I shape design for print and digital, every brief, every screen and everyone.
I'm Melissa Sugden, Head of Design & Digital with 16 years in design and digital across creative agencies, and more than 8 years leading teams. I work across branding and style guides, graphic design, responsive web, digital and user experience. I love specialising in accessibility, making sure great design works for everyone.
Portfolio
Skills & tools
An all-rounder across brand, print, digital and web, from the first idea to the final build, ready to take on any brief.
Tools
The software I use day to day.
How I shape and lead design & digital teams
Head of Design & Digital at Blick Creative since 2018, leading the design, digital and development team at an agency that specialises in inclusive, accessible design.
Creative direction and standards
I set the creative direction and quality standards for all studio work, and still design hands-on across brands, websites, reports and campaigns.
Accessibility where it counts
I bring accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) and user experience into the team’s process, from brief and design through to build and quality checks, matched to what each project needs.
Leading and mentoring a team
I lead a team of 6 designers and developers across Australia and internationally, managing workload, design reviews and professional development.
Workshops that lift the whole team
I design and run team workshops on accessibility, website security and custom WordPress theme development.
Building the team
I recruit the team, from shortlisting and interviewing through to hiring designers and developers.
Winning the work
I write and design proposals, winning more than 40 of 50+ submitted (around 80%), for clients including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Deafblind Australia and Monash University.
Need a design lead who puts users and access first?
Based in Queensland, Australia. Open to remote work from anywhere, and local roles.