Rick Smith

Rick Smith is a graphic designer and art director with more than 25 years’ experience working across graphic design, branding, advertising and visual communication. Throughout his career, he
has worked with leading design agencies in both Northern Ireland and Australia, progressing to senior designer and art director positions before establishing his own design agency.

Rick’s formal education began with a National Diploma in Art & Design at Rupert Stanley College in Belfast, followed by a BA (Hons) in Graphic Communication from Wolverhampton University
and a MA and PGDip in Graphic Communication from Birmingham City University. His academic background, combined with more than two decades of professional experience, has given him a broad understanding of both the creative and commercial sides of graphic design.

For the past 16 years, Rick has owned and operated Smith Design Agency, as well as developing Logo Design Belfast and Logo Ireland. During this time, he has worked on a wide variety of projects including branding, logo design, advertising, packaging, brochures, publications and digital communications.

His client experience includes working with Government departments, Audi, Volkswagen, four local councils in Northern Ireland, three leading UK universities, UN Women, Tayto, NatWest, UTV, and the NHS, as well as numerous engineering, manufacturing & food and drink companies. Working with such a diverse range of organisations has given Rick valuable insight into how design needs to adapt to different audiences, industries, budgets and communication objectives.

A significant part of Rick’s professional knowledge comes from understanding what happens behind the design process. Good graphic design is not simply about creating something that looks attractive. It involves understanding a client’s requirements, interpreting a brief, developing ideas, communicating concepts, managing feedback, working within deadlines and budgets, and ultimately producing a solution that achieves its intended purpose.

Rick has extensive experience using industry-standard Adobe Creative Cloud software, including Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, and has developed practical knowledge of preparing artwork for print, creating brand identities, designing packaging and producing professional marketing materials.

His experience of working directly with clients also provides an important educational perspective.
Rick can demonstrate how to approach a client meeting, ask the right questions, interpret a brief, present creative ideas, respond constructively to changes and manage expectations throughout a project. He can also share practical approaches to concept development, visual communication, storyboarding, time management and working within commercial constraints.

Alongside his professional design career, Rick has also shared his knowledge through guest lecturing in Art & Design at CAFRE, helping students understand the relationship between creative education and the realities of working within the professional design industry.

With more than 25 years of experience, Rick’s approach to education is therefore grounded not only in academic theory, but in real-world experience — including the successes, challenges, deadlines, client relationships and creative problem-solving that come with working as a professional designer.

The aim of Rick’s educational work Rick’s aim is to pass on practical knowledge gained throughout his career and help students and emerging designers understand not just how to use design software, but how to think like a designer. Part of this approach is Questions & Answers (Q&A), giving students the opportunity to ask practical questions, discuss ideas and learn from real-world experience.

From developing the initial idea through to presenting and delivering the finished project, my experience provides an insight into the creative, technical and professional skills required to
succeed in the graphic design industry.

Guest Speaker for Discover Creative Careers.