I grew up in a small hotel on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. I graduated from Trinity College Cambridge with first class honours in history and moved to London where I was a design journalist for a decade. I worked first at Wallpaper* and then at Monocle where, as design editor, I was a launch host for Monocle 24, the brand’s radio station. I was then brand director at Studioilse, Ilse Crawford’s multifaceted design practice.

Since 2015 I have run my own consultancy helping people and brands sharpen their vision and purpose to understand who they are and why they matter. I’ve worked in public and private sector across five continents on launches and rebrands, developing narratives, campaigns, exhibitions, events, conferences, and broader cultural and communication strategies. I have written a book called How To Live in the City for The School of Life. I’ve twice curated both the Object section of MIART (Milan’s contemporary art fair) and the Harewood House Biennial. I am back at Wallpaper* doing maternity cover as the global design director.

In 2022 my husband James and I moved to Edinburgh and opened Bard, a studio and gallery for Scottish craft and design. I continue to consult, curate, write and speak globally about the power and potential for design and craft to mend our errant ways and improve our lives, measurably and immeasurably. I care broadly and deeply. We have one life, we are our actions and these are our times: let’s seize them?

I have been described as: a design therapist; a soothsayer; a trump card; and having a direct line to the centre of the universe. I go by the more system-friendly titles of creative consultant. My clients have only ever arrived through word of mouth recommendation, and several come back to me repeatedly.

What I do varies from project to project but my work tends to involve all or some of the following:

- A discovery phase to research and assess what the current situation of a brand or project might be. - A vision document that imagines what a brand or project might be in its ultimate incarnation.
- A narrative and values presentation that puts into words what a brand or project stands for and why it matters.
- A creative strategy that determines a plan and a roadmap to help turn ideas into realities that work, evolve and endure.

I also do: pitches and presentations, brand audits, naming, core text writing, benchmarking, editorial strategy, cultural programming and curatorial development. Invariably the first step in my involvement is developing a brief and scope together. I work by myself quickly and diligently. I happily plug into teams as required and recommend fellow minds and hands wherever needed. I have an excellent global network and I love introducing people to make good work better.

After a decade of consulting as a solo operator, I am confident that my involvement leaves people happier and brands healthier. I am not an agency and this liberates me to be fearlessly honest. I lie awake thinking about the people I work with and how to help them. I am committed to do my best.

Apartamento, Barcelona
IKEA, Almhult
Vitra, Weil am Rhein
Studio Frith, London
Studioilse, London
Monocle, London
TC&Friends, London
Airbnb, San Francisco
Instagram, San Francisco
The Goldsmiths Company, London
Four Seasons, Toronto
World of Interiors, London
Domus, Milan
Kinfolk, Copenhagen
Erdem, London
Ark Journal, Copenhagen
Hoffman, New York
The School of Life, London
Wildland, Scotland
Wallpaper*, London
Kisawa, Mozambique
Rapt, San Francisco
Uribe Schwarzkopf, Quito
Michael Anastassiades, London
MIART, Milan
&Open, Dublin
Harewood House, Yorkshire