Brand is a great way of talking about identity. But – and this is a big one – to a lot of architects it sounds like a slightly empty marketing…

There's been so much talk of ChatGPT recently that I haven't felt the need to weigh in with my own thoughts on the matter. But I am feeling the need…

I’m in awe of anyone who hosts a podcast. And, as I say that, I’m looking intently at Rion Willard, Rachel Birchmore and Louise Rogers, all of whom regularly serve…

Why bother thinking about what makes an ideal client? Because it’s the first step in purposefully getting more of those clients. And if your ideal client sees themselves reflected in…

I used to work in publishing – I had a lovely job as an editor at Penguin Books* – and I never, ever liked it when people called our books…

An alternative to the almost obsolete, not-much-use-to-anyone, short-lived business card… That’s how I billed my WRITING TOOLKIT FOR ARCHITECTS when I first introduced it to the world. But it’s been…

Are you struggling to see how your values, mission, vision and purpose fit into the story of your practice? Perhaps this will help. VALUES – your starting point. You take…

In case you're in any doubt as to the value of storytelling, here's a little list to help you see the light: Stories... ...make us care ...tap into our emotions ...build…

Is there anything more awkward than sitting in a room on your own and talking to a screen with nothing to look at but your own PowerPoint slides and a…

There’s something pretty good about being in a room full of excited and subversive architects. And that’s the situation I found myself in last Tuesday. It was the RIBA Guerrilla…

It's the RIBA Guerrilla Tactics conference this week, and I'm gearing up for my online CPD session on 'How to tell a meaningful story about your practice'. So, here's a…

The other week I posted on LinkedIn about how my clients find me (word-of-mouth and podcasts, mainly), and I didn't even mention Google as a contender. And now all of…

I've always been a big fan of lists. You don't need to worry about linking one thing to the next, and you don't need to worry about the cumulative effect.…

Looking back, I'm surprised by how fickle I've been. It turns out I've had a fair few different websites in my time – two when I was working within publishing,…

I'm loving the people photos on architects' websites these days – and by that I mean both the team photos and the photos of each person in turn. Almost gone…

If you ask me why you should tell stories about your work, I'll have a lot to say. Stories do so much of the hard work for us – they…

Have you ever read a testimonial that starts ‘They are an award-winning, multi-disciplinary practice…’? No? Nor me. And that’s because clients – or at least the lovely human ones that…

Over the last five years of running in-house writing workshops, I've been trying far too hard to be helpful through wordy PDFs summarising everything we covered. And I'm not so…

Sometimes I see something in my calendar that I can't make head nor tail of – something like 'Website discussion' or 'Text feedback'. Now that doesn't really narrow it down…

Maybe everyone knows about this, but just in case you don’t, let me shout about it: YOU CAN LISTEN TO PODCASTS AT DOUBLE-SPEED. I love a good podcast, and where…

Purpose, values, vision, narrative… These are all words that get bandied about, but why are they important, how do they help, and what do they really mean? If you’re interested…

Asking for a testimonial can be tricky. Actually getting one is even trickier.

Here are George & James (aka Simon Drayson and Darren Leach) and I looking very pleased with ourselves at the Archiboo Awards.

I love these awards, and I love the many different categories that celebrate all the people hidden away in corners and working away to make great websites

I did a risky thing this summer – I didn’t use an out-of-office reply…

An FAQ about FAQs: are they a good thing to have on your website or not?

RIBA Plan of Work An alternative Guide to the RIBA Work Stages

New Architects 4 from the Architecture Foundation

Storytelling in words and images.

Telling great stories is one of the best ways of winning clients, changing minds, and sparking conversation.

In architecture, there are so many words and phrases that leave me cold.

It’s funny how often people whose business is communication can’t quite get comfortable with the words on their own website.

Finding collaboration and connection on LinkedIn.

If you want the words on your website to work harder, these simple instructions are written with you in mind:

I imagine the feedback process is just as pitfall-strewn for architects and designers as it is for writers like me.

A new platform for consultants who work with architects.

A blog doesn’t have to be all things to all people. It just needs to do one thing well.

Sometimes it’s by seeing what others have done well that you can be inspired to do things better yourself.

At last, our Architects Award Submission handbook is done, dusted and ready to buy.

Thinking about what makes a great client is a very useful first step in working out how to write and talk about yourself.

A new website is the opportunity to rediscover the driving force of your practice.

Best Written Content category shortlist for Archiboo Awards 2020

Purpose, story and voice for the Museum of Architecture.

A toolkit to guide architects through the process of writing an award submission.

I’ve been very silent recently, but it hasn’t felt like a good time to give out tips about how to write better.

I do like a brand new year. I don’t make resolutions, but I do tidy up my working habits and straighten things out a little. And I do make changes.

I’m all about the words on the page. But sometimes it’s good to do something a bit different.

Why do we write words that we don’t use when we speak?

This year two of my clients have turned up on the shortlist for the Best Written Content category for the Archiboo Web Awards.

The reasons sometimes seem endless: it’s difficult to get started, difficult to keep going, and difficult to get finished.