About me
Hi - I'm Gaynor Carr. I started The Smart Station in April 2009 as a freelance designer with the idea of doing something I absolutely loved, while being useful to other people!
My business model is simple - to provide great quality, good value design in an easy-to-use way. I try to be as flexible and easy to work with as possible, especially as many of my clients have never worked with a designer before, so my aim is to make the experience interesting and fun (as it should be!), whilst still delivering creative ideas and great finished products. I hope that you'll find I'm good to work with - I'm attentive, a strong communicator, and I go the extra mile for my clients.
'Gaynoring' documents is something I have become very experienced in over the years and for various employers, acting as a quality controller for all things printed - drafting, editing, formatting, proofreading and laying out documents. I loved the process of turning something ordinary and run-of-the-mill into something special, professional and eyecatching - giving documents extreme makeovers! I added to this the graphic design aspect of my work, which allowed me to make the most of my creative side, and The Smart Station was born!
My business grew during my first year from one client to over 30, and now, as The Smart Station turns 15, I have an established client base of both new and repeat customers in a huge variety of industry sectors - from engineering firms to physiotherapists, from local authorities to micro businesses. I've worked with clients all over Britain, and in France, Norway, Poland, Greece, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. I've been described several times as an 'intuitive' designer, and I like that!
A big boost came towards the end of my first year of trading, when I was lucky enough to win one of the Yorkshire Enterprise and Diversity Awards, making me the Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 for South Yorkshire. During 2012 I helped mentor a student, Jade Bryan, setting up her own cupcake business, Jade's Heavenly Buns, as part of the I Know I Can Barnsley Big Challenge. She won the overall Best Business Prize, and I picked up the Entrepreneurial Mentor Award for 2012. It still seems mad but secretly I'm very proud!
I really love what I do, and find nothing more satisfying than producing a piece of artwork, a business card design or a document which delights my clients. I love that feeling of pride in my work - and if I can pass that on to my clients as pride in their business, then I would say that's a really smart thing to do!
.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................
So that's the potted history of The Smart Station! If you're interested in knowing more about me (you want more?!), here's the official background:
Gaynor Carr has been designing, drafting and producing high quality documents, tender submissions, presentations, graphics, posters, leaflets and newsletters for over 25 years. She has developed her artistic, drafting and presentational skills over many years of varied corporate experience. Whatever role she has undertaken, employers and clients have always benefited from her creative talents to produce high quality documentation which delivers real impact.
Through roles incorporating communications management, bid production, office and administration management and consultancy, she has developed her design and drafting skills extensively, so that not only does her work look great, but the content is pretty good too! She has plentiful experience of both public and private sector business, and draws on both this experience and her excellent communication skills to deliver insightful, practical and sensible solutions, together with creative, innovative and workable designs.
After gaining her degree in Physics and Metallurgy at Sheffield Hallam University (Sheffield Poly as it was then), she spent ten years in the Civil Service, including writing correspondence for the Prime Minister’s signature, and five of those years in the Estates and Property Management division.
Gaynor then moved to the private sector and specialised in delivery of facilities management, health & safety, bid production, communications, office and account management for major blue chip companies including Land Securities Trillium, Atkins, Barclays Bank and Capita. Previously a member of the British Institute of Facilities Management, H&S qualified to TechIOSH level, and a qualified PRINCE2 project manager, Gaynor combined her technical knowledge and experience with creativity and design to deliver consultancy services through Broadlands Consulting, including change and project management, communication and event management, document production and systems, business continuity, bid production and process re-engineering.
She is a member of a local park volunteer Friends group, and was a school governor for 13 years. She lives in Sheffield with her wonderfully-supportive husband and younger daughter.
Her strong customer focus and outstanding relationship-building and communication skills, together with organisational ability, attention to detail and first-rate creative output, mean she delivers to a high standard.
She makes things happen.
