Graphic Design

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I’ve practiced Graphic Design and Visual Communication for over 13 years in various capacities. My specialisms are page composition for print and screen, motion graphics, social media content, identity/branding and VR/360°. Scroll down to see some of my designs.

EXAMPLES OF MY GRAPHIC DESIGN & MOTION GRAPHICS WORK

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

LOGO/BRANDING FOR THE ETHICS & INNOVATION FORUM

Above: Logo Design/branding for the Ethics & Innovation Forum – A joint initiative by the University of Glasgow and Radboud University that promotes ethical dialogue on science, technology, and innovation (Exhibition: SEC Glasgow 2026).

Above: WIP: Draft idea for incidental animation of logo. This is not the finished version. It would animate once every minute or so on a loop (in animated gif format), but I have sped up the rate for demonstration purposes here. Could also be used (in mp4 format) to create a short video sting to embed in presentations, or edit into other video content.  

BRAND IDENTITY – BELLA FOOTWEAR

ABOVE: Final brand identity (for store front and all marketing & branding) for a Scottish-based luxury lady’s footwear boutique. Software: Adobe Illustrator

BELOW: Final brand graphic (For window/interior graphics). Software: Adobe Illustrator

SHOP WINDOW GRAPHIC – BELLA FOOTWEAR

FULL HD MARKETING & BRANDING VIDEO

ABOVE: 40 second Full HD Marketing Videos with animated branding and sound treatment.

Software: Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Envato, Autodesk Maya, Kling, Photoshop, Illustrator & Murf AI.

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

COVER DESIGN FOR ONLINE MOOC

Above: Cover design for an online MOOC (‘AI Ethics: Inclusion & Society’ ) offered by the University of Glasgow via FutureLearn, available globally – The graphic is designed to reflect and tie in with the entire branding for the course and associated AI Ethics materials/projects (see below). It visualises inclusion and society utilising graphics which represent people with their arms around each other and mirrors the branding and style of the Symposium on AI Ethics which was run by the University of Glasgow. 

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ai-ethics-inclusion-and-society/1

BUILDING-SPECIFIC 4K DISPLAYS

Above: Poster designs to be digitally displayed in three of the biggest buildings in the university – the Library, the James McCune Smith Building and the ARC Building. There’s one ‘individual’ poster design to be displayed in all buildings, plus a tailored design for each of the above buildings. The digital displays are large 4K 3840 x 2160 px. This campaign (which revolves around these posters) is also being presented at the Glasgow Goes Green festival and the University of Glasgow plans to publish results within a peer reviewed article over the summer of 2025. 

Software Used: Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop

EFP

Above: Social Media (Facebook) Fundraising Appeal Idea for Burns Night. I also wrote the copy for this, in addition to conceptualising and creating the graphics (Software used: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop).

Below: Animated Ident for Instagram 1080 x 1080 1:1. (Software used: Illustrator [to re-create the EFP logo in vector format], Autodesk Maya [3D geometry, lighting and animation] and After Effects [for post production and sound treatment]. AI voice over – edited with Adobe Audition…Ideally (time/budget permitting) I would like to have created a sound treatment with recorded voice).

Please view with sound turned on.

Above: Press the bar above to reveal a few examples of social media ideas for X.

DIGITAL/PRINTED ASSETS – CARERS CENTRE (FALKIRK & CLACHMANNANSHIRE)

Above: Animated gif optimised for web, created using Autodesk Maya, Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop.

Below: A series of posters to promote an initiative run by the Carers Centre which provides funding for carers and those they care for to take time out and enjoy a short break at various locations. Created in the brand colours of the Carers Centre.

LOVELACE-HODGKIN SYMPOSIUM ON AI ETHICS

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

Logo design/branding for the Lovelace-Hodgkin Symposium on AI Ethics which took place between 2-4 October 2024 at the Advanced Research Centre (ARC) at the University of Glasgow. The aim of the symposium was to prompt insightful discussions towards shaping a more ethical and inclusive future for artificial intelligence (AI) and, in doing so, produce actionable recommendations and a collaborative vision for an ethical framework in AI. 

https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/datascience/events/lovelace-hodgkinsymposium

The creators of the event required a striking logo which would embody the ethos of the symposium, while staying clear of looking too academic or technical. The developments I designed (above), were put to a vote of university colleagues and were also published as a Twitter/X poll – The winning design would become the visual identity for the symposium.

The symposium focused on building an ethical framework for AI development, use, and communication. Discussion included the current challenges and exclusions that exist in AI and how it can magnify existing inequality. Also taking into account how policy (government), development and how the way we (students included) view and use AI can foster change if we think about equality and ethics from the start.

https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/datascience/events/lovelace-hodgkinsymposium/about

DESIGNS FOR ENS GROUP

(Please make sure your sound is ON to view the animated ident below!)

Press the play button below to start the animated ident.

I was asked to design a ten second animation of the ENS logo for use in all of their international presentations. I created the motion graphics for this Ident using Adobe CC, Element 3D and Autodesk Maya software. The sound treatment (also designed by me) is equally important as the graphic element and really pulls everything together. For example, the four ‘beeps’ signify the noise heard when a customer inputs their PIN number at a point of sales card reader. Software used for the audio design was Adobe Audition in conjunction with Avid Pro Tools.

LOGO DESIGN & CORPORATE IDENTITY

CORPORATE IDENTITY FOR THE SCOTTISH SHALE WEBSITE

This is the corporate identity I designed for the Scottish Shale website. It represents different levels or strata within the earth. The orange part represents a hidden shale seam. It is complementary to the colour scheme and typeface used throughout the website. The top design is used for advertising or as a watermark found throughout the website. The bottom design is set within the header banner of the website. An elegant logo design which really compliments the overall feel of the Scottish Shale learning resource which I’m confident will stand the test of time. It’s been really well received and is widely used.

