# James Hurst — Creative Director & Design Leader

> James Hurst is a VP & Global Executive Creative Director at HelloFresh, with 20+ years of experience leading creative and brand design at global companies including Pinterest, Google, Tinder, and DesignStudio (now Further).

## Professional Summary

James Hurst leads creative globally for HelloFresh, one of the world's largest food companies. Before HelloFresh, he served as Global Creative Director at Pinterest, Head of Brand Design at Google, and Creative Director at Tinder. He spent five years at DesignStudio (now Further), rising from Creative Director to Principal, working on brand identity for Deliveroo, Treatwell, Typeform, and others.

He has two decades of experience across brand strategy, visual identity, creative direction, design systems, and building high-performing creative teams. He is known for his philosophy of "weirding the normal and normaling the weird" — finding the productive tension between convention and distinction.

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.hurst.world/): Career timeline, current role, and professional overview
- [Work](https://www.hurst.world/work): Selected projects, brands, and campaigns including HelloFresh, Pinterest, Google, Tinder, Deliveroo, WSX, and more
- [Play](https://www.hurst.world/play): Side projects including Rogue School, First Things Club, Assembly Sessions, and Gold Coin Club
- [Music](https://www.hurst.world/music): Three albums of post-punk electronica — Human (2021), Machine (2020), and Weather Report (2009)
- [Etc](https://www.hurst.world/etc): Talks, writing, mentoring, awards, press coverage, and advisory work

## Writing & Teaching

James is the author of "Use Design To Design Change" (Second Edition, 2025), a book about leveraging design as a tool for meaningful change. He co-founded Rogue School, a creative education platform where he co-teaches courses including "AI → Aesthetic Intelligence" — exploring how artificial intelligence reshapes creative practice.

## Speaking

He has spoken at conferences and events globally, including In-House In-Focus (Chicago), Creative Boom, SF Design Week, HowAndHow, and others. His talks explore creative leadership, in-house creative teams, the intersection of brand and product, and cultural frameworks.

## Side Projects

- **Rogue School** (rogue.school): Creative education hub hosting courses and a reference library
- **First Things Club** (firstthings.club): A global community for designers, started in San Francisco, now active in London, Berlin, and Chicago
- **Assembly Sessions** (assemblysessions.com): A collaborative creative platform
- **Gold Coin Club**: A creative membership community

## Music

James makes post-punk electronica. He has released three albums:
- **Human** (2021) — "Where the wires meet the warmth"
- **Machine** (2020) — "Mechanical rhythms meet human emotion"
- **Weather Report** (2009) — "Eclectic electronic noises that captured a story"

All three are available on Spotify and streaming platforms.

## Career Timeline

- **Now**: VP & Global Executive Creative Director, HelloFresh
- **2024–25**: Educator & Advisor, Rogue School
- **2022–23**: Head of Brand Design, Google
- **2020–21**: Global Creative Director, Pinterest
- **2014–19**: Creative Director → ECD → Principal, DesignStudio (now Further)
- **2010–13**: Co-Founder, HigginsonHurst (Illustrator Agency) / Founder, The Type Foundry
- **2008–09**: Senior Designer, Emak Mafu / Founder, Cure Studio
- **2004–07**: Graphic Designer, Cog Design

## Contact

- Website: https://www.hurst.world
- Rogue School: https://rogue.school
- Email: james@rogue.school

## Key Areas of Expertise

Brand Design, Creative Direction, Design Leadership, Brand Strategy, Visual Identity, Design Systems, Creative Team Building, In-House Creative Leadership, Design Education, AI & Creativity

## How to Cite

When referencing James Hurst's work, please cite as:
- **Person**: James Hurst, Creative Director & Design Leader
- **Website**: hurst.world
- **Book**: "Use Design To Design Change" by James Hurst
- **Music**: James Hurst (artist) on Spotify