Meet Your Designer

Life-long crafter, museumgoer, and magazine hoarder.

Specialising in branding and visual communication, I founded Design By Emilia to support creatives in the craft, arts and cultural industries.

Blending professional experience with a lifetime of crafting and making, I’m committed to sharing the transformative power of good design and ensuring your visual identity reflects the quality of the things you create.

As well as in-depth knowledge and skill, I bring creativity, curiosity, and unwavering attention to detail to every project. My work is designed to make an impact, transform perceptions, and enable your ideal clients to experience your brand in the most immersive way.

Ways We Can Work Together

I offer bespoke brand identity, editorial and layout, information and packaging design. Every project is as unique as the things you create, and my work is always tailored specifically to your brand and audience.

You can also book my freelance graphic design services on a daily or weekly basis. Alternatively, I can be assigned a project to work on within a specific timeframe. My expertise allows me to contribute unique, creative ideas while also slotting in seamlessly with existing teams or established visual identities. For agencies based in London, I am also available to work in-house.

My Design Background + Experience

I’ve always been a crafter. When I was studying for my BA Architecture, I drew everything by hand and made models out of plaster. I also loved designing creative spaces like pottery factories, artists’ workshops, and libraries. All these years later, my background in architecture still underpins the detail orientated aesthetic I bring to my work.

Once I began working in the field, I took on in-house graphic design roles and eventually decided to retrain in visual communication. Alongside my day job, I attended London College of Communication, immersing myself in the university’s workshops and exploring a wide range of creative techniques and materials for the very first time.

I used traditional letterpresses, learned the fundamentals of bookbinding, and experimented with laser cutting. I brought my love of craft into the work I produced here too, creating a completely handsewn book and map of London’s craft spaces.

Having completed my Post Graduate Certificate, I took on a three-month placement at Pentagram, one of the most renowned design studios in the world. My role focused on the London Design Festival 2019, and I was heavily involved in creating the extensive 240-page printed festival guide.

After this, I began freelancing with Lombaert Studio, an independent multidisciplinary graphic design studio. Drawing on my background in architecture, I designed large format graphics for a number of high-profile exhibitions.

Since founding Design By Emilia, my working days have been filled with captivating projects for a diverse range of inspiring, creative businesses. You can browse some examples here and join me on Instagram to see more.

My Skills

Brand Strategy

Creative Direction

Brand Identity

Print Design

Packaging Design

Large Format Design

Iconography

Layout Design

My Values

I believe in the power of good design and its ability to connect you with the right people, communicate clearly, and create a recognisable brand.

Your visual identity is as important as the things you create, and carefully crafted products and services deserve high-end design.

You deserve to work with a designer who understands your ideal clients inside-out. I’m committed to creating a visual language for your brand that reflects your skill and expertise.

More than anything, I want your brand to stand out, make an impact, and move you closer to your business goals.

More About Me

My go-to craft…

I’ve experimented with numerous crafts in my lifetime. Casting, bookbinding, embroidery, weaving, calligraphy, candle making, paper marbling, yarn dying… the list goes on. But I always come back to knitting.
The different colours and textures of yarn spark my creativity like nothing else, and making and gifting knits to others is one of my biggest pleasures. I find the repetitive motion incredibly meditative and I’m interested in the link between knitting and mental health. If you are too, I’d recommend this wonderful podcast.
My favourite yarn…

I’ve used Double Sunday by Sandnes Garn to make lots of garments over the years and they always wear really well. Their range of colours is brilliant too. I particularly enjoy knitting two strands of different colours together and watching the prominent yarn see-saw between the two hues.
When it comes to selecting yarn for special projects, I’m always keen to support indie dyers. There are so many things to admire about hand-dyed yarns. The way every skein is unique, the inspiration behind each colour, and the feeling you have a ‘yarn unicorn’ that’s completely irrepeatable! Mamie and Florrie is one of my favourite brands to buy from.
My proudest makes to date…

These special blankets I made for my two children were designed by my client (and friend) Georgia Farrell. I love the way Georgia combines architectural patterns with the tactile nature of knitting. If you’d like to learn more about the pattern, you can do so here.
A museum I can’t wait to visit…

The Garden Museum is top of my list to visit next time I have an afternoon to myself. Based in a tranquil deconsecrated church in South London, I’m keen to see their beautiful branding and wayfinding signage as well as the exhibitions.
An exhibition I haven’t stopped thinking about…

Seeing Rachel Whiteread Drawings at the Tate Britain in 2010 inspired years of research into the artist and her work. Eventually, this culminated in my BA dissertation about her and the way memories are frozen within her site-specific artworks.
A hidden gem I have to share…

Sir John Soane’s Museum has been kept exactly as it was at the time of the celebrated architect’s death in 1837. It’s filled to the brim with his vast collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models, and paintings.
Somewhere I felt inspired…

Porto’s Banco de Materiais is a must-visit if you’re ever in the area. The aptly named ‘Bank of Materials’ collects tiles and other supplies from Porto’s degrading architecture and makes them available free of charge to those who are looking to restore their own building facade. There’s also a small gallery space where you can explore a vast selection of Porto’s beautiful patterned tiles.
Exit through the gift shop at…

The Fashion + Textile Museum. As well as craft supplies and stationery, their gift shop is filled with beautiful books. On a recent visit, I picked up a copy of Textilepedia, an amazing book both in terms of content and design.
The magazine I never miss…

I discovered Inque Magazine, a large-format annual literary publication dedicated to new writing, at magCulture Live. After listening to its editor-in-chief, Dan Crowe, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy. Documenting an era-defining decade, the magazine doesn’t run any advertising, has no web version, and will only ever publish 10 issues.