Christopher Skinner - Designer
King's Lynn, United Kingdom
I’m an experienced and multi-skilled graphic designer, printmaker and craft bookbinder. I design, make and absorb books. It's a book thing.
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Overview
My name is Christopher Skinner.
I am a highly experienced and educated graphic designer and illustrator with a diverse portfolio of creative and technical work, reaching out for new projects within the publishing sector. I’d like to be the person you call when you need a designer you can rely on; whether it’s conceptual work, cover designs, page layouts, typography or illustrations. I work remotely as a freelancer for several international design agencies (including Design Bridge and Elmwood) from my fully equipped studio in the windswept flatlands of Norfolk.
My interest in books goes way beyond creating engaging covers and intelligent page layouts; I also make them too - casebound sketchbooks, coptic stitched journals and stab-bound notebooks to name a few. Then there are my artists books. This is where I explore ideas through book structures. Some of my work is now in permanent collections in the UK, US, Australia and South Africa.
What I hope you have surmised from all this is that I’m a book guy. Ok, I also do other types of graphic design but what I really want is to do more design for publishing.
Languages
English
Fiction
Adventure
Anthologies
Classics
Historical Fiction
Humor & Comedy
Literature
Plays & Screenplays
Poetry
Non-Fiction
Architecture
Art
Biographies & Memoirs
Design
Education & Reference
History
Music
Nature
Certifications
- MA Design Practice
Work experience
Freelance Graphic Designer
Self-employed
March, 2013
–
Present
(over 5 years)
A freelance graphic designer with a diverse range of personal clients, and regularly provide additional studio support for other design companies. Being freelance means that I am responsible for sourcing and securing new work, all creative work and production, project management, planning and maintaining costs and budgets. My design work ranges from book design, corporate graphics and packaging to music and arts marketing, with an emphasis on typography.
Course Director, Graphic Design & Photography
The College of West Anglia
February, 2001
–
March, 2013
(about 12 years)
Course Director for BTEC National Diploma Graphic Design programme with teaching duties on a range of courses within the faculty from Level 2 to Degree level. My teaching responsibilities were corporate identity, typographic and book design, along with visualising (traditional and digital), and all Adobe software tuition. Pastoral and academic support. Organisation and co-ordination of collaborative and live projects, educational visits (25 single day events and 6 residentials) and exhibitions. Curriculum development and evaluation. ILT Champion for the Faculty of the Arts. Faculty and cross-college ILT training. Member of the college’s teaching observation team. Mentor to part-time staff. Recruitment, interviewing and feeder school liaison. Internal verifier and external verification liaison. Establishing and maintaining progressional links with feeder schools, H.E. and industry.
Course Leader, Graphic DesignCourse Leader, Graphic Design
The Sheffield College
October, 1995
–
January, 2001
(over 5 years)
Teaching practical studio skills, design and design thinking to students at ND and HND levels. Academic and pastoral support for up to 100 students per year. Internal Verification/EV liaison. Quality review/action planning.
Visiting Lecturer
The Sheffield College
September, 1991
–
September, 1995
(about 4 years)
Teaching practical studio skills, procedures and design fundamentals to students of various ages and aptitudes
Creative Director
The Media Commission
February, 1991
–
July, 1994
(over 3 years)
Creative direction and design for 2D/3D projects, exhibitions and live events. Client liaison/new business development. Studio and personnel management. Trainee and work placement development.
Freelance Graphic Designer
Skinner Design
May, 1989
–
February, 1991
(almost 2 years)
New business development. Design of brochures, trade publications, posters, promotional materials, logotypes and symbols.
Graphic Designer
The Unicorn Press
May, 1987
–
May, 1989
(about 2 years)
Design of brochures, trade publications, posters, promotional materials and logotypes, process camera operation, paste-ups, colour separated artwork/pre-press film separation. Making tea
Christopher has 3 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
Christopher is a DELIGHT to work with! Not only is he a highly skilled book designer, but he is prompt, professional, humorous, insightful, and kind. I could not have found a better designer for my book. Christopher totally "got" what my book was about, and created a cover design (and book mockups) that everyone who sees them instantly falls in love with. I am so thrilled with how he's helping ...
Read moreRebecca Cuevas, July 2018
In Christopher, I have found a professional who gets story-telling, business, and design. He has helped me identify the key aspects of my narrative arc and fashion that into a book and its cover that is not only aesthetically beautiful but commercially (and internationally) viable as well. His attitude and approach has been very collaborative and he has been wiling to go well beyond the extra m...
Read moreNeel Mullick, June 2017
Listened to and implemented all the requirements. Exceeded the expectations. Great work!
Read moreV S, May 2017
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