Table of Contents
Tinson in ten seconds
I’m a creative leader, living and working where the disciplines of brand, design thinking, design craft and marketing converge.
Tinson in two minutes
As a brand-driven, audience-first creative leader with over 20 years’ experience, I’ve helped ask the right questions and find the right answers for diverse public, private and third sector organisations around the world—from plucky startup ventures to established household names.
My systematic, facilitative approach to leadership puts people at its centre, conceiving ambitious new ideas and combining them with an attention to detail that builds charismatic brands, creates successful products, and delivers valuable services.
Calm, creative, innovative and a master of detail… His support for and influence right across the organisation cannot be underestimated. When (not if) we reach our goal of becoming a world class brand, much of the credit will go to Neil.
Your leadership of [our] team is a breath of fresh air. Thanks for creating a space where we can learn, share, collaborate, have fun, stretch ourselves, make mistakes and try again.
Neil is without doubt one of the most positive, respectful and encouraging people I’ve ever worked with… He is very skilled and experienced but never lets that become overbearing; interested in people and caring… a team player, preferring others to get the credit… he helps us lift our eyes and standards.
Your creativity, thoughtfulness, dedication and leadership have been instrumental in driving our success.
Tinson on a napkin
Career path
My career path hasn’t followed a straight line through the centre of any given field. But its dynamic turns have made my skills and experience all the richer for it.
What is constant is the natural DNA of my approach. Happy juggling big picture and fine detail. Balancing abstract ideas with concrete data. And seeing things through the eyes of others, as well as my own.
Plus I’ve learnt how to put my commercially-minded curiosity to good use by asking “What opportunities can we identify to do things better?”—before rolling up my sleeves to turn right thinking into right action.
Clients
Some of the more familiar names I’ve helped include the Arts and Humanities Research Council; the BBC; Barclays; Bristol Old Vic; Conflicts Forum; Defra; Dyson; Faber and Faber; the Labour Middle East Council; Orange; Pendennis superyachts; Red Bull; the NHS; the Objective One EU funding programme; Stop The Traffik; the Syfy channel and Tate.
Extra-curricular
ILM Certified Business Coach
- Business Coaching Programme (Foundation), The Business Coaching Academy
Fellow
Trustee
- Ilminster Arts Centre, Somerset
Councillor
- Ilminster Town Council, Somerset
Member
Previous
- Cornwall Design Forum (Chair)
- Design South West (Board member)
- Falmouth University AIR Advisory Board (Board member)
- International Society of Typographic Designers (Board member)
- RSA Student Design Awards, 2019–20 (judging panel)
Publications and speaking
My work has featured in…
- Colour Impression 2 (Dopress)
- Design Week
- Eye magazine
- Icon (Counter-Print)
- Logotype (Laurence King)
I’ve been a guest speaker for…
- Falmouth University
- Institute of Fundraisers
- University of Gloucestershire
- University of Plymouth
Academic
MA dissertation topic:
Design Thinking in Leadership of the Local Church (awarded distinction)