Creative Direction and Consultancy

I offer tailored Creative Direction and Consultancy for small start-ups and agencies who need a senior design creative without hiring in-house. I work collaboratively to strengthen your design function. With experience across diverse industries (and with expertise in healthcare and social impact) I support teams to think clearly, design intentionally, and communicate with purpose.

Get in Touch

How can I help?

  • £750 – £1,200 (depending on scope)

    A focused, senior-level review of yours or your clients brand, design, or communications. Ideal if you need clarity, direction, or a fresh external perspective.

    How this works

    • Pre-review audit of your brand, visuals, website or campaign

    • 90-minute working session (online or in person)

    • Clear written summary with recommendations and next steps

    What I can help with

    • Reviewing an existing brand or visual identity

    • Stress-testing a new concept before launch

    • Identifying gaps or inconsistencies in your design system

    • Improving clarity and impact in your storytelling or messaging

    • Advising on how to evolve your brand without a full rebrand

    Best for: Start-ups and agencies who want senior creative input without a full-time hire.

  • From £1,500 per month (3-month minimum)

    Ongoing Creative Direction to support your design function.

    How this works

    • Monthly strategy or review sessions

    • Ongoing feedback on live work (Slack / email)

    • Creative decision-making support

    • Priority access and flexible check-ins

    What I can help with

    • Acting as a sounding board for creative decisions

    • Supporting junior designers or internal teams

    • Reviewing client work before sign-off

    • Helping agencies maintain consistency across multiple projects

    • Guiding brand evolution as your business scales

    • Translating complex ideas into clear, human-centred design

    Best for: start-ups and agencies who want senior creative input without a full-time hire.

  • From £2,500 (project-based pricing)

    Hands-on creative leadership for a defined piece of work — from strategy through to delivery.

    How this works

    • Project scoping and goals setting

    • Collaborative working sessions

    • Creative direction across design, storytelling and delivery

    • Clear outputs and documentation for future use

    What I can help with

    • Brand strategy and visual identity development

    • Storytelling frameworks for campaigns or products

    • Co-design workshops with teams or stakeholders

    • Communications toolkits and design systems

    • Healthcare or purpose-led projects requiring careful, human-centred thinking

    Best for: Teams needing structured creative leadership on a specific challenge or initiative.

Testimonials

  • "What sets Helena apart is her collaborative approach—she was always receptive to feedback, quick to adapt, and genuinely committed to bringing the best out of every project. Whether it was building websites from scratch or refining communication strategies, her work consistently elevated the coalitions' visibility and authenticity. "

  • "From the initial engagement and story board and throughout the project, Helena's experience and understanding of design and promotion within healthcare settings was evident and her understanding of the project was spot on. She was fantastic at managing our needs and translating them into concepts that were fresh and engaging, embedding throughout, the ethos and mission of the Programme."

  • "We had the pleasure of working with Helena and her team on our brand guide and UI designs, and it was a great experience. Helena is incredibly creative and her dedication to her work is clear. She listened to our needs, proposed great ideas and worked efficiently to get the project completed in a short amount of time and within budget. Looking forward to working with her again in future!"

  • "I recently worked with Helena on an organisational re-brand, and I would strongly recommend her and her team to anyone considering a similar project. Having undertaken a tendering process to appoint Helena, she emerged as the obvious choice because of her fresh approach to the problem we were presenting, and the confidence she commanded in her process to deliver our desired outcomes. Helena is professional and articulate in communicating her thinking, but what really sets her apart is her ability to unpack perspectives you are blind to within your own environment - forcing you to think objectively and broaden your mindset."

  • "Helena has been incredible to work with. Her ability to understand a difficult brief which involved interpreting and incorporating many different opinions from organisations spanning across public and charity sectors was outstanding. She approached the work with an open attitude which was essential and produced branding for three community led coalitions that really captures their identity - thank you Helena."

  • "Helena is amazing at what she does, a great communicator, and incredibly organised. She is inspiring and motivating to work with. Under very tight time pressure we worked with Helena on a full suite of messaging, branding, design and digital reboot. She managed the whole process, managed the recruitment and hiring of great subcontractors and delivered it to us seamlessly and professionally. She certainly exceeded expectations and truly overdelivered."