Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.
I'm Chris Norris, a vastly experienced creative designer and copywriter with thirty years experience in the creative industry. In that time I've been privileged to work for a whole range of incredible companies, clients, and with some outstanding people.
I've also seen a huge amount of change. My career began at the very start of the Apple Macintosh computer's life as a design tool. Since those halcyon floppy disk drive days, the industry has evolved constantly and at an increasingly rapid pace. Today, it's unrecognisable in all areas apart from one... The idea.
My work has always been driven by that one simple thing. Images, words, and the vehicles that convey them are nothing without strong ideas behind them. And these can thread through everything from an attention-grabbing campaign concept that changes behaviour, to a small and unassuming detail on a page that makes a single statistic unforgettable.
It means I'm very much a hands on Creative Director. No swagger, no bullshit, just someone who gets a thrill out of seeing people come together to produce great work, built on curiosity, open thinking and ideas, and genuinely fun to create.
How I (rock) and roll.
Design democracy - Creative design is a great leveller, and the best ideas and work can come from all designers - from juniors to ADs. In my teams, the work is democratised with the hierarchy of roles there to support how we function. It means that junior designers have the chance to grow, we don't lose the best thinking, and we become a powerful collective creative engine.
Ideas everywhere - Medical affairs can thwart thinking (I call it the med comms curse). Clients, agency teams, and creatives can easily become trapped by conservatism and mediocrity. But it doesn't need to. I run an 'ideas everywhere' methodology which actively brings in influences away from the industry, through individual research time to shared 'Outside In' inspiration sessions - all geared to be introduced into work.
No, but yes - Positive relationships are crucial for creative teams. We aren't production and work is susceptible to subjective forces, and the med comms curse, which can kill it. For me, it's important to build relationships that are consultative, positive, and experience led - where team member's feel comfortable in saying no, can give guidance on why, yet provide a workable solution. Positive relationships mean the best work makes it.
Character
I'm calm, approachable, supportive, solution-focused, upbeat, naturally pragmatic, and above all... human. I care as much about everyone I work with, as the work itself.