50 of the UK's best creative freelancers
With agencies and brands looking to become ever more streamlined and sustainable, freelancers inevitably find their expertise increasingly called upon. But how do you go about finding a competent copywriter, or a decent designer for that matter? How do you know when a social media expert is worth their salt and a photographer fit for action? Well, you ask their clients. And that's exactly what we did. The Drum surveyed its agency and client-side readers to find out what freelancers they use and who they would recommend. So, here is our list of the 50 best creative freelancers around (well 48 freelancers and one freelance creative team).
Recommended freelancers: experts in their fields
COPY
Alan Black (Blackad)
Web copywriting
Glasgow
www.blackad.co.uk
copywriter@blackad.co.uk
Larner Caleb
Concepts, creative direction/strategy, copywriting, branding
Leeds
www.larnercaleb.com
mail@larnercaleb.com
Nick Carter
Conceptual copywriting
Birmingham
www.behance.net/nickcarterfreelance
nickcarterfreelance@googlemail.com
Martin Cross
Copywriting and creative thinking
Glasgow
www.martcross.com
martcross@me.com
Laura Glover
Copywriting
London
www.mangahead.co.uk
laura1083@hotmail.com
Leif Kendall
Web copywriting
Brighton and London
www.kendallcopywriting.co.uk
leif@kendallcopywriting.co.uk
Pete Matthews
Copywriting
London
www.joinedupwriter.co.uk
pete@joinedupwriter.co.uk
Chris Miller
Copywriting
The North
www.ccmiller.cc
cc@ccmiller.cc
Paul Readman
Copywriting
Dunbar
www.seaglass.uk.com
paul@seaglass.uk.com
Rae Stones
Copywriting
London
www.raestones.com
raestones@hotmail.co.uk
Dean Turney
Copywriting
London
www.londoncopywriter.co.uk
dean@londoncopywriter.co.uk
Joanne Wilson
Copywriting
Lincoln
www.fillthegapcopywriting.co.uk
joanne@fillthegapmarketing.co.uk
CREATIVE/ARTWORK/DIGITAL DESIGN
David Airey
Brand identity design
Northern Ireland
www.davidairey.com
design@davidairey.com
Joe Bedington
Online advertising
Norwich
www.fishdna.co.uk
joe@fishdna.co.uk
David Bonas
Digital design, graphic design, illustration, animation
London
www.davidbonas.com
info@davidbonas.com
Molly Cockcroft
Graphic design
Manchester
www.missmoco.co.uk
ello@missmoco.co.uk
Matt Connors-Jones
Art direction and design
South West, Midlands and London
www.gocreatestudios.com
mattconnorsjones@gmail.com
Michael Craven and Gary Delaporte
Effective ideas
Global
www.craven-delaporte.blogspot.com
craven.delaporte@gmail.com
Darryl Donnelly
Digital design
Norwich
www.darryldonnelly.co.uk
info@darryldonnelly.co.uk
Rob Garner
Graphic design and art direction
Nottingham and London
www.iamrobgarner.co.uk
howdy@iamrobgarner.co.uk
James Gregory
Art direction and graphic design
Cheltenham
www.gdesign-artdirection.co.uk
gdesign.artdirection@mac.com
Dan Lane
User interface design
Cheltenham
www.studiounkle.co.uk
dan@studiounkle.co.uk
Kristian Moors
Branding
Sheffield
www.moorscreative.com
kristian@moorscreative.com
Miles Newlyn
Typographer
London
www.newlyn.com
contact@newlyn.com
Jonny Norridge
Graphic design and web/interactive
Nottingham
www.newpollution.co.uk
jonny@newpollution.co.uk
Pearse O'Halloran (Bean There Done That)
Creative branding
Glasgow
www.btdt.co.uk
pearse@btdt.co.uk
Tom Stutt
Graphic and web design
Bristol
www.tomstuttdesign.co.uk
info@tomstuttdesign.co.uk
Gayle Sugden
Graphic design
Leeds
www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=164733041
Tom Ward
Advertising, marketing, branding
Yorkshire
www.andthiscreative.com
Tl.ward.design@gmail.com
Andrew Warwick
Art direction: interactive, animation, branding
Derby
www.warwicka.co.uk
a@warwicka.co.uk
Joe Whittaker
Design
Sheffield
www.joewhittaker.com
hello@joewhittaker.com
Sara Wilson
Typography based design
Manchester
www.sarawilsoncreative.co.uk
sara@sarawilsoncreative.co.uk
PR/SOCIAL MEDIA
Jillian Alexander
Technology PR
London
www.alexander-pr.co.uk
jillian@alexander-pr.co.uk
Alison Battisby
Social Media
London
www.alisonbattisby.co.uk
me@alisonbattisby.co.uk
Helen Beckett
PR
London and Kent
www.illuminatecommunications.co.uk
helen@illuminatecomms.com
Agatha Chapman-Poole
PR
North West
www.chapmanpoole.co.uk
agatha@chapmanpoole.co.uk
Paul Kirby
PR and social media
Midlands
www.octopuspr.co.uk
paul@octopuspr.co.uk
Ross McCulloch (Third Sector Lab & Be Good Be Social)
Social media strategy for third sector organisations
Glasgow
www.rossmcculloch.com
ross@thirdsectorlab.co.uk
DIGITAL
Ryan Foster
eCommerce and Saas
North East
www.ryanfosterdesign.com
hello@ryanfosterdesign.com
Chris Garrett
Web and mobile design/development
Manchester
www.abstraktion.co.uk
chris@abstraktion.co.uk
Jonathan Hall
Web designer
East Sussex
www.jonathan-hall.com
Darren Langley
Web design
Birmingham
www.darrenlangley.com
darren@darrenlangley.com
James Sui
HTML/CSS, jQuery, Wordpress
Manchester
www.jamessui.com/
james@jamessui.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
Monty Rakusen
Photographer
Yorkshire
www.rakusen.co.uk
info@rakusen.co.uk
Trevor Smeaton
photographer
East Sussex
www.trevorsmeaton.com
tsmeaton@mac.com
Lenny Warren
Press & PR photography, video production, multimedia
Glasgow
www.warrenmedia.co.uk
lenny@warrenmedia.co.uk
Laurence Winram
Photographer
Edinburgh
www.lwinram.com
studio@lwinram.com
MARKETING/STRATEGY
Marge Ainsley
Marketing/social media/research
North West
www.margeainsley.co.uk
marge@margeainsley.co.uk
Luan Wise
Direct and digital marketing
Cheltenham
www.luanwise.co.uk
sayhello@luanwise.co.uk