Hi, I'm James West.
I'm a senior designer with fifteen-plus years across studios, agencies and brands. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and learned how to do good work in all of it.
My specialism is brand identity and packaging, that's where strategy meets creativity and where I do my best work. But after years inside agencies, I'm just as comfortable slotting into a team that needs an experienced pair of hands, whatever the brief. Lead designer, extra capacity on a busy project, a senior eye on the work. I adapt to what's needed. The approach is hands-on and straight-talking. I care less about making things pretty and more about making them work. Visually, emotionally and commercially.
My story
Art was my thing from day one. At school, I was the kid filling sketchbooks while everyone else was glued to their Game Boys. That took me to university in Bristol, then straight into a junior designer role at a London studio, where I also met my wife. Another designer, as it turns out.
I learned the trade inside agencies, from the inside out. Branding, packaging, campaigns, rollouts, the lot. I've worked with brilliant creative teams in London and New Zealand, on brand systems, packaging and full campaigns, sometimes leading, often as part of a bigger team.
These days I split my time between co-founding a branding studio, A Tribe Called West, and taking on senior design work directly. This is where you'll find that side of things: an experienced designer you can bring in to lead a project, support your team, or get a brand and its packaging right.
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