Creative thinking, yet reliably square.

Hi, welcome to qreativbox, my online home. I am Gabriel de Kadt; an experienced, multi-disciplined creative visual designer with a streak of geek. This site serves as a personal and professional notebook – an ‘old-fashioned blog’ – and as my design portfolio. I’m occasionally on the lookout for new challenges. I have over 25 years of experience designing in a variety of industries from sports betting/gaming; real estate/travel; B2B hospitality; start-ups and as an agency contractor.

Need usable, converting designs for web/mobile/email/print? Get in touch:

mobile/whatsapp: +34 617 677 286 | email: gdekadt at gmail dot com | or via the contact form

Afraid so…

The journey, man…

Many years ago, as an impoverished fine arts graduate, I fell to the coal face of magazine ad production to make a living. Pushing up through the massed ranks of crazed art workers I managed to claw my way up and out to the dizzying heights of senior magazine designer. Creative freedom wrapped in a tidy set of stylesheets, output by nifty scripts to just the right temperature of PDF/X-1a. [You had to be there.]

Then ten years ago I managed to successfully retool myself into a useful web designer. The similarities to print were many [structured content and grid systems, duh] – but the differences exciting. Cascading stylesheets – you’re so sensible on the surface but so very wild underneath. So now I ply my trade making fabulous web bits (websites, landing pages, marketing banners GALORE!). I know everything about usability, UI and UX from looking at the internets and reading a book. (And I’ve worked with some very clever and demanding people.) Not to blow my own trumpet too much but I’ve also become a bit of an e-mail marketing expert. It’s a nasty world but I’m happy to talk platform fragmentation and fluid email coding – if you dare.

Still love me a bit of good-old-fashioned print work, mind.

I know how to deal with the sometimes-conflicting requirements of creative process, business focus and customer needs. With strong aesthetic abilities, matched by robust technical skills and good, clear communication I can create the fabulous web/print/UI/marketing solutions that YOUR [insert business here] needs. 🙂

For my geeky kicks, I turn my hand to a bit of development. I used to boast of knowing more HTML(4) and CSS(2) than your average CS-degree-toting, .NET certified, developer. [A low blow.] I’ve hacked a good few WordPress themes and coded some from scratch. I’m comfortable with the command line, won’t work on code without version control (like the old GIT I am), happy to do basic Apache server configuration and know macOS systems inside out. Round this site, I’m mostly appreciated for help with RegEx renaming of files in Adobe Bridge. It’s a specific-thing kind-of-thing.

Related knowledge and experience include; analytics, [conversion] optimisation, SEO, usability, email delivery, SEM, working practice, documentation, studio setup and organisation.

A fluent Spanish speaker I have lived in Spain with my wife and three boys [what were we thinking] for over fourteen years – mostly here in this small town in Cadiz province. It’s called Alcalá de los Gazules and it’s the different world we were looking for. I love this place, its people and customs.

I’m a very keen photographer – typically, as it seems all graphic designers are – but that’s OK as I’m better than most of them – and most are quite good. I’m currently working on a long term personal project to document contemporary life in my village. I also have a small, but decent, portfolio of property photography.

I keep myself fit and by a quirk of fate, this led to the start of a budding new career as trainee second left foot (once removed) with the local Veteranos football team. I was even awarded their annual Special Mention award. Yes – my football skills are special.

In any spare time I read (news & fiction), play FIFA and sketch.

Have another look at my portfolio, read my CV here then try and hire me.

$qreativbox = “Gabriel de Kadt”

Your fully rounded design solutions provider.

Last updated on 17th April 2022