About ME

Email : hello@cparkins.com
LinkedIn : Charlotte Parkins
Instagram : Glowfish31

With over fourteen years in the creative sector, I have extensive experience working at all levels from managing designers to communicating and advising senior stakeholders. I am adept at creating strong working relationships, enabling me to offer clients strategic advice as well as creative direction so as to achieve the most effective solutions. With nearly a decade working in the public sector, I am skilled at managing the potential conflict between what a client asks for, what they can afford and what is needed to create a good piece of design. Working with a variety of public sector clients has also given me a good understanding of the complexity of organisations and dealing with internal politics.

In my current role as Deputy Head of Design at Imperial (as in my previous role as Assistant Creative Director at Westco) I am directly responsible for the creative output of the team as well as creatively directing projects, managing and nurturing the designers development. Like in any design studio, it is a fast paced environment, running multiple projects and meeting tight deadlines whilst line managing the designers and ensuring their well-being. We work hard and always go the extra mile to get the best possible result for the client by working closely and effectively as a team.

I am a problem solver at heart and this extends to workflow and team processes. Whilst working at Westco I was instrumental in multiple reorganisations of team structures and working procedure. As a core member of the creative management team, I created and executed the assessment framework for the designers and was responsible for recruitment across the team. Before leaving Westco I implemented a project management system overhaul and reorganised the server and file storage system to create a more effective workflow.

I have a strong work ethic and place high expectations on myself and my work. I understand that design is not a 9-5 job, and even when I'm not at work I constantly evaluate design and consumer experiences. I believe that design is not simply about making things look pretty but about problem solving and communication. Many clients underestimate the power of good marketing and I continually look at ways to add value to client’s original briefs. As Assistant Creative Director at Westco, I successfully initiated multiple projects such as extending the scope of a strategy layout to a complete brand redesign and proposing the refresh of a valued clients corporate identity to form a stronger and more flexible brand.  

For my full CV please visit my LinkedIn profile. For references or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.