You might know us for ecommerce and digital marketing. And if you’ve worked with us before, there’s a good chance you’ve already collaborated with one of our designers along the way.
What we haven’t always shouted about is just how central design is to everything we do. Every website we build, every user experience we improve, every brand we help shape – it all starts with design. From brand identity and campaigns to social, print and digital products, creative thinking underpins the work we’re best known for. Much of our brand campaigns and more creative work sits within larger projects or long-term partnerships, rather than existing as standalone deliverables, so it’s not always something we’ve talked about in isolation, but it’s always been a core part of how we help brands grow and how we work.
This is the first in a series of articles from our design team, in which we’ll be sharing things we think about, care about, and genuinely find interesting. From accessibility and AI to social media and how to get the most from working with a creative agency.
First, we’ll start here, with an introduction to the people who form our design team itself.
Adele, our Creative Director
Adele leads the creative vision in everything we do, from brand and digital to campaign work. With over a decade at Venture Stream alongside experience in both agency and in-house roles, she brings a well-rounded perspective to how brands are built, shaped and scaled.
She’s particularly interested in the relationship between creativity and perception: how thoughtful, consistent, and purposeful design can shape the way a brand is understood and experienced. Adele’s approach always starts with the “why”. Before anything visual, it’s about understanding the purpose and the audience, blending creativity with strategy, ensuring that design isn’t just visually strong, but meaningful and effective too, because the design only works if the thinking is right.
Alongside her role, Adele has worked closely with a range of entrepreneurial ventures, giving her a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with building a brand from the ground up. This experience continues to shape her thinking, bringing a commercial mindset and a genuine passion for helping businesses grow.
Quickfire Q&A
How would you describe what you do to someone outside the industry?
I help businesses look, feel, and sound like who they truly are. It’s about creating clarity, turning ideas into something people can recognise, trust and connect with. Sometimes I tell the kids that I “colour in” for a living. Who doesn’t want to grow up and do that?
What does a typical working day look like for you?
No two days are ever the same, which is part of what I love. It’s usually a mix of strategic thinking, creative direction and hands-on design, whether that’s building out brand identities, shaping campaigns, or refining how something comes to life across different platforms.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Don’t just make it look good, make it mean something. Design that resonates always goes deeper than aesthetics.
What do you do when you’re not designing?
Spending time with my family, switching off where I can (this is a work in progress), and finding inspiration outside of a screen. That balance is important, it’s where a lot of the best ideas come from. We’re incredibly fortunate that Venture Stream is forward-thinking and understands this. We offer a 4-day week, flexible working hours and remote working, which all support the work-life balance.
Meet Dean, our Senior Designer
Dean has been shaping the look and feel of digital products at Venture Stream for nearly a decade, working across ecommerce, websites and brand design and identity for a diverse range of clients, including Yogamatters, Barbour and the NHS.
His career began in the early 2000s, at a time when print and digital started to overlap, giving him a strong foundation across both. Over time, his practice has evolved to combine visual design with front-end development, allowing him to carry ideas through from concept to final build.
Alongside his professional work, he completed a degree in Design for Digital Media. He also studied typographic design with a particular focus on accessibility and the history of type, which remains an ongoing influence.
Before joining Venture Stream, Dean worked across agencies in the UK, as well as undertaking freelance and collaborative projects. His clients have included TalkTalk, Universal Music, Channel 4, Leica, Under Armour, Jaguar Land Rover, and Boohoo, gaining experience in everything from campaign design and brand identities to complex UX projects.
When asked about what makes his approach unique, Dean said:
“I’ve never been fond of being called a “creative”. It’s always used for decoration or art. As a designer, creativity is a part of the process. It’s a way of thinking about problems. Some of the most creative people I’ve met have been developers – who need to solve problems in new ways to create whatever we’re trying to do at the time. Design for me is about communication – whether it’s communicating a value, a message, or a feeling. My approach tends to be heavily focused on simplicity (which is not a case of removing things for the sake of it). It’s more a process of refinement to get to the essence of what we’re trying to say.”
At Venture Stream, his work spans e-commerce, websites, and digital products, alongside brand identity and creative direction. While much of his day-to-day centres on digital, it is underpinned by brand thinking, ensuring that what’s built not only works well, but feels consistent and recognisable.
Quickfire Q&A
How did you get into design?
Curiosity. I’d always been into painting and drawing, but I also spent a lot of time on computers. I used to pull websites apart trying to understand how they were made (a lot of tables!), and it grew from there.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
It varies quite a bit. Most of the time is spent designing websites, mainly e-commerce, but there’s usually a mix of brand work and general design alongside that.
What kind of projects excite you most?
