Emma Johnson
Design | Mentorship | Content
A wild life in words…
“Never forget that writing is as close as we get to keeping a hold on the thousand and one things -childhood, certainties, cities, doubts, dreams, instants, phrases, parents, loves - that go on slipping , like sand, through our fingers.”
(Salman Rushdie)
I have been working with words, stories and ideas for over twenty years.
I started out as a magazine editor in London in my twenties, before going freelance as a journalist, writer, podcast producer and content creator.
Over the years, that work has evolved and expanded. Words led me into websites, from there to design and branding, naturally into social media, and now business mentorship.
My work is where words, images, ideas and identity come together…
“Emma’s style of working is collaborative, open and supportive. She has a great creative instinct and not only allows space for clients to reflect on this, but was always respectful of my opinion too. I found working with her inspiring - she turned my words into a visual representation as if by magic!”
Today, I work with therapists, wellbeing practitioners, facilitators and small, heart-led businesses to help them find thoughtful, creative ways of sharing who they are and what they do.
Sometimes that means writing or editing the words for a website. Sometimes it means designing and building the website itself, developing a simple visual identity, creating a logo, choosing colours, fonts and imagery, or helping someone create a social media presence that actually feels like them.
Often, it is a combination of all of these things.
I particularly love working with people who are brilliant at what they do, but find it difficult to translate that into words or visuals — or who simply don't know where to begin.
My approach is collaborative, intuitive and very human. I am interested in understanding the person and the work first, and then finding the words, images, colours and ideas that bring it to life.
I am a self-taught designer, working primarily with Canva for visual design and Squarespace for websites. I'm not a traditional graphic designer or design agency, and I don't try to be. Instead, I bring together more than twenty years of experience in writing and content with design, storytelling, social media and a deep understanding of the wellbeing world.
Over the past several years, I have increasingly specialised in mental health, holistic health, wellbeing, motherhood and lifestyle, working with therapists, counsellors, coaches, practitioners and organisations whose work I genuinely believe in.
Alongside this, I have been running women's circles and retreats, and more recently training other women in circle facilitation. This has brought another dimension to my work and given me a depth of experience in facilitation, mentorship, coaching, group work, mental health, trauma awareness, online learning and holding thoughtful, inclusive spaces.
“Working with Emma was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. She made the whole process feel straightforward and manageable, her information-gathering process was really thorough and thoughtful, and really helped me clarify exactly what I wanted my website to say. She was incredibly flexible, responsive and creative, always open to ideas while bringing her own expertise and suggestions to the table. I’m absolutely delighted with the finished website and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for a talented, collaborative and genuinely lovely web designer. ”
It has also shaped the way I work with my design and mentoring clients.
I don't believe in imposing an identity or a polished marketing version of somebody onto their work. I would much rather sit alongside you, ask good questions, listen carefully, pull at the threads and help you uncover what is already there.
Because whether I'm working on a website, a piece of writing, a visual identity or your social media, I'm really interested in the same thing:
How do we make this feel like you?
These days, I dedicate my time to aligned client work across writing, content, websites, design, social media and mentorship, alongside my work with women's circles and facilitator training.
And behind all of that, I am also a mum of three — a daughter and twin boys — and live in the beautiful Cotswolds with my husband, our children, two cats and a rather beautiful expanse of green hills around us.
I am grateful every day that words, creativity, connection and mentoring have become threads that run not just through my work, but through my life too.
“Working with Emma was a game-changer. She translated our existing brand into a cohesive, engaging social media style and gave me practical tools — like templates and strategic planning support—that made posting feel purposeful and stress-free. Her approach is thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in experience. She gave invaluable feedback; she made the most of what we were doing well, pointed out and hands-on developed the areas we needed to improve - dialling the finish up quite a few notches. Invaluable.”
