Applying for roles in branding or considering it? Our next portfolio review is for you!

From brand designers all the way to art directors, our reviewers have a wide scope of knowledge about the industry. They’ll look over your portfolios, offer expert feedback and help you in your journey into the world of branding.

Whether you’re a student, a fresh grad, or are in the first year of your career, this is a chance to get some invaluable advice from industry professionals and connect with fellow emerging creatives. So if you’re curious about what it takes to bring a brand to life, our reviewers will be on hand to share their tips and wisdom.

The session will take place over Zoom on Thursday 7th December, from 5pm to 8pm GMT. There are only a limited number of places available, so make sure you sign up to register your interest.

The event itself is fast-paced: in breakout rooms of three emerging creatives and one reviewer, you will get the opportunity to show and discuss work, as well as get advice and feedback. This will then rotate, so you’ll get to meet several reviewers throughout the evening.

Please also note that the session is open to those looking to work in branding, with no more than one year of experience. You will be required to have something to show (e.g. one to two projects or pieces of work that capture what you do) – but don’t worry if this isn’t a polished portfolio.

Jim Pabualan (he/him), creative talent acquisition manager, AKQA
With an HND in graphic design from Kingston University, Jim boasts over 12 years of specialised recruitment expertise. He’s honed his skills within agencies like DDB Remedy, OLIVER, and AKQA. Today, Jim scours the globe to unearth extraordinary creative talent for AKQA EMEA studios.

Amber English (sher/her), creative, AKQA
Amber studied Creative Advertising at Leeds Art University. After graduating she joined AKQA London and has been there for two years and counting, progressing from junior to midweight creative. She specialises in creative ideation and art direction, and has been involved with top global brands such as Sony, Coca-Cola and Nike.

Read more about AKQA here.

Camille Bozzini (she/her), senior designer, Anomaly
Camille landed in advertising after graduating from Central Saint Martins. She refined her abilities at various agencies, including Droga5 and Wieden+Kennedy, before joining Anomaly in London. At Anomaly, she works on projects for Tanqueray and Tiffany&Co.

Kelly Satchel (she/her), design director and art director, Anomaly
Prior to joining Anomaly, Kelly was in-house creative lead at fashion tech brand, Thread, where she spearheaded brand development and led the creative direction across editorial, social and marketing communications. She was also brand designer across large commercial campaigns and rebrands at Wieden+Kennedy London.

Read more about Anomaly here.

Winnie Wong (she/her), regional art director, Pentland Brands
Winnie has navigated a dynamic design career path, touching various industries – from newspapers and hospitality to currently being immersed in the world of sports fashion at Pentland Brands. Winnie’s design philosophy is deeply rooted in an appreciation for cultural diversity and she is committed to creating culturally resonant designs that transcend borders.

Read more about Pentland Brands here.

Jack Morgan (he/him), midweight designer, DEPT®
Jack’s background is in Fine Art – but he made the switch to graphic design while at the Royal College of Art, where he developed an appreciation of the wider context in which to make work. Jack has since worked freelance on mostly branding and packaging projects, and also in smaller studios before joining the branding team at DEPT®.

Jack Harness (he/him), midweight designer, DEPT®
Having originally studied graphic design at Camberwell College of Arts, Jack has since worked with a diverse portfolio of clients, from automotive and hospitality to beauty and “big-tech”. His work lies within brand and identity, and it's grounded in an approach that blends creative and strategic thinking.

Read more about DEPT® here.

Hannah Jones (she/her), creative producer, G . F Smith
Hannah studied graphic art and design at Leeds Beckett University and specialised in creative production and project management. Now based in Leeds, she previously worked in London for 10 years across the creative industry at companies including Penguin Random House, Why Not Associates, Seen Displays, Andy Hillman Studio and AMV BBDO.

Read more about G . F Smith here.

Sam Wade (he/him), senior designer, StormBrands
With over 12 years experience in the industry, Sam has previously worked at agencies like Identica, BrandMe and Coley Porter Bell. Sam’s specialism sits within FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), retail and consumer branding, and he has worked with brands such as Martini, Greenalls, Quintessential Brands, LRS, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Pets at Home.

