Nathan’s story.
From paste-up artist to Creative Director.
Where it began.
I started out at 16, working as a paste-up artist at Rowhex printers in Swindon. Design was a hands-on craft: artwork was assembled on drawing boards, layouts were measured carefully and every detail had to be right before it went to print.
That grounding taught me to value typography, composition and the practical side of making something. It also taught me to pay attention to the people a piece of communication was meant to reach. The tools have changed enormously since then, but those principles still shape the way I work.
Learning as the world changed.
As the industry moved from traditional artwork into digital design, I moved with it. I worked across print, graphic design and branding, developing creative for a range of businesses and learning how an idea could carry across different formats.
In 1998, while working at Lundie Marketing, I designed my first website. The web was a very different place then, but the challenge felt familiar: make information clear, create an experience that connects with people and give the business a useful way to communicate.
Building Jazzbones.
I founded Jazzbones in 2005. In the early days, much of the work was in pubs, clubs and entertainment, creating branding and promotions for events and DJs. The name fitted that world and helped us stand out. As the business grew, so did the range of clients and challenges.
Over the years, Jazzbones has worked with local businesses, national brands, charities and organisations across the UK. Projects have ranged from brand identities and campaigns to websites and ongoing creative support. The most rewarding relationships have been the ones built over time, where we understand a business well enough to help it respond as it changes.
Creative direction with a purpose.
Today, my focus is on bringing strategic thinking and design together to help ambitious organisations grow. That can mean helping a business find its direction, leading a rebrand, shaping a website or working alongside a team as a Fractional Creative Director.
I still love the craft of design, but experience has taught me that the strongest work starts with listening. Understanding what a business needs to achieve, and what matters to the people it wants to reach, makes the creative work more useful and more effective.
Whether a project begins with a clear brief or a blank page, I bring the same curiosity, care and commitment to getting it right.