Rob Castles Email & Phone Number

London

As owner of Red Onion, I've built up my company by winning pitches and keeping clients happy. Daily I design new magazines, create brochures and reports, and have a flexible approach to solving a wide range of design and digital scenarios that come my way: everything from packaging, newsletters, social media, infographics, animation, app design, and lots more. I commission and brief outstanding photographers, hire experienced graphic designers and provide creative direction. I offer content advice and strategy to clients. I work absolutely tirelessly to keep abreast of the latest design and digital trends. I'm proficient at optimising my website for maximum specialist exposure. I'm flexible and pride myself on working closely with clients to achieve results they are confident in. How we all consume media, find and pay for it, is constantly evolving.Recent Highlights:2022Redwood BBDO BrandingMoorfields Eye Hospital 5 year Strategy ReportBrand Finance Infographics2021Xiaomi Sustainability ReportChevening magazineCrest Infographics and powerpoint2020Divine chocolate annual reportClassm8s card game2019University of Essex brochures and magazineDiabetes UK magazineYour Places coffee ordering appNeom infographics

London, England, United Kingdom

Responsible for all the design output of this organisation which owns several leading brands within the technology sector. My role includes identity-design, websites, digital assets and event graphics. I work alongside a small, dedicated team which adapts quickly to the latest trends.

Ran the art department of House Beautiful magazine during Art Director's temporary leave. Whilst here I also produced a range of supplements, designed promotional items and polybags and helped to ensure the continued growth of the title. Highlights include:• Responsible for an ongoing redesign of the whole magazine, creating newsections and introducing fresh fonts.• Directed cover shoots to create dynamic and memorable images• Responsible for passing the cover at the printers• Helped the title achieve its first ABC increase in five years• Managed designers, picture editors and other team members• Carried out full staff appraisals• Implemented redesigns by communicating requirements effectively to my team• Motivated staff to produce high calibre product.

Sole design and production responsibility for four one-off diet and holiday magazines for IPC Media – which performed very well in a competitive market.

• Responsible for the design and production of a glossy fashion supplement called '30 Days of Fashion and Beauty'. • It appeared in all the major Hearst titles, such as Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful and more...• Then worked on branding, concepts and website flash animations for the brand extension covering Fashion and Beauty, Green Living and Food and Homes.

• Spent nine months designing and creating a unique and unseen visual look and approach for a new upmarket magazine, codenamed Project Bonnie• Motivated and oversaw team of high calibre art directors, designers and picture editors • Created covers, spreads and sections to present to research groups across the country, with highly positive results.

Ran the large art department of the country’s biggest women’s magazine (circulation 3.4 million). Liaised with department heads, trained new team members, devised concepts for features, planned shoots, organised design ideas meetings and overlooked web content. Responsible for the 2003/4 redesign of Sunday Magazine, which in 2005 helped secure a BSME award for the Editor, and Newspaper of the Year, at the UK Press Awards. Worked with a designer to create a separate listings title Big on TV. Plus:• Art directed, with external senior editors, a full dummy for a new consumer weekly• Produced a myriad of free supplements to accompany Sunday Magazine• Hired and interviewed new staff• Art directed two dummies for a News of the World supplement.

Assistant Art Editor on this highly-respected and long-running weekly music magazine.• Worked closely with Art Editor to meet tight deadline and turnarounds• Designed many promotional CD covers and inserts• Laid-out main covers when required

Designer on Smash Hits, Big! and J17 – then became the main regular freelance contributor at Q, Mixmag and Select. Gained a good grounding in directing celebrity shoots and working on successful mainstream commercial titles.