ideas { technology + design + business }

original ideas, creative solutions and looking at the world through fresh eyes: this is the glue which binds technology, design and business together

often a few drops of that glue will spill on the floor and become something new

creative director / web consultant

christopher berry
BA (Hons) Art, Design & Media
BA (Hons) Business Administration & Finance

what does a creative director do?

A creative director is the liaison for the company, the link between the client and the CEO, and the driving force of the production team.

As the liaison, the creative director absorbs the client's vision for the project and proposes ideas and implementation methods (prototyping). The proposals do not only focus on said project but also on how that integrates and affects the business as a whole. In most cases this leads to optimizing the client's business by and large.

He/she mentors the production team on a collective and individual basis, is the beacon of the team's morale, sets the guidelines and work ethics, introduces new talent into the team, but most importantly is responsible for leading the team to produce a coherent brand / visual language / user experience.

In order to accomplish all of the above, one must know the strengths and weaknesses of the team and delegate accordingly.

Having walked the proverbial mile in the shoes of most if not all of his team members' disciplines is a must. Raw talent is not enough, multi-disciplinary experiences are essential since a large part of the interaction with the team is leading the way based on knowledge, respect and empathy, not empire.

Creative directors have a hands-on approach to any project and are typically a healthy mix of people person, artist and nerd.

what does a web consultant do?

A web consultant generally operates in two stages, the consultation and the implementation.

If the client has their own capacity to carry out a project, then the work the web consultant does is strictly on a consultation-basis: brain-storming and prototyping. The client in the end receives a flowmap and a detailed report on how to implement the project.

If the client needs end-to-end services, then the consultation is just the beginning.

As a web consultant one relies on creativity and the backbone of their extensive experience in design, development and SEO (search engine optimization).

This is the expert who can create a well-positioned brand, produce a technologically adept product, foresee potential scalability and integration issues, and finally market it properly.

Web consultants have a "do as I do" approach to their work, having been involved themselves in their own entrepreneurial online ventures.

Being a cog in the machine is not enough, you must have a deep understanding of what the client will need as a business owner, during and after the work is completed.
to get a better idea of what I do, below you will find a selection of projects I have worked on both alone and in good company

ye olde web design & development

currently working with
html5
css3
javascript
jquery
php
mysql
photoshop
illustrator

flowmaps & prototyping

a cross between a sitemap and a flowchart, these visual representations are the guidelines for all aspects of any given project, built to serve everyone involved (designers, programmers, project managers, clients etc.)

point of sale kiosk app - artiste furniture

prototyping, UX / UI design

point of sale kiosk app - artiste furniture

prototyping, UX / UI design
for any customer or on-site sales parson, the kiosk functions as a fully automated p.o.s., a presenter and an ordering system

web app - design board

UX / UI design, front-end development

e-commerce web app - design board

prototyping, UX / UI design, front-end development
a proprietary web application for creating mood boards and designing virtual rooms with lighting / furniture / accessories, installable as an extension and fully integrated into Magento eCommerce, this tool was built for interior designers who need to create an on-the-fly proposal without having to manage resources

e-commerce web app - custom catalog

prototyping, UX / UI design

e-commerce web app - custom catalog

prototyping, UX / UI design
another proprietary web application for creating custom catalogs, installable as an extension and fully integrated into Magento eCommerce, built for sales people who need to create custom catalogs with specific products by using the existing resources on their eCommerce platform

android game - hoodhoops

creative direction, UX / UI design

android game - hoodhoops

UX / UI design
basketball game for android, featuring three game modes, 3D environment and real 3D physics, the user interface is built literally around your thumb, leaving your eye free to follow the shot with no distractions

touch screen installations - nebojsa tower

UX design, AS2 development

touch screen installations - nebojsa tower

UX design, AS2 development
a series of interactive touch screen installations, part of the Nebojsa Tower Museum & Cultural Center in Belgrade

startup - helona.gr

co-owner / creative director

startup - helona.gr
(hellenic online agents) 2006-2011

co-owner / creative director
a real estate platform for ads published only by verified realtors, with a multitude of services ranging from banner / text ads and sync services to online mortgage approvals, innovative realty management tools and much more

renowned for its top-quality content, original ideas and active presence in realty exhibitions, helona.gr was a leader in the Greek and Cypriot online real estate sector

tv ads - billy boy

concepts, storyboards, animation, sound effects, audio-signature, post-production
a series of tv commercials for billy boy's greek campaign

tv ads - billy boy

concepts, storyboards, animation, sound effects, audio-signature, post-production
Rhodes
Fearless
Fruity
a series of tv commercials, part of billy boy's greek campaign

animation

war on type !
war on type !!
exhibition wall installation
speech pathology

product visualization

creative direction, PBR lighting, compositing
dining room set with light
dining room set with light
left click to rotate -- right click to move -- mouse wheel to zoom

3D modelling

modelling, texturing, lighting, post-processing
hydraulic underground waste management system

3D modelling

modelling, texturing, lighting, post-processing
hydraulic underground waste management system

font design - grammatosina

greek text dressed as hebrew (mirrored on the left), applied as a light-projection in the set design of a greek adaptation of the merchant of venice.




and here endeth the sermon
thou shalt scroll no further