“A design mantra of mine is to keep things simple. Less is more. If you can say it in less words, do it,” George Tunnah, the Head of Design at Cre8ion comments, when asked to provide one simple website design hack that any start-up can use right now to boost their marketing strategy. “With everything moving so fast these days it’s hard to make a lasting impression. If you can refine a design element that tells your story in a graphic and some choice words, it will have a greater impact than an all-singing all-dancing webpage. Nike is a great example of this.”
A multi-talented creative (and a bit of a rebel…)
George has been a full-time member of our creative team since 2010. From spending most of his school hours in art classrooms and photography dark rooms, George is excited to be heading into exciting and deeper waters with Cre8ion.
George is a bit of a rebel, having questioned some of the norms imposed by society right after finishing college. “Following my A-Levels (Fine Art and Photography) I was dead set against university. I’m not sure if it was being sick of the constant emphasis that was thrust upon my generation of ‘the need’ to go to university or if I was just being unsure about the entire process, but I decided to look for work instead.” Thankfully, he soon found out that qualifications were not the main key to work in the graphic design field anyway – experience is the currency they use. So after a year of freelancing, searching and applying, George finally joined Cre8ion. He has been working on exciting projects ever since.
Striking the right balance between workable and beautiful
“It certainly helps that I have a background in coding, so I have a prior knowledge of what’s possible and workable. When I am designing a website it’s imperative to consider the digital platform as well as the look and design. I could easily do something that looks great but from an experience and build point of view is nearly impossible.” George personalises each project, according to the customer’s individual ideas and needs. “Usually when a re-branding occurs there are areas that people are very precious of, which immediately pins a brand into one part of the process.”
Having said that, George enjoyed the total freedom that he was given when re-branding Carmel Bible Institute. “I was allowed to almost start from a blank slate! I could radically change the look and feel and really sink my teeth into vibrant elements of the project with little resistance to healthy change in the brand. I was really happy with the way the brand and the website came out. The branding affected the institute in terms of their interior processes. It was great to see how a project could have such a positive impact, enthusing everyone involved.”
Holst’s Planets, 50’s jazz and a grandiose vinyl collection
Rumour has it that George has the most diverse taste in music from everyone in Cre8ion. His love affair with music began when his Grandmother gave him a wobbly tape of Holst’s Planets. “Following this, my Dad was given Tubular Bells, Dark Side of The Moon and Rumours for his birthday. Needless to say, he hasn’t seen much of them…” George is also a huge fan of vinyl, having been collecting records and albums since an early age.
His diverse taste in music helps to generate ideas for his creative work at Cre8ion. “I will happily listen to 25-minute drone pieces in the morning, Korsakov at lunch and Swedish death metal, and 50’s Jazz in the afternoon. But really it’s just the joy of consuming vast artistic output that drives me to explore and find new things to hear. It’s a simple motivator and inspiration tool. The music paints different pictures in my head or makes me feel certain ways which can heavily effect the nature of a design, it’s a tap into more creative channels.” George has also used his musical abilities in his work for Cre8ion, recording a light and swing acoustic piece that has been used to explain our process.
Experience + enthusiasm + a great team = successful design!
“As with music, when it comes to designing websites it is important to be aware of what is happening in current movements and to know the classics. Exposure to a wide gamut of material ensures you can distil the best from the rest and incorporate it into the project.”
Managing the technological and creative side of website design isn’t always easy, but George can rely on the rest of Cre8ion team to strike the right balance. “The real key is talking to those who are the most enthusiastic and invested in the digital side of the design. Thankfully, I can rely on my colleagues for such input. Our Head of Digital Simon has fathoms of experience and is always abreast of new developments and our Web Developer Mike is just plain old enthusiastic. So when working together it informs a successful design – and not just a great looking one!”
So if you’re looking to build or re-brand your website, George may have some great ideas up his sleeve. Get in touch today for a free chat.