Specialist oversight
Fractional leadership for strategy, product direction and operational process. I offer this as a standing day a week, a defined improvement period, or short-term coaching sprints.
Full-spectrum experience for digital and beyond
Senior-level strategy, design and development for organisations who want thoughtful products and outcomes.
About Me
On the web before it was cool
I’m Niaal. I consult in the space between agency and stakeholder. Bring me in as the senior head to provide direction, or the senior hands to build the product.
My clients call me when their project isn’t clear; when they want to start with an honest, practical appraisal of where they stand and how to achieve the best result possible.
With almost thirty years leading digital design, development, product and strategy, I’ve both hired and run agency teams, so I understand what good looks like and how to get there. Teams I’ve led have won Webby, Anthem, and AWIA awards, and been named Digital Agency of the Year.
I work with you
Whole-system thinking
Bring me in when problems are complex and the way forward isn’t clear. High-level or hands on, I can drive investigation, decisions and alignment to solve challenges across your organisation.
Workshop facilitation
Kickoffs, discovery, planning, or prioritisation – I'll run the room on your behalf for any scenario where teams align and decisions need to be made.
Product ownership
When you need someone accountable for what gets built and why. We’ll produce roadmaps, prioritisation frameworks, and validation criteria to ground your project with realistic objectives.
Organisational insight
I’ll help you assess how work flows through your organisation, how process affects cost and delivery, and how to apply bigger-picture thinking to eliminate low-value effort.
I work for you
Design and development, full-stack flavoured
Bring me in for your digital project, in part or full, to take advantage of agency-level experience at any stage of production. I’ll follow your standards and deliver to your measures of success.
End-to-end projects
Website and product, from first conversation all the way to launch. This includes new projects or work started elsewhere that needs someone to see it through.
Drop-in expertise
Discovery, UX, design or development, dropped into an existing project and working confidently with your people and tailored to your standards.
Review & improvement
Assessing a digital project or product as it stands, and setting a comprehensive plan for remediation or evolution - whichever makes sense.
Data visualisation
For specialist projects designed to engage users with complex data. Let purpose-driven interactive experiences, crafted with care, tell the stories that need to be told.
Half Light
Small, on purpose
Half Light Digital is part of Half Light Studio, a small two-person team built on thoughtful, long-term creative partnerships. For us, staying small is a conscious choice.
We’re set up to work intentionally. The only projects we take on are ones we know we can make a meaningful difference in. Planning and delivery come from the same head, with a lot of heart behind it.
For you, this means an honest and transparent creative process, led by someone who respects the journey you’re on.
Client testimonial
Niaal is that rare combination of serious creative and consummate professional. His old-school, thoughtful and deeply considered approach gets him close enough to the client to truly understand their problem, bring clarity to the complex or undefined, and take genuine ownership of turning great work into meaningful outcomes.
Executive Sponsor, Chaleit
Website and branding project, delivered at Humaan
Contact
Got something to start, or something to finish?
Good work starts with a good conversation - a call or a coffee, let’s chat ☕️