25+ years building brands and websites people actually want to use. Clean structure, confident layouts and user flows designed around how your customers think.
I work with start-ups, SMEs and agencies across branding and eCommerce design. Sharper positioning, stronger visuals and results you can measure.
Work.
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pug.js.
I designed the logo for pug.js, an HTML templating language, as a way to give back to the tech community. Read about the process behind the brand’s creation.
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Meet Magento UK 2024.
Clean, adaptable branding for Meet Magento UK 2024 that balanced clarity with character. Designed to scale seamlessly across digital, print, and in-person moments.
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Blue Eye Aviation.
The Blue Eye Aviation logo captures the thrill of flight with a Tiger Moth-inspired design, balancing movement and elegance. Read about the creative process behind it.
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Anticipate Invitations.
A bespoke eCommerce solution for Anticipate Invitations, blending CraftCMS and Snipcart to create a seamless, flexible online store tailored to their unique needs.
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Meet Magento UK 2025.
JH brought me back for 2025's conference and to build on the success of 2024's branding. I took things up a notch.
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Fit Property.
Fit Property needed a refined yet distinctive brand to break away from the competition. The result? A sleek, smart logo—featured in Taschen’s Logo Design 3.
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Trōv.
A full rebuild of Trōv’s website, replacing a sluggish WordPress theme with a lean, fast, and responsive ExpressionEngine site for better performance and flexibility.
About me.
I’m Chris, a full-time freelance website & graphic designer based in Nottingham, UK. I work with industry disruptors and upstart start-ups from all over the world.
Clients of all shapes and sizes trust me to bring their projects to life, from agencies and one-person SMEs to B2B and B2C businesses in the tech sector, eCommerce, and beyond.
Everyone is welcome here!
With over 25 years of experience, I have worked across a wide range of design disciplines. My career started in traditional graphic design and, over the past 10-15 years, has evolved to focus on web, eCommerce, and SaaS product design and development. This variety has afforded me a wealth of both challenges and opportunities along the way.
I founded my studio - My First Raygun - in 2005, and since then I have worked a combination of in-house and freelance roles for agencies and tech companies.
Most recently, I have worked on an overhaul of a global agriculture supplier’s website with mReaction, as they needed a designer who is also a Figma expert.
Before this, I was the Principal Designer at JH, where I worked on eCommerce projects for clients such as Big Bus Tours, Woodie’s, Graham & Green and Wayland Games.
I was also responsible for the update and overhaul of the brand and in-house signage for Meet Magento UK - a conference organised by JH with 750+ attendees - a particularly rewarding project and one I am very proud of. They loved the branding so much, they used it again for 2025's conference (with a few tweaks)!
You can read more about my approach to branding MMUK in my portfolio.
Much of my career has been in the tech sector, including being the first design hire at hosting pioneers 20i. In that role, I worked as both a designer and front-end developer, creating a framework for rapid build and deployment of the customer control panel and the sales website, both of which I designed.
Before that, I was a senior designer and developer at Heart Internet, where I worked on a major brand and website relaunch - including overseeing a complete code rewrite within a week; the basis of which I would refine and release as Sculpt, Heart's own answer to Bootstrap.
Over the years, I have worked across a variety of industries including health, non-profit, finance, publishing, and education. My projects have ranged from supporting small local businesses in the early days of my career to working with 8-figure turnover giants, both in-house and at agency level.
Experience.
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Freelance
Senior designer
2005 → Current
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JH
Principal designer
2023 → 2024
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Contrast
Head of design
2018 → 2020
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20i
Senior designer
2015 → 2016
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Distinction
Senior designer
2014
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Heart Internet
Senior designer
2013
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Various roles
Artworker & designer
1998 → 2010
- Download my full CV
Happy clients.
FAQs.
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What types of projects do you specialise in as a designer?
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Why hire a specialist in eCommerce and SaaS design?
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Do you also handle development or work with developers?
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What is your design process like?
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How long does it take to design an eCommerce or SaaS website?
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How much do you charge for your design services?
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Will you help me with branding and visuals, like logos and style guides?
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What if I already have a website but need a redesign or UX improvement?
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How will my final designs be delivered?
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I'm interested! How do we get started?
Need some help with a project?
Send some details about what you need to hello@christopherdowson.studio
I can help design a website from the ground up, overhaul an existing site, build a design system for your product and even get a project that might have gone awry back on track (it happens!).
For some clients I also handle the code, but I prefer to focus on the design.
Currently based in Nottingham, UK and available for remote-friendly work.