Fruit Tank

Fruit Tank

Motion & Graphic Designer

Motion & Graphic Designer

2019 - 2020

2019 - 2020

I set up Fruit Tank to deliver branding, web design, and motion graphics for small businesses and projects like Edinburgh Hogmanay with media coverage in The Guardian and The Times.

Animation

Graphic Design

Web Design

Motion Graphics

Branding

After Pandable, I set up Fruit Tank, which was my own design business offering motion graphics, graphic design, and web services. The name didn't really mean anything, which meant it could be anything. I wanted the brand to feel bold and playful, so I created business cards with a dozen different designs on the back, each showcasing a different style of work and they became a talking point at networking events.

Networking pushed me out of my comfort zone. I'm not someone who enjoys selling myself, but I challenged myself to hand out a few cards per event and have genuine conversations about what people needed and offer them advice without a sales pitch. I just tried to help and that tended to work well, with people then reaching out for advice and I would then offer to do the work I suggested. I also developed a cold email strategy by researching companies, identifying challenges, and reaching out with ideas. The hit rate was pretty low, maybe 1-2 clients for every 50 emails sent, but 1-2 clients is still decent and one of those emails led to me working with Money Dashboard, and creating motion graphics for Monzo and Starling Bank.

Edinburgh Hogmanay: Message From the Skies

One of the Edinburgh agencies I'd worked with asked if I could deliver animations on a tight two-month deadline. I got it done in one, which led to them offering me one of their Edinburgh Hogmanay commissions.

"Message from the Skies" is an annual installation where poets write about themes important to Scotland, and artists bring them to life through projection mapping onto landmarks around the city. My piece focused on climate change and the ocean, and the poet allowed me to interpret the work in my own way, which gave me the freedom to experiment. Since our piece would be installed on the Union Canal, I wanted to use the water to make the piece more immersive.

Edinburgh Hogmanay: Message From the Skies

One of the Edinburgh agencies I'd worked with asked if I could deliver animations on a tight two-month deadline. I got it done in one, which led to them offering me one of their Edinburgh Hogmanay commissions.

"Message from the Skies" is an annual installation where poets write about themes important to Scotland, and artists bring them to life through projection mapping onto landmarks around the city. My piece focused on climate change and the ocean, and the poet allowed me to interpret the work in my own way, which gave me the freedom to experiment. Since our piece would be installed on the Union Canal, I wanted to use the water to make the piece more immersive.

The installation ran with my name credited on posters and the piece itself, and it was covered in The Guardian, The Times, and The Scotsman.

I attended a few times during the event and it was really nice watching people stop, read the poem, watch the animation, and even film it. Seeing my work in a public space, and watching people appreciate it is still the highlight of my business life (top 3 at least).

Some Other Work

Some Other Work

Fruit Tank was a milestone for me because it proved I could win work independently, deliver high-profile projects, and manage everything from client relationships to final delivery. Even when I wasn't winning clients, I enjoyed the work I was doing and I used quieter periods to learn new skills, develop new interests, and work on personal projects that made me a better artist.

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