About
I've spent over twenty five years doing one thing: creating packaging and brand design that makes products impossible to ignore.
That focus wasn't accidental. For a decade I worked inside some of Britain's top brand and packaging agencies, designing for the kinds of names you'd find in every supermarket; Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Heinz, Pfizer, and Tesco, the world's second largest retailer. These were highly strategic environments, where great design had to work hard, commercially, creatively, and internationally. That experience shaped everything about how I approach a project.
My work has been recognised at the highest levels of the industry, including three wins at the Pentawards, the international benchmark for packaging design excellence, as well as recognition at the London International Awards and the Mobius Awards in the USA.
In 2010 I returned to the southern hemisphere, taking up the role of Creative Director at one of Auckland's leading branding agencies, working with brands including Griffin's, Goodman Fielder, Wrigley's Asia Pacific, and KFC across the USA and China.
Today I'm based in Brisbane, working with Australian and New Zealand brands of all sizes. The studio stays deliberately small, because when you work with me, I want you to actually work with me. Every project gets my full attention, my full experience, and thinking that starts from scratch every single time.
That last part matters more than it might sound. A lot of design today begins with a Pinterest board and ends up looking like everything else on the shelf. I don't work that way. Every project starts with a blank page and a genuine understanding of your brand, which is the only way to create something that truly stands out.
Outside of work I'm a mum, a reader, and someone who once made a habit of travelling the world for music. These days the pilgrimages are a little shorter, but the curiosity that drove them very much informs the way I think about design.
If you've got a product that deserves to be noticed, I'd love to hear about it.
Why Catherine..?
Your brand, your voice
Every project starts with you. Your business, your values, what you want people to feel when they see your product. I take that and turn it into design that's unmistakably yours, and impossible to overlook.
"Integrity, creativity and empathy aren't just words I use to describe my work. They're the way I work. I believe in doing things properly, communicating clearly, and making the whole process as straightforward as possible. Great design should be accessible, not intimidating. And the best results come from a genuine relationship, not just a brief."
Design is what I live and breathe
This isn't just a job, it's how I think. I notice the details most people walk straight past, and that obsession with craft is exactly what makes the difference between design that's fine and design that genuinely works.
You'll always know where things stand
I meet deadlines, follow through on what I say, and keep you in the loop throughout. No chasing, no radio silence, just clear, honest communication from start to finish.
A clear process, without the rigidity
I bring enough structure to keep projects on track and on budget, and enough flexibility to adapt as things evolve. You'll always know what's happening and why, without feeling locked into a process that doesn't serve you.
FAQs
-
Just me. I'm the designer, the strategist, and your point of contact throughout. Whatever your vision, I have the skills and experience to bring it to life. No handoffs, no juniors, no surprises.
-
Always. Every project starts with you, what you want, what you're trying to say, and what you want people to feel. I take all of that in and shape my thinking around it. Your vision is the starting point, not an afterthought.
-
Yes, and intentionally so. I work without the overheads of a traditional agency. No office lease and no large team to carry, which means I can offer world-class design at a price that works for brands of all sizes. Great packaging shouldn't only be accessible to big budgets.