That’s me above, looking far more serious than I usually feel. And for those who don’t know me, prepare yourselves: this post is gloriously, unashamedly about me. It’s the story of how I stumbled into graphic design and ended up in a decades-long love affair with it, one that refuses to fade, no matter what the calendar insists.

I’m now in my 80s (apparently), though in my head I’m still hovering around 34, usually until I try to get up from a low chair. I’ve been lucky enough to live through the full sweep of creative history: from the reassuring hands-on analogue world, into the blinking neon of digital, and now into the age of AI, which seems determined to move into every room of the house whether invited or not.

Some of you will know that I host the podcast RDInsight, which I started back in 2006; positively prehistoric by internet standards, and it’s still trundling along nicely. I’ve chatted with more than 90 Royal Designers for Industry (RDI), a title bestowed by the RSA on designers who’ve genuinely shaped the world around us.

But in 2022, for the 60th episode, the unthinkable happened: I was the one in the hot seat. For the first time, I had to talk about my life and my work, and it was far more complex than I’d imagined. Safe to say, I was somewhat relieved to grab the microphone back afterwards.

If you fancy a listen, here’s the link: 

https://royaldesignersforindustry.org/resources/rdinsights

Just scroll down, and keep going, until you see my photo and click on the dot.

Before you wander off, here’s a peek at just two of the many clients I was fortunate enough to work with and create for during my thirty years at CDT:

English National Opera (ENO) and the London Chamber Orchestra (LCO).

I adored working with both. Here’s a taste of what we created together, all images shown are mostly from the 1990s decade