About Me

When I sat down to complete this portfolio, I struggled to categorise myself nicely as a certain type of designer. Was I a brand designer? But…I love creating more than just brands. Was I only a marketer? But I love design succeeding more than just high conversion rates. A UX designer? A motion designer? A strategist? A storyteller? What am I, and how do I fit into the ever-changing design world?

When I interrogated myself on why I loved branding, UX, and marketing, the true Russell Lee surfaced. I realised I loved creating that ‘wow’ experience for anyone – no matter the brief. Branding, UX, and marketing were just the most exciting ways to provide these experiences.

Behold: Russell Lee. Creative strategist and designer who loves crafting impactful and meaningful experiences with a people-first attitude. I love understanding the nuances of why designs work (or not). I love exploring big problems before talking about solutions, and I love creating lean but bespoke solutions after diving into the deep ends. I love reminding others of the power of design – with all the twinkle and artisanal charm it used to have – in a world which now unfortunately looks to lower costs and increase margins.

Sound nerdy? Well, I guess you could say I overthink designs so you don’t have to.

This childhood appreciation stemmed from many things, including Club Penguin, Star Wars, and PowerPoint animations. This naturally grew into undertaking a visual communication degree where I now have experience working across multiple marketing and design agencies, currently an in-house designer for a small boutique consultancy.

Outside of design, I have worked at Kmart for many years, led a Navy squad, ran a small Etsy business, captured cool basketball moments in video edits, cold-called venues and bars in sales, and was an enthusiastic university mentor. All these quirky detours have grown my appreciation for how intentional care & good systems can have a large and noticeable impact on the people and world around me.

As a junior designer with well-rounded technical skills, I am now growing in understanding how to tackle briefs, own them, and deliver with passion.

Want to yarn more? Please, reach out!

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The challenges, designs, and thoughts of a young designer selling graphic tees