Nathan Monk

I run a branding, print and digital design agency called SMILE where it is my job to solve visual problems.

I like to think big and I'm really interested in making experiences easy to interact with. I love semantics making communication pieces more effective. Although my job is heavily visual, I work closely with copy. Tone of voice and language is a large part of my thinking on a day to day basis. I also enjoy being able to simplify user interaction using automation and background processes.

• IdN v18n5: Logographic Issue

  • International designers Network
  • October 2011
  Authors: Nathan Monk, IdN

  My work for Coppelia was featured in IdN as part of a review of the exhibition.

• Baseline Magazine 57

  • Bradbourne Publishing Ltd.
  • July 2009
  Authors: Nathan Monk

  As part of a creative team, photography was commissioned and used in a feature on typographer Timothy Donaldson.

• Design Week Volume 24 / Number 43

  • Design Week
  • October 29, 2009
  Authors: Nathan Monk

  I co-wrote an article called "We started up with nothing" with Sue Coles and Matt Lees. The article was based on the comercial set-up of We are SMILE Ltd - which we did whilst at university.

• Computer Arts 169

  • Future Publishing
  • December 2009
  Authors: Nathan Monk

  SMILE were featured in the Top 5 Direct Mails that worked in 2009.

• Point Blanke

  • June 2011 to June 2011
  Team Members: Nathan Monk, Claire Hartley, Katie Parry, Luke Tonge

  A collection of original images inspired by the story of Coppelia. In a first-of-its-kind collaborative project for Birmingham Royal Ballet, 27 artists and designers have been invited to produce individual pieces of artwork based upon toymaker Doctor Coppélius, and his attempts to breathe life into his most prized creation.

• Typographic Horizons

  • November 2009 to November 2009
  Team Members: Nathan Monk

  Typographic Horizons was a conference aimed at opening minds towards the contemporary horizons of typography. Graphic and typeface designers, scholars and experts of typography and professionals working in the area of visual communications were all invited to take part in the meeting, which was held on 18 November 2009.

• Not My Type

  • May 2010 to June 2010
  Team Members: Nathan Monk

  Not My Type is a typographical exploration of 26 letters by 26 different illustrators, designers and artists, all displayed as one alphabet.
  
  The exhibition was held in the Created in Birmingham Bullring store and was open to the public during May 2010.

1. jQuery
2. Social Media APIs
3. Wordpress Development
4. CSS
5. PHP
6. Magento Development
7. Grid Systems
8. Typography

Websites:

• SMILE

Interests:

Typography, Semantics, Automation, Wire-free environments, Playing the Saxophone

Groups and Associations:

RAR

• 
  AIGA | Professional Association for Design.
• 
  Design for Social Change
• 
  Interiors & Lifestyle Futures
• 
  Typophile

Honors and Awards:

RAR Recommended Supplier 2010
Louisa Anne Ryland Award, 2009
Entrepreneurship Trevor Award, 2009