Apr 2014 – Aug 2014 · 4 mos · Northampton

• This was a real challenge for me - I went from a position of having no direct reports to suddenly being in charge of a team of 8 people – but I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot in a short time.
• Simply by showing empathy and providing support (without micro-management) to every member of my team, I was able to enhance the reputation of the department. So much so that I was able to get Barclaycard to agree to remove the block on recruitment that had been in place when I arrived. In fact they not only agreed to the number of extra staff we wanted, but also suggested we could have even more! A result I am very proud of.

Mar 2014 – Present · 12 yrs 2 mos

• When you look at your own business and the image it presents to prospective customers, how well do you feel it compares to your competition?
• 🔹 Do your competition look more professional, more established, more trustworthy, more credible?
• 🔹 Do your marketing materials need a refresh?
• 🔹 Do you need to step up a gear and grow your business by improving your brand image?
• Don't worry – Pixooma can help! And there’s ZERO risk to you, because unlike most graphic design agencies, we'll protect you with our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
• From our office in Northamptonshire, we use our specialist creative knowledge and over 25 years’ of experience to get your business noticed for all the right reasons. And don’t just take our word for it, ask any of our many satisfied clients.
• So for bespoke design services that generate results, call Pixooma today on 01536 217007 or email mark.coster@pixooma.co.uk.

Mar 2014 – Present · 12 yrs 2 mos

• Your logo isn't just something you slap on a business card or your website. It's the cornerstone of your entire brand image. And your brand image directly affects what people think of your business, so it's worth doing it right.
• We have a wealth of experience in creating beautiful, effective logos for our clients that follow the principles of good logo design. Every one that we create is:
• 🔹 Scalable - Your logo must be a vector file (a mathematical file that is infinitely flexible) - A Jpeg just isn't good enough
• 🔹 Simple and clean in design. Simplicity and elegance is not easy to achieve, but all the best logos have it.
• 🔹 Versatile - your logo will be used in many different ways so needs to be flexible and work well in all applications
• 🔹 Appropriate - Logos don't need to say 'what you do' (just look at your favourite brands, they probably don't), but they do need to look appropriate
• 🔹 Enduring - 'Trends' are all well and good, but a good logo process is time-consuming and an investment – you don't want to be having to change it every other year.
• 🔹 Memorable - it needs to be easily recognisable as this will help you build your brand more effectively
• So for bespoke logo designs that generate results, call Pixooma today on 01536 217007 or email mark.coster@pixooma.co.uk.

Mar 2014 – Present · 12 yrs 2 mos

• 🔹 Do you need to keep your staff up-to-date with company news, interesting stories and morale-boosting content?
• 🔹 Perhaps you want to share information with your clients?
• 🔹 Or perhaps you'd like find new clients by demonstrating your expertise and knowledge?
• A regular publication such as a newsletter, newspaper or magazine could really help here. It's a great way to provide interesting, fun, engaging content that keeps your brand in their mind.
• 🔹 Whether you just need a black and white single-page newsletter, or a 100-page glossy, full colour magazine we can help.
• 🔹 It can be printed, created as a PDF for download, uploaded to create an online magazine. Or all three!
• 🔹 It can be designed by us with content you supply, or we can handle everything from scheduling, chasing contributors, sourcing the copywriters, editing, sourcing (or commissioning) photography through to proofing and delivery.
• 🔹 Whether it is twice-a-year or every week, we can create consistently-branded, bespoke publications everytime for you.
• 🔹 We even have experience in producing magazines in multiple languages including Russian, Greek and Arabic.
• So for bespoke publications that generate results, call Pixooma today on 01536 217007 or email mark.coster@pixooma.co.uk.

Mar 2014 – Present · 12 yrs 2 mos

• Don't be one of these Exhibition Disasters!…
• 🔹 The POOR-PLANNER: Stood mournfully in an empty space, because their stand was late, damaged or unusable.
• 🔹 The MAXIMISER: To 'get their moneys' worth' they've sourced six cheap roller banners and shoved them into a small space. They look like they're selling roller banners, and that they don't know what they're doing
• 🔹 The 'AREN"T WE GREAT?": A very flashy, and expensive stand with lots of beautiful graphics, and wonderful soundbites. Problem is you still have no clue what they do.
• 🔹 The 'TELL THEM EVERYTHING": The stand design is so chock-full of content (company history, about us etc) that the text is overwhelming and way too small to read. No one will come closer to read it for fear of being 'sold to'.
• Don't forget the design!
• Exhibitions can be expensive, but it's pointless spending all that money on the stand space, travel, accommodation, marketing materials and a hundred other sundry expenses if you then just put up any old exhibition stand.
• To avoid these disasters check out our helpful Exhibition Tips Series: http://bit.ly/PIxExhibit

Mar 2014 – Present · 12 yrs 2 mos

• Your website visitors want to know one thing - How can you help them?
• Your website needs to:
• 🔹 Confirm they are in the right place – if the branding is inconsistent, or doesn’t look right then the visitor will think they’ve gone wrong. Or that you don’t care. And if you don’t care, why should they?
• 🔹 Be designed professionally. Don’t make it difficult for people to find the answers and content they want. Guide them using clear, attractive design, a sensible layout hierarchy and easy to use navigation. And don’t force them to access the information in one particular way. Make every step easy and flexible.
• 🔹 Be clear and concise. Get to the point – i.e how you can help them.
• 🔹 Motivate them to act. Don’t just let them wander through your site looking about aimlessly. Tell them what they should do next in order for you to be able to help them.
• 🔹 Be ‘responsive’ i.e no matter what size screen you are viewing the site on the layout must adapt so that you get the best user experience every time.
• Don't fall into the trap so many other businesses do with their website - i.e making it all about them…
• 🔹 Ok you've got a fab cool office and a team of interesting and wacky personalities, but so what? Does this help your potential customer work out if you are the right supplier for them?
• 🔹 You've been in business for decades and have a varied and ‘fascinating’ history, yawn. Longevity may help with trust to some extent, but it’s not the whole story.
• 🔹 You have a wide range of complex services, but your audience doesn’t necessarily want to hear about them in minute detail. They need just enough information to want to contact you.
• 🔹 Instead, consider the visitor to your site: What do they want?
• Take a look at some of the web designs we have created for our clients. All of our work is covered by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and we would love to talk to you about your next project, so get in touch! Our initial consultation sessions are always free.

Oct 2007 – Apr 2014 · 6 yrs 6 mos · Kettering

• During my time at RCI, I became a key part of the in-house studio and eventually the Lead Creative. I enjoyed a wide range of projects to work on: from websites and emails to direct mail, 300-page directories and magazines.
• And nearly everything had to be laid out in 17 languages including Arabic. This posed some real challenges to the design but was a great skill to learn.
• I was proud to be asked to be the EMEAI representative of the Global Brand Council when RCI's branding was redesigned - requiring me to have regular video calls with our counterparts in the US team.

Dec 1998 – Oct 2007 · 8 yrs 10 mos · Kettering

• As well as general graphic design work covering a wide range of printed materials for the in-house studio, I also worked on all of the in-house publications at one time or another. For the last few years at SATRA I became the key contact for the growing number of the SATRA studio's external clients. For the last year or so I was solely working on external projects and helping to meet the department's income budget.

Jun 1996 – Dec 1998 · 2 yrs 6 mos · Corby, Northamptonshire, UK

• Started as a trainee and through a short steep learning curve I developed a lot of key skills in terms of software, design approach and customer service. A wide range of materials passed through the studio during my tenure, including magazines, leaflets, brochures, manuals and marketing materials