Hybrid Creative Director / Design Lead

Spirographs, puzzles and National Geographic. It’s only with experience I realise the influence of childhood passions on adult career choices. Creativity, problem-solving and giving a damn about the world around us: these are the things that drive me.

Portrait of Ben Serbutt

Portrait by Josh Baddiley

 

I’m currently Design Lead for innovation and transformation consultancy &us. Through design thinking and creativity, we help clients such as Novartis and HP thrive with optimism in our uncertain world.

I've been Head of Creative for Fat Beehive where we created delightful, ethical, digital: from UX to websites and from branding to web apps. I’ve been lucky to work with clients such as Greenpeace UK, CARE International, Target Ovarian Cancer, Action Against Hunger, Stop Killer Robots, Cool Earth, SolarAid, World Physiotherapy, Canal and River Trust, Human Dignity Trust and many more.

My focus is design, campaigns and content for positive social change: charities, startups, not-for-profits and life-centred design. My T-shaped skill set has evolved through empathy and endless curiosity. As well as following It's Nice That and Wired for visual inspiration, my reading list includes Dense Discovery, The Imperfectionist and Ten Things. I'm passionate about where design intersects with other disciplines.

I've art-directed Smash Hits and Songlines, been the freelance Creative Director of Jump and volunteered for Chatterbox, The Cambridge Commons and LifeJackets.

While Head of Design and Content at Olympic legacy volunteering charity Join In, we created campaigns such as the #BigThankYou, building the brand to 12% UK awareness in three years.

Combining design thinking with nudge theory enables my work to influence behaviour change. While fighting for good ideas, my toys remain firmly in the pram maintaining listening and openness are the best routes to successful design.

See my work

Client list

Third sector / purpose / social good

  • Action Against Hunger

  • Canal and River Trust

  • CARE International Secretariat

  • Changing Faces

  • Cool Earth

  • Environmental Investigation Agency

  • FORWARD

  • Free Tibet

  • Greenpeace UK

  • Health Poverty Action

  • Human Dignity Trust

  • International Service for Human Rights

  • Join In Trust

  • National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)

  • Resolution

  • Royal College of Ophthalmologists

  • Sigrid Rausing Trust

  • SolarAid

  • Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust

  • Stop Killer Robots

  • Target Ovarian Cancer

  • The Alzheimer’s Society

  • The Children's Trust

  • The Film & Television Charity

  • The Great Get Together

  • The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund

  • The Trampery

  • Tommy's

  • Transport & Environment

  • War Child

  • World Physiotherapy

  • Young Epilepsy

  • Young Women’s Trust

Corporate

  • HP

  • Novartis

Publishing

  • Smash Hits magazine

  • Wanderlust magazine

  • IPC Media

  • Haymarket custom publishing

  • Seven

  • Wardour

  • Progressive Customer Publishing