Jonathan Williams – Designer

Illustrating, designing and art directing books, catalogues and point-of-sale for a variety of clients including Penguin, Simon and Schuster, Faber, Bloomsbury, Random House, BBC and many more. One of my key clients has been Pearson. Throughout 2004-5 I worked with illustrator Per José Karlen, creating an identity for Abacus Evolve, a numeracy scheme devised for primary schools. The project required about 160 separate elements, each with its own unique design.

Designing content for the social accounts of Reach's national brands - Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Express and OK! Magazine

Providing design and print services to academic, administrative and support departments, school members, staff-affiliated organisations, students and commercial enterprises. Combining traditional studio skills with digital desktop technology, I deliver projects from initial brief to creative ideas, digital and hardcopy proofs to the finished product.

In June 2013 I was recruited to implement a new brand identity for ASCO, an international energy support services business based in Aberdeen. In partnership with the Leith agency I produced a 50 page Brand Starter Kit, then helped to roll out the new identity across multiple touchpoints including websites, social media, tenders, new business presentations, HSEQ reports, interactive toolkits, signage, livery, interiors, exhibitions, stationery and magazines.

In 1999 I was recruited by Pearson to work with US educational publisher Rigby. As part of an editorial team I helped to design and art-direct a new series of big books and activity sheets for shared reading in literacy hour. I planned the content and layout of titles; selected and commissioned illustrators and photographers; controlled costs and schedules; and ensured books were delivered on time and within budget. I was privileged to work with some of the UK's most talented artists including Jan Pienkowski, Tony Ross and Nick Sharratt.

As part of a publishing team I planned and implemented a range of titles (including illustrated picture books, novels, non-fiction and reference) from initial layout, choice of paper stock / print process and commissioning of artwork through to finished design and pre-press preparation including foreign language editions. I worked closely with illustrators and photographers, managing briefs and ensuring projects were delivered on time and within budget.

InterVarsity Press is a small independent press which publishes and distributes more than a million books each year in over 150 countries, in more than 80 different languages. Whilst at IVP I designed, illustrated and typeset a range of academic titles. I learned how to skim a manuscript quickly - identifying any special features that required a particular style - then specify the design for typesetting. I acquired a knowledge of publishing conventions such as binding methods, extents, page sizes and proofreading markup.