Hey, I'm Ian.
I'm a designer and creative lead, but I couldn't be just one thing. That's why I describe myself as an obsessive generalist — I want to try everything, and my varied experience across brand, motion, video, digital, and content gives me a viewpoint on the design process that purely specialised designers don't have.
My career has taken me through sales, marketing, brand management, graphic design, and video production — across multinational companies, state government, startups, and freelance. That breadth isn't accidental. It's the thing I keep returning to as my strongest asset.
My approach is always measured, open, and forward-looking. I want to combine compelling art direction with the exacting principles of design — with a sprinkling of chaos where I can afford it. Education and meaning are the two constants: I'm driven by curiosity, and by work that earns its existence.
Background
I started using Photoshop in 2003 to make a newspaper for junior reporters in Hereford, UK — my first project involved compositing a knight fighting a dragon. I studied music technology, then film production, before landing in design by a fairly circuitous route. I'm from the UK but have been in Sydney for the best part of 15 years, long enough to become a citizen and acquire two little Australians of my own.
What I'm listening to
About this site
HTML, CSS and vanilla JavaScript — no frameworks, no build step. Built in collaboration with Claude. Hosted on Netlify. It will never be finished.
Experience
Download CV ↓Vouch
amaysim
Macquarie Capital
Dept. of Planning and Environment
Ian Cook Design
Institute of Actuaries of Australia
IRI-Aztec
Aztec Information Services
Matthew Algie Coffee
Kellogg's UK
Education
Staffordshire University
Worcester College of Technology