What does your role as a Designer & Illustrator involve?

For any projects that require design or illustration, I’m involved from the start. Typically, we gather some of the team for a brainstorming session to translate the script into a written storyboard/visual description. I then take it from there and work on some key style frames. I usually come up with a couple of concepts and present these to Tom (Creative Director) and Lawrie (Head of Production), before sharing them with the client. Once the style is approved by the team and the client, I move on to storyboarding the piece in final visual style ready for animation.

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What are the most exciting aspects of your role?

I get most excited about being able to set the style, especially if it involves character design. I love coming up with colour palettes and working out the flow of the animation through the storyboard.

I also like picking up new skills. We have a dedicated day each month where we learn stuff that interests us - whether it's a tutorial on gradients or C4D modelling - Buff is equipped with lots of resources which is great!

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How did you get into the illustration/animation field?

I studied Illustration at university and always enjoyed character design - my final project was a children's picture book and I was always thinking about how cool it would be if it was animated. Working and illustrating for an animation studio has been a dream since then.

After graduating I worked in a design studio for 3 years. In my spare time, I kept working on my portfolio and producing the work that I felt I would love to be doing full-time, which involved a lot of character illustration. I then moved to Brighton - I landed a job at Buff and since then myself and the team have created some really cool stuff!

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What do you like most about working in a creative field?

Freedom of expression! I love being able to help companies/brands/people that we work with communicate their ideas visually. It's also a continuous curve of learning new skills, developing personally and being surrounded by like-minded people. It always excites me to work with the talented animators at Buff and see how they tackle the animation part of the process.

Can you tell us about some of your favourite projects?

There have been so many interesting and different projects in terms of their style and content. Some of my favourites would include:

Grommet - an animated promo to launch a new brand identity. This piece is a mix of 3D products, type and graphic elements. I enjoyed working on the R&D phase, creating and playing around with the layouts.

Fresco - a video to unveil a new brand name and design. This uses a combination of clean, bold graphic elements and type. The simplicity yet playfulness of this animation is my favourite thing about it.

Another project I really enjoyed working on was a series of animations for Samaritans about mental wellbeing (sadly not publicly available to watch). It has a different approach involving illustration and character development which I also enjoy very much.

At Buff no project is the same which means work is never boring!

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What has been a highlight of working at Buff?

Buff's culture and the team. I feel lucky to be part of a very supportive environment with strong encouragement for development. Since joining Buff almost two years ago, I have witnessed the studio's progression and expansion which is really exciting!

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How would you describe Buff in only 3 words?

Fun. Driven. Caring.