Tashidene Cottage
Tuckett Lane
Bristol BS16 1LU
Tel: +44 117 957 3959

Nick McKay is a freelance graphic designer specialising in magazine design. He has over 25 years industry experience working on all types of magazines from new launches, relaunches and redesigns down to individual page layouts. He has been shortlisted twice at the Magazine Design & Journalism Awards – Best Design Business Magazine for Whitepaper in 2002 and Best Magazine/Redesign for New Humanist in 2007.

Since 2006 he has worked independently as a freelance designer based in Bristol and is currently looking for new clients.

Have a look through his portfolio website at www.nickmckaydesign.com and if you like what you see please get in touch on 07850 374 681. 

EMAP, IPC, BBC Magazines, Newtrade, Imagine Publishing, Bauer, EMPplc, Rationalist Association, Anthem Publishing, Merricks Media, Media Clash, RPA Publishing, Guild of Machine Knitters, Flat Living, Adrenaline Publishing, Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, Beagle Welfare, Cornerstone, SPES, Mach Acoustics, Key IP, RAC, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bunbury Cricket Club and Commission for Racial Equality

September 2006 – Present
Freelance graphic designer
Nick McKay Design

Recent projects include editorial design for magazines as diverse as Retail Newsagent, New Humanist, Machine Knitting Monthly, Flat Living & Guild of Machine Knitters.

Complete magazine redesigns for Retail Newsagent, Flat Living, Machine Knitting Monthly, Guild of Machine Knitters, News on the Block

Branding and identity work for Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, Beagle Welfare, Cornerstone, SPES, Rationalist Association, Mach Acoustics

Previous projects include a complete redesign of New Humanist (shortlisted for Best Redesign at the Magazine Design and Journalism Awards 2007), complete redesigns of Business Travel World and various magazine, print and web design projects for BBC, EMAP, Imagine, Key IP, Anthem, Media Clash and Merricks Media.

April 1995 – September 2006
Designer
Local Government Chronicle and Whitepaper at EMAP
Successful completion of three redesigns of Local Government Chronicle working closely with different editors and publishers. After each redesign, circulation increased against a background of a shrinking market.
Design and art direction of a new launch – Whitepaper, a monthly title aimed at public sector managers. Shortlisted for Best Designed Business Magazine at the Magazine Design Awards 2002.
Day to day tasks include planning the evolution of the magazine,
art direction of photography and illustration, managing the design assistants work load, managing the picture budget, designing pages to high resolution pdfs, over seeing work carried out by freelance designers, art checking and any required repro work.
Other projects have included introducing branding principles for Local Government Chronicle’s entire printed output, website design, directory and book design, and moving to Indesign in 2003.

December 1994 – March 1995
Senior designer
Essentials at IPC
Work included covering for the deputy art editor and designing pages under the art editors direction. At the time Essentials was one of the top 10 best selling magazines in the UK.


December 1991 – November 1994
Freelance designer
Mrs Beeton and Salon Extra at EMP plc and various brochures and directories
Art direction and design of a bi-monthly cookery magazine. (96 pages in 2 weeks)
Art direction and design of a quarterly magazine for the British Hairdressers Association. (64 pages in 2 weeks)
Other work included various brochures for the RAC, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Bunbury Cricket Club and The Commission for Racial Equality.

September 1989 – November 1991
Designer
EMPplc
Designing brochures, maps and directories for a contract publisher who’s clients were a variety of organisations in the public sector.

Education
1987 - 1989
HND in Design (graphic design) at Lincolnshire College of Art and Design

1986 - 1987
OND Foundation course at Plymouth College of Art and Design


1984 - 1986
A levels: Art, Pure mathematics, Applied mathematics

1980 - 1984
O Levels: Art, Maths, Technical Graphics, English Language, Chemistry, Geography

Magazine Design & Journalism Awards – and Best Magazine/Redesign for New Humanist in 2007
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/magazine-design-journalism-awards-the-shortlist/



Shortlisted for Best Design Business Magazine for Whitepaper in 2002
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/jack-up-for-best-launch-in-magazine-design-awards/