The Creative Astronaut | Portfolio
Here are some examples of my work and what people say about the results.
Stuart wanted a roller banner that incorporated his logo; a white tree on a grey background.
He also wanted a relaxing theme to go with the text.
I extended the trunk of the tree from Stuart’s logo to fit the length of the roller banner.
I then introduced a woman relaxing against the tree, reading. We tried various colours for the text and Stuart finally settled on the pastel green.
Alchemy Therapy Centre's logo.
Emma was going to attend an event in a couple of days and wanted a very quick turnaround leaflet showcasing her pet food and supplies.
She needed three sections: dog, horse & cat. She also wanted to include some nutritional information, specifically about the meat content of cereal-based commercial pet foods. So I created a chart to help explain what she wanted to say.
Emma had a great photo that she wanted to use as the cover. However, she also wanted to include a second photo. As space was tight, I used the second photo as a background to the nutrition text.
The design was signed off and her leaflets printed in time for the event.
Rachel wanted help bringing her idea of compiling a book of dog walks and dog-friendly eateries in Saffron Walden and the surrounding area to life.
After the project suffered some false starts, Rachel was given my name as someone who could help her.
The book was a great project to work on, from the initial Word document to the final artwork. The email from Rachel telling me her book had arrived from the printer and she was so happy with it made my month.
"For Our Dogs has been printed, and was delivered yesterday. Martin, it is absolutely wonderful! I just can’t thank you enough. It has been such a long project, with so many let-downs in the early days which made it look very likely that it could never happen. Then, with Lisa recommending your services, came phase two and we saw the clear difference in the process when dealing with a real professional. I am sure that I gave you cause to pull out your hair from time to time with my ‘insert comma after woof’ type changes, but you didn’t let it show, for which I am very grateful.
Thank you again. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you and maybe, if your nerves can stand it, we might join forces again sometime in the future."
Rachel Thomas
Duty Manager, Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre
Keith asked me to design a logo for his band, Indigo Star, as they wanted to use it on a drum skin. After a few versions we got a design that everyone liked.
Later, Keith asked me to design a gig poster for the band. They wanted a design they could use for each gig with just the venue, date and time details changing each time.
A bit later, Keith came back again and asked if I could adapt the gig poster for a halloween special. This went down well and he came back again for a Christmas special version.
Indigo Star's logo on their drum skin
Indigo Star's main gig poster
Indigo Star's Halloween special gig poster
Indigo Star's Christmas special gig poster
"Hi Martin. Just wanted to say thank you for the work you’ve done for us. There are two reasons why we like working with you. First, you actually listen to what we want, and come back with suggestions that not only meet the brief but add that bit more. And your service is first class, being prompt and helpful, and with very reasonable prices. We’re very happy to continue working with you."
Keith Harragan
Duncan posted on Facebook asking for advice on how to improve the poster he created for his karate club. I gave him some tips on what he could do and also sent him a poster I had done for the karate club I go to (Jindokai). Duncan asked if I could create him a poster “in the same vein of maturity.” He was happy with the four designs (two landscape and two portrait) as he could rotate them.
Duncan later came back to me and asked me to create a roadside banner for him based on one of the landscape posters. I flipped the image so the belt pointed to the right as this was the direction of the club dojo’s entrance.
Jindokai A5 Flyer
Duncan's Dojo - Jindokan A5 Flyer
Duncan's Dojo - Jindokan roadside banner
"Martin not only has an eye for detail, but the vision and perception to accurately, positively, and dramatically represent a client's desired image and message.
My posters for my Karate club have provided a clean, professional image for the club and adds to the club's persona as a friendly and professional training group. I have full confidence in Martin's work and will always return to him for future artwork and advertising imagery".
Duncan Woodruff
Before | After
Jacky's original flyer
Jacky's original flyer
Jacky's finished flyer
Jacky's finished flyer
"I was designing a new version of my Referral Briefing Brochure. Martin is a graphic designer and a client so I asked his opinion. What he did was come back to me with a draft improved version. It was more than an improvement it was a transformation from a homespun wordy document to a branded flyer that uses words, images and the clever use of two sides of A4 to put across my messages with impact.
Two lessons for me - hire the professional to do a job properly - if the job is graphic design and it needs to impress then hire Martin. I did and I recommend you do too."
Jacky Sherman