 2006. The overall aim of the initiative is to promote the responsible use of alcohol, while at the same time challenging anti-social drinking behaviours.

Language have worked with Drinkaware since their launch in 2006 and have used research groups to inform advertising campaigns for Drinkaware. The 'Standard Drinks' campaign came out of the simple fact that people do not fully understand how many units of alcohol each drink contains. This outdoor advertising campaign informed people of how many units or 'Standard Drinks' there are in pints of beer, cider and stout and in a glass of wine. The campaign called for a photo shoot of the various alcoholic drinks on a black reflective backgound. I art directed the photo shoot and produced the advertising layouts which asked, 'Think every drink is one standard drink?'

Produced while working at Language.

Located in north east inner city Dublin, the Fire Station Artists’ Studios was established in 1993 to provide support for professional visual artists. It provides subsidised combined living and working studios for Irish and international artists, large scale sculpture workshop facilities and training opportunities for artists.

The ‘Three Publications’ invitation was designed to have two purposes, one as an invitation to the launch of three new books commissioned by Fire Station Artists’ Studios and one as bookmarks for each of the them. Printed in red on a manilla stock, the self-sealing invitation folded four times to the shape of a bookmark. Perforations in the interior allow the user to tear pages holding information and an image for each book so as to use it as a bookmark.

Produced while working at Language.

Drinkaware has emerged as the leading information portal on alcohol and drinking for consumers in Ireland. The Drinkaware initiative was launched in November 2006. The overall aim of the initiative is to promote the responsible use of alcohol, while at the same time challenging anti-social drinking behaviours.

These posters were designed to inform people and make them think twice about how they consume alcohol. The simple but challenging headlines were supported with illustrations that gave the viewer an immediate sense of what they were about.

Produced while working at Language.

Situated in the picturesque area of Willow Grove, Delgany, Co. Wicklow, Dean Cooper Furniture Design supplies both bespoke handcrafted and sleek modern built-in furniture all manufactured with meticulous care and attention to detail.

In 2008, the proprietor of this emerging company, Dean Cooper, approached me to brand his vision. As the company designs and fits all manner of bespoke furniture it became apparent that a strong brand identity was required. The 'dc' marque was developed to act as a monogram as well as represent both the architectural and furniture aspects of what the company does. The company name is boldly set in ITC Avant Garde Gothic to give the straight-edged marque a softer feel.

Tropicalismo was a night dreamt up by hairdresser and sometime DJ, Keith Harris, to thank his customers for supporting him in his first year as Proprietor of Warm Hair, a salon in Dublin City Centre. The night was a party in an underground club called Traffic and it required everything from invitations and cocktail menus to large-format artwork to adorn the walls and bar of the club.

This collaborative project, from my final year of college, was a chance to get into the printmaking studio and get my hands dirty. Keith had mentioned that he had some VIP clients who he really wanted to pamper on the night as well as some good friends and general walk-in customers that were coming along. This struck me as interesting and I seized the opportunity to give the guests a small piece of bespoke artwork that they could keep. After toying with what materials to use I finally decided upon three — 6mm Ply Wood, 2mm Aluminium and Fabriano Rosapina paper — one for each type of customer. Photography supplied by Keith was screen printed in three colours onto the three materials all of which were hand-finished before distribution.

The Ombudsman for the Defence Forces investigates complaints by members and former members of the Defence Forces.

The ODF Annual Report 2009 presented an interesting challenge — deliver an elegant design for a dual language document. My solution was to produce a sleek, modern folder to hold the English and Irish versions of the Annual Report. The English document was A4 in size with the Irish document being 20mm wider than A4 to ensure that the two documents were stepped so that both are visible when the folder was open.

The design centred around the idea of a legal 'terrain', one in which the Ombudsman was heavily involved. The terrain was made up of a series of symbols which referenced both military map icons such as bridges, water and parachutes and legal iconology such as a judge's gavel and the scales of justice. The icons were used in a custom-drawn camouflage pattern — another reference to the military represented by the Ombudsman — on the folder, covers and breakers pages alike. A classic typographical design was chosen for the body of the reports with the rich corporate colours of bronze and green being used for the English and Irish reports respectively.

Produced while working at Language.

The Adelaide and Meath Hospital Dublin, incorporating the National Children's Hospital and St. Loman's (AMNCH), is a landmark development in Ireland's acute hospital service and is the biggest healthcare facility in the state. It provides child-health, adult, psychiatric and age-related healthcare on one site and is at the forefront of cancer research and treatment in Europe.

The Cancer Report 2007 & Breast Cancer Report 2007 outlined results achieved and innovations implemented by AMNCH in 2007. The content of the two reports consisted heavily of scientific and medical statistics displayed in the form of tables and charts.