About Rich McCoy
I emerged in the interactive space in '95, back in mother's land, after completing a Fine Arts degree, while making Clip Art for a multimedia company. Since then I've worked for some of the leading agencies around the world (AKQA, LBI, Edelman, and Saatchi), and many Fortune 100 companies, as an interactive Art Director / UX Designer / Creative Director. I've also made a crust as an Illustrator, Photographer, Painter and Sculptor – disciplines that have immeasurably enhanced my world of pixels. It would be fair to say I'm a creative thinker who refuses to be constrained by the traditional boundaries of the medium. You can thank the bushmen for that.
I'm a firm believer in balancing a strategic mindset with a rolling my sleeves up and getting stuck in approach to life and work.
I love to instil honesty and humanity into my life and work, having poured my heart and soul into pretty much everything online – from banking systems to online communities, artist portfolios to political awareness campaigns, and online shopping stores selling everything from cheap t-shirts to multimillion dollar homes.
Out side of my core UX/UI Design and Creative Direction practice I run a small coaching and mentoring business, make, sell and exhibit art and practice archery.
Currently based in New Zealand, and working for the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment as the Product Owner of Service Design and User Experience.
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What I do
For over two and a half decades I’ve delivered digital creative that expresses the essence of a brand – from the corporate needs of Nestlè to the intimacy of working with a solo potter. This and my portfolio website (mccoy.co.uk) shows the range and variety of my work (and predates Google by almost a year).
Sometimes my leadership is the catalyst for a creative team to find their direction and to overcome obstacles. At other times I relish rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in so that together we solve creative problems. When I'm not leading creative teams you’ll find me with my paint-brush, camera, or horse bow in my hands and invariably bare feet. For years I’ve created, exhibited and sold my art internationally.
How my work benefits you
My depth and breadth of experience – over 25 years of it – will help to avoid costly mistakes in creative project delivery. We’ll catch deviations from brief early, minimising the cost of rework.
We’ll find and express the soul of your brand and the purest, most direct way to communicate this to your customers and clients.
I understand creatives, so will mentor your teams to showcase their talents and deliver more impactful work with increased morale. Creatives who know their work is valued stick around.
My top five strengths according to Gallup® Clifton Strengths report
No. 01Connectedness People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
No. 02IdeationPeople who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
No. 03IntellectionPeople who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
No. 04EmpathyPeople who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.
No. 05FuturisticPeople who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
What matters to me
No. 01 Creativity Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a f**king sharp knife to it. BANKSY
No. 02 Servant LeadershipAs we look ahead to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. BILL GATES
No. 03 Radical CandorIt's kind of hard to piss off the people who you care about. So caring personally and challenging directly are the two ways to get it right. KIM SCOTT
No. 04 Socially Responsible BusinessThe business of business should not be about money. It should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed. ANITA RODDICK
No. 05 AgilityLearn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. ALBERT EINSTEIN
No. 06 Psychological SafetyAs long as I was aligned with listening rather than with an intention to receive a particular response or to shift something, we would stay on safe ground. BONNIE BADENOCH
No. 07 Design ThinkingIf a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand meetings.IDEO.ORG
No. 08 KindnessKindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.Charles Glassman