Jonathan Martin:
Freelance lead brand and
communications designer
and design director

2010-PRESENT

  • Lead designer and design director with 15+ years’ experience delivering brand and communications work across agencies, in-house teams, and freelance engagements. Operate confidently at lead level, combining strong conceptual thinking with hands-on execution across branding, campaigns, digital, social, print, and environmental communications.

    Known for setting clear design direction, maintaining high creative standards, and integrating seamlessly into multidisciplinary teams to deliver work that is both distinctive and effective in real-world use.

  • Branding design
    – Brand identities and systems
    – Brand guidelines and toolkits
    – Sub-branding and extensions

    Design direction
    – Leading design direction
    – Creative quality control
    – Consistency across channels
    – Senior design decision-making

    Communications & campaigns
    – Campaign concepts and rollouts
    – Digital and social media design
    – Print, signage, and environmental graphics
    – Integrated communications
    – Event communications

    Collaboration & delivery
    – Agency and in-house environments
    – Cross-discipline collaboration
    – End-to-end delivery from concept to production

  • Founder, Creative Director & Designer: JMCO Studio
    2018–Present

    Supporting startups and SMEs with brand and communications work.

    • Act as lead brand and communications designer and creative director across all projects

    • Set design direction from concept through to delivery

    • Deliver brand identities, guidelines, campaigns, and multi-channel communications

    • Work directly with founders and leadership teams

    • Direct external creative partners

    Freelance Lead Brand & Communications Designer / Design Director
    2018–Present

    Clients include: Siegel+Gale, Givaudan, Cutler+Goddard, WeDoCo, SampsonMay, Laserlines

    Embedded within creative studios and in-house teams to lead brand and communications projects.

    • Operate at lead designer or design director level within established teams

    • Lead identity systems, campaigns, and integrated communications

    • Deliver guidelines, sub-branding, campaigns, and rollout frameworks

    Senior Creative: Columns Creative
    2010–2018

    Senior creative working across branding, campaigns, and communications for clients including BBC, British Council, Fitness First, Savoy, and Virgin.

Work highlights:

Close-up of a light-colored background with a partial logo of a sphere made of lines and the word 'Swift' underneath, part of a larger object or advertisement.

Swift branding:
global financial network

With: Cutler+Goddard
Position: Lead designer (freelance)

  • Swift undertook a full global brand refresh to bring clarity, consistency, and contemporary relevance to a well-established brand. The challenge was to modernise an extensive and evolving system of services while preserving the trust, safety, and heritage Swift is known for worldwide. Our approach balanced respect for that legacy with a confident, future-facing perspective—creating a unified brand framework designed to work globally, scale effortlessly, and support Swift’s next phase of growth.

Black background with the text 'KEARNEY' in white, split into two lines.

Kearney branding:
global management consulting firm

With: Siegel+Gale
Position: Lead designer (freelance)

  • Kearney’s brand refresh repositions the firm around the individuals who define it. Built on the idea of “originals”, the new brand celebrates the collective strength of Kearney’s unique workforce—bringing their independence of thought, depth of expertise, and human perspective to the forefront. The result is a modern, expressive brand that reflects who Kearney is today and reinforces what sets it apart.

Close-up of a person with dark skin holding a bouquet of white baby's breath flowers and green leaves, wearing a pink and white floral dress.

Givaudan brand comms:
world's largest flavour house

With: Givaudan Creative Studio
Position: Design director (freelance)

  • At Givaudan, I collaborate with the global Creative Studio team providing design and art direction support across a wide range of projects and disciplines.

    Projects include campaign concepts and design, visual treatment toolkits and guidelines, video storyboarding and art direction, photography strategy and art direction, experiential design, interior and signage design, event design, packaging design… to name just a few.

Close-up of a red leather chair with a chess piece and a question mark graphic overlayed and blurred of a desk with an open book and a white mug in the foreground.

Simpson’s in the Strand brand:
one of London's oldest traditional English restaurants

With: Columns Creative
Position: Senior designer

  • The Simpsons rebrand set out to revive a tired landmark by reconnecting it with its rich history while reshaping it for a contemporary audience. By honouring the character and legacy of the establishment and translating it into a modern expression, the new brand restores relevance, confidence, and cultural resonance for today.

Close-up of a white hardcover book titled 'Savoy Style' with gold and black lettering, a gold spine, and a yellow ribbon bookmark on a gray background.

Savoy Hotel collateral:
the only five-star hotel on the Thames

With: Columns Creative
Position: Senior designer

  • Following its refurbishment and rebrand, Savoy’s brand communications were developed to reinforce its position as a timeless luxury destination. Balancing modern sophistication with traditional elegance, the work extended the renewed identity across key touchpoints, ensuring it resonated with a high-net-worth audience while remaining true to the Savoy’s enduring prestige.

I am always happy to discuss new projects and freelance roles. Drop me a message if you have something you’d like to chat.

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