Studio + Team

Our team is made up of a range of people, all with different skills, backgrounds and experience. A love of great design and typography, craftmanship, materiality and attention to detail is what unites and inspires us to do what we do. We combine these passions with a strong desire to help people move seamlessly through and connect with places and spaces. It’s what shapes our unique approach to wayfinding and placemaking design.

Our people are our strongest advocates. Here, some of our team members explain what drew them to Holmes Wood:

Emily Whiteside, Senior Designer
“As a child, my dad would try to get me out of the way when he was cooking breakfast by asking me to take the family’s fry-up orders. I would carefully illustrate bacon and eggs before tallying up who wanted how many of what, by which time breakfast would magically be ready. I always loved making information more accessible and visually engaging; perhaps that’s why I became a designer and came to work here.”

Helen Cornell, Associate Director, Projects
“I love getting my teeth into our projects; from the buzz of getting a new brief from a client, to meeting new people and working out how you can solve that puzzle together. I love working with teams to come up with creative solutions that inspire and engage audiences.”

Sarah Owen, Senior Strategist
“As a wayfinding strategist, I enjoy developing creative solutions to complex problems. Overlaying a logical and consistent system that acts as a framework for people to navigate and use a space. I want to help people interpret and understand the world around them. As a strategist, I love working collaboratively with other designers and stakeholders to create great places that people enjoy using and return to again and again.”

George Harvey, Graphic Designer
“Working across many sectors in my seven years as a graphic designer, I always wanted to create work that had permanence and a positive impact on people’s lives. Designing tangible and cohesive wayfinding systems allows all kinds of spaces to be more accessible, and seeing them come to fruition is extremely fulfilling.”