Reece Heron is a London-based Founder & Creative Director specialising in visual communication and emerging technologies. He holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and is completing an MA in Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art – the world’s leading art and design school – on a scholarship awarded by WHSmith.
Through Heron Group Ltd, Reece provides fractional creative direction, consultancy, and design services to startups, SMEs, and established brands. He is frequently engaged at director level to oversee brand, product, and creative strategy on a flexible basis, helping companies align design with growth.
Previously, he founded Maad House, a full-service design agency delivering award-recognised work for leading UK brands. The agency’s assets and intellectual property were later acquired, with the remaining entity rebranding to Brandflake, where Reece continues to advise on creative strategy and oversee key projects.
With over eight years of experience across agency, in-house, and startup roles, his work spans brand identity, product development, design systems, and visual storytelling. He has ranked in the top 1% of global freelancers and continues to combine strategic and experimental approaches within both commercial and academic contexts.
Experience
Founder & Creative Director
Heron Group Ltd
March 2025 – Now
Founded Heron Group as a creative consultancy vehicle for fractional engagements. Provides creative direction, brand consultancy, and design services for a diverse portfolio of clients, from early-stage ventures to established SMEs. Typically engaged at director level to oversee brand, product, and creative strategy on a project or part-time basis.
Founder & Creative Director
Brandflake (Maad House)
Feb 2022 – Now
Founded a full-service design agency at 20, delivering D&AD-recognised work for leading UK brands. Oversaw all aspects of creative and operational strategy, while helping clients generate over £25M in revenue within the first six months of trading. The agency’s assets and intellectual property were later acquired, with the remaining entity rebranded to Brandflake, where Reece continues to support select clients and oversee studio activity.
Freelance Designer
June 2020 – Feb 2022
Delivered branding, UI/UX design, and web development services for e-commerce, SaaS, and hospitality clients. Ranked in the top 1% of global freelancers on major platforms, delivering high-return creative solutions for scaling startups and growing brands.
Graphic & Web Designer
Thulya Technologies
Feb 2018 – June 2020
Joined Thulya following an early business acquisition at age 16. Contributed to UI/UX design of B2B SaaS platforms. Played a key role in product design, marketing design, and cross-functional creative delivery within a lean team of 10.
Education
Royal College of Art
MA (RCA) Visual Com
2025 – 2026 (TBC)
Awarded a highly competitive scholarship from WHSmith to study at the world’s leading arts university. Research is ongoing with academic work contributing to experimental and strategic design practice.
Leeds School of Art
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
2020 – 2023 (1st Class)
Graduated top of cohort with research exploring the influence of brutalism and mid-century modernism on contemporary generative design systems. Developed a strong foundation in visual communication, design theory, and cross-platform execution.
Core Skills
Creative Leadership
– Creative Direction
– Brand Strategy
– Concept Development
– Campaign Direction
– Business Development
Design & Communication
– Art Direction
– Brand Identity
– UI/UX Design
– Visual Storytelling
– Advertising Design
– Packaging Design
– Editorial Design
Product & Experience
– Product Design
– Product Development
– Design Systems
– UI Prototyping
– User Experience
– Creative Operations
– Web Development
Emerging Technologies
– Generative AI in Design
– Creative Automation
– Experimental Design
Key Tools & Platforms
– Adobe Creative Cloud
– Figma
– WordPress
– HTML & CSS
– No-Code Tools