Crafting human centered
Brand experiences &
digital art
SCROLL ↓HI, I’M SEAN - A SOUTH AFRICAN BORN AND UK RAISED MULTIDISCIPLINARY SENIOR DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR WITH 6 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES.
About me
I’ve worked for brands such as Freetrade, Manchester United - Digital Innovation Dept. and Mindlabs as well as with clients such as Curry’s PC World, Ancestry® and Abracadabra Money and collaborated on projects with TriliTech and Saatchi&Saatchi.
But my journey started in the world of global branding and creative agencies based in Toronto, Canada and the UAE.
Start-ups Tech Web3 Fintech Crypto Digital Product Wellness Tech Sports Tech NFT Digital Innovation
My Experience
Co-Founder & Lead Designer
@NodeFolk
Present
Freelance Brand Designer & Illustrator
@Freelance
Present
Lead Designer & Illustrator
@Manchester United - Digital Innovation Dept.
2022 - 2024
Digital Designer
@Mindlabs
2022
Designer & Illustrator
@Freetrade
2020 - 2022
Junior Designer
@1000 Heads
2019 - 2020
HARD SKILLS
Art direction
Illustration
Visual Design
Graphic Design
UI Design
Animation
Concepting
SOFT SKILLS
Collaboration
Team work
Empathy
Ideation
Creative Direction
Design Leadership
SOFTWARE
Figma
Illustrator
Photoshop
Procreate
After Effects
Google Suite
Microsoft Suite
My values &
things I like
I believe design shouldn’t be just about aesthetics, but rather about human connection. I love infusing my work with rich and meaningful detail that resonates. I thrive in ambiguity and experimentation while also having developed a love for design and illustration systems.
In my personal life I’m an avid rock climber, where I take risks and give things a shot no matter how impossible they may seem, and I bring the same energy and drive to my work.
BE BOLD
/
BE BRAVE
/
TAKE CREATIVE RISKS
/
MAKE IT HUMAN
/
NEVER SETTLE
/
BE BOLD / BE BRAVE / TAKE CREATIVE RISKS / MAKE IT HUMAN / NEVER SETTLE /
Accomplishments
SUPPORTED SUBSTANTIAL B2B REVENUE LINE FOR MANCHESTER UNITED, WITH PARTNER TEZOS PAYING TENS OF MILLIONS PER YEAR
NEARLY 6 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AS A DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR - IN BOTH AGENCY AND IN-HOUSE ROLES
DESIGNED & ILLUSTRATED PROMINENT DIGITAL COLLECTIBLES, WITH OVER 1 MILLION CLAIMED AND OVER 10K SOLD
HELPING MANCHESTER UNITED GROW THE LARGEST DISCORD COMMUNITY IN FOOTBALL WITH OVER 93,000 MEMBERS
DESIGNED FUND RAISING CAMPAIGNS THAT HELPED FREETRADE RAISE OVER £8 MILLION (836% OF TARGET)
HELPED FREETRADE 4X HEADCOUNT AND GROW TO 1 MILLION REGISTERED USERS IN THE UK THROUGH VARIOUS BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
GRAPHIC DESIGN LEAD, SUPPORTING FREETRADE IN WINNING 2022 BRITISH BANK AWARDS
FEATURED IN COMPUTER ARTS MAGAZINE
D&AD NEW BLOOD’S FESTIVAL ‘ONE TO WATCH’ AWARD WINNER
WHAT PEOPLE
SAY ABOUT ME
SAM POULLAIN - HEAD OF BRAND & CREATIVE @MONEYBOX / EX FREETRADE
Sean is an exceptionally talented designer and a real pleasure to work with. During our time together at Freetrade, Sean helped to elevate our brand identity by creating a fresh and unique illustration and animation style.
He’s also a great collaborator across teams and brings a growth mindset to everything he does.
DANIEL LANE - INVESTMENT WRITER @POLAR CAPITAL / EX FREETRADE
I’m certainly not alone in having been genuinely excited by Sean’s drive, talent and energy while working on high profile creative projects with him, within tech and investing.
He is able to balance longer-term projects with near-term collaborations – always pushing what it means to be on the cultural forefront.
It was a real pleasure to work alongside such a proactive and talented designer leading the creative energy and upholding high quality design principles.
RONAN JOYCE - DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL INNOVATION @MANCHESTER UNITED / EX META
Sean was brilliant to work with in his time at Manchester United. His talent, creativity and passion were central to the club’s digital collectibles programme - and the quality of his artwork speaks for itself. He comes highly recommended as an artist, colleague and team-mate.
ADAM BRECKONS - DESIGNER @WHITE BEAR STUDIO / EX FREETRADE
I worked with Sean as a Junior Designer and he’s been an incredible source of inspiration for me. He is thoughtful and extremely creative. A brilliant adition to any team looking for a creative with big, bold ideas, design and illustration.
Time to scale
new creative
heights
DROP ME A LINE AND LET’S SEE IF WE CAN COOK UP SOMETHING MAGICAL TOGETHER.