Ben Walker
Founder & Creative Director
Ben oversees Firefly’s creative projects, ensuring all communications are delivered to a consistently high standard and meet client expectations.
Background
Ben was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Melrose in the Scottish Borders. He went on to complete an Art and Design Foundation course at The Borders College, before studying Graphic Design at Cumbria Institute of the Arts and graduating with distinction.
After graduating, Ben learnt to apply his skills working full-time for a couple of well-established design and marketing agencies in Edinburgh. He delivered creative communications for an impressive range of brands, designing for sectors including healthcare, tourism, hospitality, sports, leisure and technology, as well as government bodies.
After seven years of full-time experience, Ben began working in a freelance capacity, gradually building up his reputation as a talented designer for various creative agencies in Edinburgh. Working on an eclectic range of projects in disciplines spanning branding, digital, advertising, packaging and point of sale, Ben gained a valuable and comprehensive insight into the way different agencies operate. This knowledge, alongside the loyal client base he had developed, lay the foundations for Firefly, which he established in 2014.
Role at Firefly
Enthusiastic, organised and professional, Ben strives for perfection in every project, combining his creativity and technical knowledge to build remarkable brands and add value to client’s businesses. An expert in branding, design for print, design for digital media, advertising and marketing, he works closely with the designers on projects, from the brief to the creative outcome.
As the design industry evolves, so does Firefly. Ben has refined and developed the agency’s processes and structures over time to reflect its core values. From providing extensive services and creating for diverse sectors, to caring for the environment and supporting learning, Ben has taken leaps to establish Firefly as more than a design agency.
Sharing knowledge
Over the years Ben has been involved in numerous educational initiatives and takes pride in sharing his experience and knowledge of design. This has included:
- Temporarily standing in as a Creative & Digital Industries lecturer on the Graphic Design course at The Borders College.
- Providing design lectures for BBC Make It Digital at Edinburgh College, guiding students on how to create a logo and business card for their own personal brand.
- Volunteering as a mentor at Creative Edinburgh, helping budding graphic designers to develop and refine their portfolios and CVs.
- Delivering design training for AnywhereWorks’ design team in Chennai. This involves setting creative project briefs and supporting the team to develop their understanding and skills in areas including branding, advertising, user experience and logo design. In May 2019, Ben had the opportunity to travel to India to meet the team, where he spent time delivering presentations on design principles and processes, contributing to meetings and providing feedback on live projects.
- Setting up Spaceship Academy, a learning initiative inspired by his extensive experience in the design industry and involvement in the education sector. The course supports talented graphic design graduates, giving them the opportunity to hone their portfolio and CV, and offers practical advice for breaking into the design industry. Ben is actively involved throughout the course, providing the designers with support and guidance through workshops and one-to-one reviews.
- The introduction of a learning hour at Firefly. Ben has allocated an hour every week for the team to focus on their personal learning and development using AdaptiveU. The team can choose to spend this time however they wish, allowing them to enhance and diversify their skill set and knowledge, and remain up to date on industry developments.
Personal interests
Rarely seen without a smile, Ben likes to drink strong coffee and enjoys scoping out quirky decorations and plants for the studio.
Outside of work, Ben enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing tennis, watching rugby and is a bit of an ace on the barbecue.
Environmental action
Ben has worked hard to make Firefly a climate positive company. He has implemented a number of sustainable actions, including regular team litter picks in the area surrounding the studio in Leith and planting ten trees for every new client.
He also made the transformational decision to close the studio one day every week for the team to work from home. This cuts out unnecessary commutes and reduces carbon emissions.
Selected brand experience
Throughout his career Ben has worked with an extensive range of brands, including The Co-operative, Dettol, The Famous Grouse, Heinz, Highland Spring, Kwik Fit, Orkney Cheddar, Quality Meat Scotland, Scottish Power, Tennent’s, Visit Scotland, and Yorkshire Dales National Park.
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“I have worked with Firefly on a number of video projects and have been nothing but impressed with the professionalism, expertise and the quality of resulting videos. We plan to use Firefly much more in the future!”
Chris Ridley
Content, Communications and Website Manager
Proactis
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