Meet the Springer Charlie
BY Charlie O'Halloran | Journal | 14/04/2023
CHARLIE IN BRIEF
I’m Charlie, a Designer at Spring. As a multi-disciplined creative, you’ll find me working on all types of projects, but my most notable skill is in motion graphics and animation where I can bring static artwork to life with a wiggle and a shimmy across the screen. Problem-solving is one of the my biggest passions and planning how a brand can come to life through moving image beyond branding and identity is always enjoyable.
FROM BASS TO BRANDING
After years of designing in my spare time, it’s now so fulfilling to do what I love doing for a living.
Being the self-appointed videographer in the bands I played in throughout my teenage years, I began my creative journey creating visuals to shout about the band on social media. I loved being able to flex my creative brain at every given opportunity, and I loved the challenge in learning new skills and picking up Adobe Creative Suite, teaching myself how to make and create.
After getting a degree in graphic design, my career really began as a freelancer where I established a name for myself in motion graphics, creating moving visuals for some of the biggest brands and organisations in the world. It was important for me to work for people doing good in the world, such as those supporting young people facing issues that society hasn’t faced in modern times, from the economic fallout of an unprecedented global pandemic to the ongoing threat of global warming. The projects I took on meant more than just making things look good.
In that time, I dabbled in agency life, but nowhere felt right. This is where Spring came along…
Just Spring Things
With the packed train carriage commutes and ridiculous rental prices, living and working in the Big Smoke was never on my agenda. Whilst London is home to some of the best design in the world, the lifestyle just wasn’t for me. This is why it was such a delight to find Spring so close to home. Packing up the freelance career was a big decision, but a decision made a hell of a lot easier when I was met with the energy and enthusiasm that the directors, Glen and George, have. But while the quaint seaside getaway of Southwold was the last place I’d expect to find one of the most vibrant and energetic agencies in East Anglia, with the high standard of work being produced, joining the team at Spring was a no-brainer.
From day one, I was given the opportunity to show my talents and use my skills across a number of accounts, while still having the opportunity to learn and grow as a designer every working day. I’ve had the pleasure on working on everything from hundred-paged brochures to logo animations, and everything in between.
OUTSIDE THE 9 TO 5
My time outside of the studio consists of the emotional ups and downs of being a Liverpool fan, cooking up something fancy in the kitchen or refusing to grow up spending hours on end gaming until my fingers are sore and my eyes are bleary. When not making magic behind a computer screen, you’ll find me cutting shapes in mosh pits at festivals and gigs across the country. I’m nowhere more at home than in a sticky-floored basement seeing my favourite band with a beer in hand. The heavier the band the better!