About.

Creating branding that energises business, inspires actions, engages audiences, and makes meaningful human connections - that’s my mission.

I work with start-ups, early stage businesses, SMEs and established businesses and organisations, from a wide and varied range of sectors.

It’s my experience that the learnings from one particular sector can always bring fresh perspective and unexpected value to another.

Brand Designer, Brand Strategist, Brand DNA Specialist, Independent Creative Director, my name is John Whalley.
I have a track record in designing and building brands across multiple sectors, including sport, retail, fashion, media, music, travel, tech, philanthropy, education and energy.
 
My work with founders, businesses and organisations is never about just a logo. It’s about creating brands that tell their story, define their purpose, project their personality.
It's about building brands that people engage with, connect with, can feel a part of.
Designing start-up brands, re-energising existing brands, helping ambitious brands grow, I have applied creativity, experience and know-how to projects reaching across the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA.
I'm also an advisory board member, guest lecturer, industry panellist and occasional speaker on branding, as well as playing an active role in supporting the creative industry and its future talent.

  • Where and how did this all begin?

    My fascination with combining typography, words, colours, graphics and images to create the expression of a brand, its purpose and its personality, was born during my grounding as graphic designer in the advertising world.

    A progression into art direction led to extensive travel and an opportunity to work with clients and creatives from a wide and varied range of sectors and disciplines. Experiencing different cultures, styles and ways of communicating only increased my fascination with branding and the power of brand communication.

    On becoming Creative Director of an agency - based in the cities of Manchester, London and Mumbai – I was committed to broadening the agencies portfolio, helping introduce projects from the worlds of sport, travel and philanthropy into its well-established expertise in fashion and retail.

    Today, as an independent Brand Designer, Brand Strategist and Creative Director, I work with founders, brands, businesses and organisations from many different sectors. Whether they’re a start-up, an SME, a well-established business or organisation, my aim is always to help them recognise and maximise the power of their most valuable asset, their brand.

  • As a speaker, panelist, guest lecturer, podcast guest, and fully paid-up member of the creative industry, my topics to date have included -

    Panelist at AI & Tech for Good - Creative Industry Event.

    One Giant Leap, Skills Bootcamp Presenter.

    Band on the Wall, Branding Masterclasses.

    Judging Panelist at the Effies 2025.

    Speaker, School of Digital Arts.

    Speaker, Manchester Fashion Institute.

    GoodCon Europe, Talking Brands for Good.

    Giving Voice to Brands, We Have the Power.

    Brand Meet Consumer / Consumer Meet Brand.

    Brand Storytelling.

    Brand Building.

    Brand Purpose.

    How To Pitch Your Ideas.

    Judging Panelist at AccelerateME.

    The Gig Economy in the Creative Industry.

    The Superpower of the Ordinary.

    The Power of Brand Partnerships in Sport.

    Brand Battling vs Brand Building.

    Getting into the Creative Industry.

    Adobe Creative Jam Presenter.

Disciplines
Insights