Who I am.

My name is Cat Townsend and I’m a graphic designer with a background in engineering and project management.
As the founder and director of Not Pretty, my job is to communicate complex ideas in a simple way. That isn’t necessarily as easy as it sounds, but I wouldn’t do anything else. Every new job is a challenge, and gives me the opportunity to try new things and collaborate with great people. What’s not to love?

Cat Townsend is not pretty.
But then she's not just another designer.

Strategist

Like a true engineer, I love examining how things work and dreaming up better, more efficient ways of doing things.

My strength lies in gathering information and ideas and sorting them into a logical and coherent order. Then it is a matter of developing an intuitive structure for that information and refining the details until we have a considered and cohesive end product.

At the end of a job, I'll have made even the most complex ideas look simple.

Creative

Supressed for 8 long years of an engineering career, it is my creative
side that keeps me jumping out of bed every morning.

The logical side of me has already ensured that you will have a solid and intuitive end product. The creative side of me makes sure that the end product is engaging, memorable and distinctly you.

It isn’t about selling you the craziest, most expensive idea. It is about coming up with an angle that makes you unique.

Project Manager

Years of project management experience have taught me that the best solutions aren’t conceived in isolation.

Which is why I’ll work closely with you from concept to completion, to ensure
we exceed the expectations of your customers and stakeholders.

And while you concentrate on the
bigger picture, you can be assured that I’ll manage the details - even when it is necessary to work with other contractors or suppliers. Why juggle designers, developers, copywriters or printers when I can do it for you?

Why not pretty?

As an engineer, I have to admit that I thought design was all about making stuff look pretty. And to be honest the thought that people could get paid to do that seemed pretty absurd. But once I became a designer I realised very quickly that although design can be about making stuff look pretty, the best design - and the design I want to create - has nothing to do with making stuff look pretty. In fact the best design is achieved by looking at something, figuring out how it works and then making it work a whole lot better. In nearly every case this involves making it look better as well. But 'pretty' really has nothing to do with it.

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