A Brand, Experience and Innovation expert

I am Dave Ward. I help leadership teams turn unclear brand, product and experience ambition into clear direction.

Dave Ward

How I help

Brand and proposition strategy

For organisations that need a clearer story, sharper positioning, or a stronger connection between business ambition and market relevance.

What I do: I help leadership teams define the audience, proposition, narrative, principles and strategic tools needed to align the business and guide confident execution.

North Star experience definition

For teams creating or evolving a product, service or customer experience, but lacking a shared picture of what "great" should become.

What I do: I translate customer needs, business goals and product ambition into experience principles, journeys, concepts and prototypes that give teams a clear direction to build from.

AI-native Innovation

For organisations exploring new products, services, ventures or ways of working, especially where AI is changing what customers expect and what teams can create.

What I do: I help teams move from opportunity to tangible direction, combining innovation strategy, customer insight, prototyping and AI-native thinking to define better experiences, faster.

Creative leadership and advisory

For founders, executives and senior teams who need experienced creative judgement, strategic clarity and a strong external perspective.

What I do: I bring 20+ years of brand, product, design and innovation experience, including eight years founding and running an innovation agency, to help teams make better decisions with greater confidence.

Dave's Story

I'm Dave Ward, a Creative Director and strategic design leader with 20+ years' experience helping organisations define, design and launch brands, products and services.

I've worked with organisations including Disney, BBC, Universal Pictures, Adidas, Penguin Random House, KPMG, Rothschild, Lloyds and Expedia, and have won awards from the Webbys, BIMA, The Drum and The Marketing Society.

I've also built and led design businesses from the inside. I was part of the leadership team that scaled and sold Realise, then founded CreateFuture, growing it into one of Scotland's leading innovation and design consultancies before its acquisition.

Today, my work sits at the intersection of brand strategy, product experience, innovation and creative leadership.