I’m Alex Melville,
Freelance Creative Director,
and Design Lead at giffgaff.

That’s all folks!

Nothing to see down here...

Don’t quit do ya?

Well, you’ve come this far,

why not take a journey with me?

Chapter 1 – Growin’ Up

Born and raised in Walthamstow, I grew up in a quiet corner of northeast London. 

Digital technology was a massive part of my early life. I saw the world of technology in constant evolution. One year I was playing awesome 16-bit cartridge-based computer games, and saving files onto floppy disks. Then a few years later we had CDs, then  I was even fortunate enough to be allowed my own pets as a kid, Tamogochi’s of course! They were great fun, and possibly one of the first pieces of tech that I carried with me and accessed every hour or so.

Fortunately, I had access to a computer from being very young. By around the age of seven, I was helping to build and look inside computers, all those beautiful components. I was always fascinated by the way these intricate pieces acted out as the ‘brain’, the ‘memory’, the ‘power’, it felt like creation.

I continued to create, build, and explore throughout my childhood and my early years of school.

Chapter 2 –Learnin’

I guess my first decision of a future pathway was choosing to take ICT at GSCE level in year 10. Which looking back on is completely comical, but extremely functional, necessary even for many that didn't have computers or were newer to their usage. But by that age, I had already been creating word art in Microsoft Word and formatting databases for logging all my toys into Microsoft Access.

When it came to choosing A-levels at college I was pretty sure I wanted to continue with computers, and as my grades in graphics were predicted to be good I also chose design/art subjects.

My time at college became a real eye-opener to the choices that were in front of me. I had been taking my main course in computing, alongside photography and graphic design which I enjoyed but never really thought they lead me anywhere.

After my first year it became clear to me how uninspiring computing was for me in comparison to the creative subjects I had taken. I was getting great grades in computing and not-so-great grades in the arts, but I felt happier.

That was all I needed. I chose to study Graphic Design at Middlesex University.

Chapter 3 – The Climb

With a degree in Graphic Design fresh in my hands, I felt I was finally ready to ditch education and take on the world of employment. How exactly did I embark on the mission of landing myself a dream job? I sat down at my computer, and sent emails, a lot of emails!

Still working at this time for a high street retailer that I joined in my first year of university, I was needlessly to say extremely excited when I received a reply to one of my emails, I was invited to attend an interview. 

Boom, I landed my first ever design job at a startup in central London called NKD. Filled with both anxiety and excitement, I journeyed into their offices which were just off Oxford Street in central London. Once there I met the friendliest team I’ve worked with to this day. Their office was modern, spacious, and clean, despite the dogs.

They had a relatively small office space in the heart of London, and with an inspiring team I was creating animated presentations in Flash, and whole suites of printed communications to go with it.

Chapter 4 – The Change

Something big happened in 2015, a child came into our life. This was no surprise, we knew she was coming of course, but her arrival did trigger me to start thinking about myself differently. Self-doubt and worry started making their way into my mind

By the end of the year, I had started to wonder if full-time employment was still best for me and my family. In the first months of 2016, I registered my own business—Design Planet. A solo design studio that would enable me to leave full-time employment and seek out work on a freelance basis.

Chapter 2 – The Now

I’m still here—very much alive, breathing, dreaming, and changing.

And most thankfully, so are you!

Thank you, you’re amazing!

Enjoy your day!