About Kirsty
Creative & Product Director | Consultant | Brand Strategist
Kirsty Whyte is an award-winning Creative and Design Director with over 15 years of experience shaping products, brands, and experiences across the homeware, furniture, interiors, and luxury lifestyle sectors. Known for her rare balance of creative vision and commercial strategy, Kirsty specialises in helping brands turn ideas into market-ready products and stories into meaningful identities.
She works across both consulting and in-house leadership, bringing clarity, momentum, and fresh perspective to ambitious teams and businesses.
What she brings
Whether stepping into a full-time position or a strategic consulting project, Kirsty helps businesses navigate growth, differentiation, and design challenges.
Her expertise spans:
Product Design & Development:
From early concept and supplier sourcing through to launch, with robust NPD strategies and range architecture.
Brand Identity & Strategy:
Creating or evolving brand DNA, tone of voice, and visual direction that speak clearly to modern audiences.
Creative & Art Direction:
Curating content and leading photo and video shoots that elevate storytelling and build emotional connection.
E-commerce, UX & Marketing:
Partnering with digital teams to deliver a seamless experience across brand, platform, and campaign.
Recent Experience
In her most recent role as Brand & Design Director at NiX by Nicola Harding, Kirsty helped translate the visual ethos of Nicola Harding & Co. into a contemporary, shoppable homeware brand. From product development to web, creative, and campaign, she led the full 360° process; building a coherent, ownable brand in just under 12 months.
As Product Innovation Director at Photobox-Albelli Group, she spearheaded the creation of over 25 new product types across Europe, resulting in multi-million euro revenue growth and driving a cross-market creative strategy through post-merger transformation.
At Soho House & Co, she transformed the Cowshed brand and led the early retail expansion of Soho Home, driving 50% brand growth within a single year. She worked closely with interior and retail teams to deliver furniture and accessories that could live comfortably in Soho Houses and customer homes.
Kirsty’s career has also included co-founding the minimalist watch brand Freedom to Exist (FTE), and earlier leadership roles with Made.com, Heal’s, and Habitat, building experience that spans direct-to-consumer, luxury retail, and high-volume international sourcing.
A Global Perspective
Kirsty has lived and worked in China, managed production across Asia and Europe, and collaborated with partners worldwide. Her international perspective, calm leadership style, and design fluency allow her to guide teams and stakeholders with ease; whether she’s briefing a manufacturer or presenting a creative pitch.
Open to New Opportunities
Kirsty is available for:
· Strategic consulting (short or long-term)
· Fractional leadership (Creative Director / Product Director support)
· Speaking, panels, or workshops
· Full-time roles where brand, product, and vision meet
To learn more about Kirsty’s approach and services, visit the Consulting page.
To explore previous roles in detail, connect on LinkedIn.
Testimonials
Beth Horn
Managing Director, Pinterest UK | Board Director & Trustee | Meta, Spotify, Macy's Alum
Kirsty is a Swiss Army knife in human form, with her depth of knowledge, keen and discerning eye, creative problem solving, and rigorous project management skills making her a crucial asset to her team. I have had the good fortune of partnering with Kirsty in her work at NiX by Nicola Harding, and have been continually impressed with how she takes on new hats and new challenges (all part & parcel of startup life) with ceaseless grace, good humour, and a focus on impact. From product design to marketing, creative to metrics, Kirsty is across it all. It's been a joy working with her.
Suzi Avens
Head of Jaeger at Marks and Spencer
I work with Kirsty as NED at Nicola Harding and wholeheartedly recommend her. She's incredibly agile and has such a 'can-do' approach, getting a lot done to a high standard. She'll challenge as is necessary and get stuck in when things need doing. Her skillset and experience is broad and she can work across multiple different projects. She is mature yet brings her team with her, coaching them to deliver. She's also realistic about business and slots in wherever she is needed to add value. She's great!
Phil Parkinson
Strategic Financial Leader
If you ever get the chance to work with Kirsty in any capacity you are in for a treat.
Kirsty is one of the most talented, dynamic, tenacious, organised and effective people I have ever worked with. Kirsty is well respected by her team as a visionary and thoughtful leader and can transform outcomes in a moment.
Kirsty has helped drive the best possible results in every single project we have worked together on. Any company and any team would be better with Kirsty's input. Whatever goal you want to achieve, Kirsty will help get you there faster, more profitably and with a united and high performing team.
Victoria ap Gwynedd
Email + SMS Marketing Specialist | Klaviyo Community Champion
Kirsty is an outstanding designer and strategic thinker. We worked closely together at Heal's in different departments, and I always enjoyed the projects when we could collaborate and work together. She really has a full vision and can see how all different departments from PR, Marketing to Design and E-Commerce can work together for the business.
She is able to work highly effectively and creatively from concept strategy all the way through to delivery. Her attention to detail and commercial perspective is perfectly balanced with a true understanding of the customer, brand and product. She is very connected and has an extensive network to support any project.
Kirsty is an inspirational public speaker and effectively supports brands as a spokesperson across a variety of platforms. I have witnessed her mentoring her junior team and becoming a key member of the brand she is working with.
Kirsty is truly exceptional, it's been an absolute pleasure to work with her, and I hope one day we work professionally together again. Any brand would be very lucky to have her on their team.
James Lawrence-Jones
Personalisation, Print and Photo Industry expert available for projects
During the few years Kirsty and I worked together at Photobox she proved herself to be an excellent product director; endlessly creative and innovative in the search for new customer products whilst having a clear understanding of the customer and business needs and wider production implications & risks in delivering products to market.
Kirsty delivered infectious enthusiasm and positivity day to day, getting buy-in across the business in facing product development challenges whilst motivating and developing her team to deliver outstanding product results.
Positive, cheerful, engaging, enthusiastic, confident and knowledgeable, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Kirsty to any prospective employer, not only as a design, product and brand expert leader but also as a coach, mentor and friend.
Andy Harding
CEO at NiXby Nicola Harding and MD at NH&Co CEO at NiX by Nicola Harding
I worked with Kirsty for over two years after she started as a consultant to our new start up business, before becoming one of the founding directors.
Kirsty was pivotal in helping to set up the business and building
the foundations for growth. Her ability to transition across multiple work streams and priorities, coupled with a seemingly inexhaustible work ethic, meant that she was able to manage a wide remit and still deliver outstanding results.
She is also a brilliant team member, always contributing positively to the culture of the business, and bringing a can do attitude to even the sternest of challenges. She is genuinely a joy to work with and I would have no
hesitation inrecommending her for any business, especially those that are
looking for passionate, entrepreneurial leadership.