Projects for organisations trying to do something positive, especially when there are multiple touchpoints to consider. They’re less common than they used to be, but print projects are always a highlight.
What’s on your desk right now?
Absolute essentials: Plants, biscuits, tea. Plus the usual-Macs, phone, and a pot of pens and pencils.
What do you do when you’re not designing?
Mostly being outdoors in forests, hills, and historic places. If the weather’s not great, playing with clay and making whatever comes to mind.
Becca, our Creative Designer
Becca has spent the past four years at Venture Stream working across brand identity, email marketing and social design, helping clients bring consistency and personality to everything they do. Having worked with brands like Start Fitness, Standout, and Relo Foods, her projects span a wide range of industries, from fitness and food to lifestyle brands.
With a background in fine art and graphic design, she brings a balance of creativity and strategy to her work. Before joining Venture Stream, she gained experience in packaging and print, working with global brands like P&G and Johnson & Johnson, and developed a solid understanding of how design translates across different formats. Before starting with us, Becca also completed a Master’s Degree at Northumbria University, specialising in graphic design and brand identity for SMEs and art galleries. Her background means she naturally blends creativity with strategy, bridging the gap between fine art and graphic design to create work that’s not just visually strong, but rooted in brand identity, and communicating brand experiences.
Quickfire Q&A
How did you get into design?
It started with a love of drawing and creating. I got really into using Adobe Creative Suite for digital design, which eventually led me into brand identity work.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
No two days are the same, which I love. I usually juggle a mix of email campaigns, social media graphics (often for sports and health & beauty clients), and branding projects.
What kind of projects excite you most?
Anything where I can help a brand really find its voice and bring its personality to life. I especially love full rebrands, when you get to work on everything from social templates to websites, menus, signage… the lot. I love seeing a brand fully embrace a strong identity.
What do you do when you’re not designing?
I love going for runs and training in the gym, recently I trained for a Hyrox. I also enjoy going for long walks with my dog, drawing and painting. The 4-day work week at Venture Stream gives me the balance I need to stay energised, look after my wellbeing, and keep being creative.
What’s the first thing you do when you get a new project?
I like to take time to truly understand the brand’s goals and make a strategic plan. Then I’ll use pen and paper to create a mind map of ideas and little sketches.
How has your process changed since you first started out?
It’s definitely become more structured over time. I’ve learned to explore a wider range of ideas first, then refine and narrow things down to what will really work best for the brand.
Ruth, our Senior Creative Designer
Ruth brings over 20 years of experience to the team, with a background that started in TV production before moving into design. She’s spent the past six years at Venture Stream working across a wide range of brands, creating thoughtful, effective design across print and digital channels.
Her background still plays a big part in how she works today, bringing a strong sense of storytelling, audience awareness, and an emphasis on narrative and connection.
Ruth is a key part of the creative team, working across email marketing, brand identity, and campaign design. She has a particular strength in blending creative ideas with a clear understanding of what drives performance and has worked with a range of well-known brands across hospitality, sport and FMCG, such as Sky Sports, Coty, Procter & Gamble, Village Urban Resorts, and more, adapting her approach to suit each one while keeping the work consistent and engaging.
At Venture Stream, she works across email campaigns, digital design, print, and brand-led projects, always aiming to create work that feels cohesive, considered, and true to each brand.
Quickfire Q&A
How did you get into design?
Having trained in Media Production and working in the television industry for six years, I had a good foundation of skills, but felt the need to be more creative. I had a friend who worked as a designer who helped me to realise where my passion lay, and I’ve never looked back! I absolutely love my job and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
It always starts with coffee. I tend to start a little earlier than most people, so I enjoy having a quiet start to the day, catching up with emails and planning ahead. Every day is different, and I love being able to switch between different brands and projects throughout the day, it keeps it exciting.
What kind of projects excite you most?
I really love working on a project from start to finish. A branding project that begins with a conversation and a mood board, and ends with seeing the finished product on the side of a bus. I also really love working with clients day-to-day, getting to know the brand inside and out, and creating something beautiful that is also effective.
What’s on your desk right now?
Coffee and chocolate. I also have a whiteboard with current projects and colour references. I know it’s old-fashioned, but I love having everything I need at a glance.
What are you working on at the moment?
It’s a mix between daily work for my regular clients, working on a larger redesign and expansion to optimise the current setup, and getting some ideas together for a new client who is looking for a branding project. There’s lots on, but I love it!
How do you feel about AI?
I love AI as a starting point, it’s a great tool to help me collect my thoughts and get into the zone. I’ve seen some absolute shockers, particularly when people have used AI for image creation. There’s no replacement for real people writing and designing real things, but it definitely helps get things going.
