Russell Hrachovec / Creative Director / Twenty years of brand-building, creative leadership + design that has something to say

  • Octopus Investments masterbrand

    Octopus Investments masterbrand

    A company-wide rebrand for Octopus Investments, rolled out across every touchpoint — from visual identity and brand guidelines through to website launches and international markets.

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  • U.S. Election Design

    U.S. Election Design

    Volunteer work for Tech for Campaigns — a non-profit connecting design professionals with Democratic political campaigns. Two winning state-level campaigns, social content designed to work hard, travel fast, and speak directly to its audience.

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  • Center For Cartoon Studies: UI design + web development

    Center For Cartoon Studies: UI design + web development

    The Center for Cartoon Studies is an accredited cartooning school in Vermont — one of the few standalone college-level cartooning programs in the US. I’ve worked with them for over fifteen years, a relationship built on creative trust and a shared belief that the work should be as characterful as the school itself.

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  • Identity work

    Identity work

    A selection of logo projects spanning nearly two decades — from HIV charities and LGBTQ+ travel platforms to political festivals, water industry databases, and affordable housing initiatives. Each required a distinct visual language rooted in the client’s world, with ideas drawn from the work itself rather than generic design conventions.

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  • Future Generations Report

    Future Generations Report

    An annual report for Octopus Investments built around the theme of Hope — brought to life through a bright, visually dynamic design celebrating the achievements of different parts of the Octopus Group.

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  • NewArch affordable housing branding

    NewArch affordable housing branding

    A standalone identity built from scratch for Octopus Investments’ affordable housing initiative — warm, optimistic, and designed to feel like somewhere people actually want to live.

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  • Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club

    Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club

    A limited edition book designed for Foruli Editions, in three collectible formats, built around Peter Hook’s memoir of the legendary Manchester club, created in collaboration with designer Andy Vella.

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Some of what I’ve built…

20+ Years in practice
2 Studios founded
10+ Sectors served
2 US election campaign wins
4 Continents with clients
3 Industry awards

What I do…

Brand + identity / Building visual systems that scale. From logos and visual language through to guidelines, governance and international rollout.


Creative leadership / Leading teams, building culture and creating the conditions for the best work to get made. Calm under pressure, direct with stakeholders and hands-on.


Digital + UI / From wireframe to build, across web, product and content. Two decades of designing for screens across every context and constraint.


AI + workflow / Embedding new tools into real creative practice: using AI to accelerate ideation, pressure-test directions and reduce production friction.


Studio + business / Nearly 20 years of running creative businesses end to end: clients, briefs, budgets, pitching and everything in between.