Read more about StormBrands here.

Iossie Ng Lei (she/her), associate creative director, Wolff Olins
Before joining Wolff Olins, Iossie did a number of internships at studios like DesignStudio, Landor, MultiAdaptor and The Partners before landing her first role as junior designer at Moving Brands. Since then, Iossie has worked with teams to bring branding, experience design, creative strategy and storytelling to an array of clients of all sizes and challenges.

Read more about Wolff Olins here.

Luca Pontarelli (he/him), senior designer, Moving Brands
Born and raised in Italy, Luca studied communication design at the Università Europea Del Design. Over the last 12 years – and before joining Moving Brands – Luca has worked as a freelancer for print shops, big and small design studios and advertising agencies. While Luca enjoys working across the breadth of design, his main focuses at the moment are building strategy-based design systems, typography and motion design.

Jea Hyun Reece (she/her), design director, Moving Brands
Jea specialises in creating strategic brand identities executed through design and experiences with a particular passion for making the design community more diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible. While brand studios are where Jea feels most at home, she has also worked at non-profits, in-house, digital studios, packaging studios and advertising agencies.

Read more about Moving Brands here.

James McLearie (he/him), junior and midweight design consultant, Represent
Having graduated from LCC with a BA in Design and Visual Communication, James worked at Burberry, Alexander Wang and the White Cube Gallery. Since joining Represent in 2019, he has established strong connections within the design industry, aiding junior and midweight designers in securing positions with top brands and agencies.

Read more about Represent here.

Ben Parfitt (he/him), junior designer, Human After All
Ben studied at Falmouth University for both a BA and MA degree in Graphic Design. He specialises in graphic design and art direction across branding and campaigns. Prior to joining Human After All in January 2022, Ben interned at design agency ShopTalk London (now DEPT®) and worked on freelance branding projects. He is passionate about designing brands for change.

Read more about Human After All here.

Elaine Perks (she/her), creative director and co-founder, Boyle&Perks
Elaine worked for various London-based studios before co-founding Boyle&Perks in 2008, where she is the creative director. She also lectures one day a week on the BA illustration course at the University of Brighton and is experienced in coaching young designers to develop their professional practice and portfolio.

Bill Boyle (he/him), creative director and co-founder, Boyle&Perks
Bill has over 20 years experience delivering work for brands including UAL, Towner Eastbourne, NHS, Wellcome Trust and UCL. He gained valuable experience from both small studios and large agencies before co-founding Boyle&Perks in 2008.

Read more about Boyle&Perks here.

Helen Mak (she/her), senior designer, Elmwood
Helen's creative journey began at Norwich University of the Arts, where she immersed herself in the vibrant world of graphic design. Fresh out of university, she took her first step as a designer at JKR and ventured to work at LPK before joining the Elmwood London team as a Senior Designer. Helen plays a key role across branding and packaging projects for Elmwood's portfolio of clients including Mars, Heineken, Kimberly-Clark, and Haleon.

Paul O'Brien (he/him), design director, Elmwood
Paul is a Design Director at Elmwood London, bringing a wealth of experience across 9 years in the industry working for some of the most iconic design agencies globally – including JKR, Design Bridge, Bulletproof, Bloom, and Taxi Studio. After obtaining his Bachelors in Graphic Communications with Typography from Plymouth University, Paul worked his way up from Junior Designer to Design Director, and jumped into the freelance world in 2021. Alongside his day job, Paul takes part in portfolio reviews and mentors incoming talent to help them break into the creative sector.

Read more about Elmwood here.

This session is open to students, grads, or those within the first year of a creative career. You are only eligible to register if you are:

• Not in full-time creative work
• Within the first year of your career
• Based in the UK
• Aged 18 and over

Please note that you will be required to submit an example of your work in your application. Register your interest by 11.59pm on 27th November via the link below.

Registering for this event does not guarantee a place. Those invited to attend will be emailed a week before the event and will be asked to pay a £5 deposit. This is to confirm your attendance and will be refunded after the session.

Attendees are selected based on their eligibility, so please be assured that if you are not invited, this is not a reflection of the quality of your work.

We hope to see you there!