Software used: Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop.

The above animation of the Scottish Shale logo is meant for use on the various social media platforms associated with the Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry. The circular design fits well as a profile picture on modern social media platforms. The above animation is a loop of the original. It was designed to rotate once every 15 seconds on social media platforms so as not to take the eye away from content .

Motion graphics are often very complicated to produce, and this was no exception! Once I designed the 2D logo, I imported it into a 3D environment within Autodesk Maya. I also set up virtual cameras and several spot lights, ambient lighting and a backdrop. After this I created a sphere which exactly matched the dimensions of the imported 2D logo when viewed through the camera viewfinder. My next step was to project the logo onto the sphere and cut through it. This is how I achieved the 3D effect as the sphere rotates – I think it’s a really great alternative to the usual 3D rotation you see so often in animated logos.

There were many other steps involved in this process but I think I’d bore you to tears with the whole laborious process, so I’ll leave it at that! I absolutely think the time spent was worth it! It’s a great example of thinking ‘outside the box’…or in this case, ‘inside the sphere’!

I also spent 2 years designing and creating content for the Scottish Shale website under the direction of Dr. Robin Chesters (Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry), and working closely with LevelUp Agency. 

Software used: Abobe Illustrator, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects.

CHILDREN 1st LOGO ANIMATION

Below: A short animated ident I designed for Children 1st. It has a very simple sound treatment so that voice-overs can be added to deliver key messages in a short, eye catching animation. Please view with sound ON. Software used: Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Maya.

Above: Click on the above to show/hide page design content for print and screen. Examples showing continuity of a design over multiple formats. Software used: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop.

ASSETS FOR MULTI-FORMAT SOCIALS & WEB

WATTS.SCOT (Exerpt)

MYELOMA UK LOGO ANIMATION

Below is an animated GIF asset I designed for Myeloma UK. Designed to animate every 30 seconds as a web asset. Software used: Adobe Creative Suite.

BRENDAN DOHERTY MUSIC LOGO

This first example is a logo I designed for Brendan Doherty Music. It is based on the initials of the client’s name and visualised using musical symbols. The musical symbol used to show a flat note represents the ‘b’, and a Crotchet represents the ‘d’. I was also involved in designing the website for this company (see link above). Software used: Adobe Illustrator.

LOGO DEVELOPMENT/DESIGN FOR RSCDS

MOTION GRAPHICS SHOW REEL

COMMUNITY INCLUSION LOGO

Here’s my logo design for a Scottish-based community inclusion project. I designed this logo to have a contemporary style. I wanted it to simply and clearly communicate a message of social inclusion. It is a stylized representation of people of different ethnic backgrounds (the 3 different coloured circles) being embraced (arms around the shoulders). The colours are based upon the colours of the thistle, but also reflect the vibrant diversity we celebrate in Scotland. Software used: Adobe Illustrator/ Adobe Photoshop.

DESIGN FOR PRINT (PRODUCT & PAGE DESIGN)

SITE MAP FOR ALMOND VALLEY HERITAGE TRUST

ANIMATED LOGO DEVELOPMENTS FOR AVHT

DIGIPAK DESIGN (TAILOR MADE IRISH MUSIC TOURS)

Digipak design for one of the contributing artists at Tailor Made Irish Music Tours. This was officially released at the final marketing event in North America in conjunction with the website going live.

PRODUCT VISUALISATION (MARKETING ASSET)

Above is a 3D product visualisation I created for Tailor Made Irish Music Tours. Used as a marketing asset on their website and in online marketing material. Software used: Adobe CC, Autodesk Maya.

TAKE AWAY MENU DESIGN (KEBABISH)

RESTAURANT MENU DESIGN (KEBABISH)

Some years ago I worked as a freelance graphic designer for ‘The Colour Menu’. Above are a few examples of work I produced for them. During this time I designed many assets for their clients including menus, posters, flyers, business cards and a host of other marketing materials. It was a very fast paced environment (often juggling multiple projects to tight deadlines) and really honed my skills in page design as well as in time management and stock acquisition. Software used: Adobe InDesign.

NEW COLLEGE LANARKSHIRE 2019 PROSPECTUS

This is an exert for a page design and styling proposal I put forward for the 2019 New College Lanarkshire prospectus. Below is an animated gif I created based upon their logo and to be used in online marketing material. Software used: Adobe CC including InDesign, AE as well as Autodesk Maya.

DIGITAL RESTORATION

Use the slider on the images below to compare ‘before’ and ‘after’ digital restoration.

Above is one example of restoration I undertook for the Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry. During lockdown I was trusted to take away boxes of one of a kind, accessioned objects from the museum archive. These were to be scanned, logged and prepared for print. Reduced size, optimised versions were also to be created for use in the Scottish Shale website. Some of these objects (glass negatives, postcards, documents and photographs) were damaged. Rather than losing these items, I took it upon myself to digitally restore them to their former glory. This is just one example of hundreds which I restored or enhanced over several months. 

I began the process by scanning and importing these into Adobe Photoshop. Here I removed creases, reflections and corrected damaged areas. I also used Photoshop for basic colour/tone correction. However, my ‘go to’ software for bringing new life to images was Adobe Lightroom. It is such a great tool to bring out details lost to time. You can view more examples of digital restoration which I’ve undertaken on the ‘Photography‘ page of this site. I would also highly recommend a visit to the Scottish Shale website which is vast, extremely well researched and so interesting.

TESTIMONIALS

If you are interested in finding out more about pricing and availability then please email me: contact@watts.scot

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