About
Rich
McCoy
I’m Rich McCoy, a sculptor, writer, and arts broadcaster. Born in the UK and raised in Botswana and South Africa, I grew up between cultures shaped by ancestral stories, animist traditions, and a Celtic heritage. Those early experiences formed a way of seeing grounded in memory, myth, and the thresholds where identity is formed and reformed.
I trained in fine art (BFA Sculpture, University of Gloucestershire) before moving into the early digital landscape of the late 1990s and early 2000s. During that time, I worked on accessible online banking and news platforms and led projects at global agencies and New Zealand’s Trade Me. Throughout, I continued to make work, maintaining a parallel practice in painting, sculpture, and digital experimentation that eventually led me back to a more focused artistic path.
That path became Son of Fire, an ongoing body of writing exploring ancestry, identity, and transformation. Living off-grid in rural Aotearoa, I create poems, stories, and extended narratives drawn from memory, dream, and lived experience. The work is informed by mythic structures, ritual thinking, and an early encounter that continues to shape my imagination.
Alongside this, I create visual work across sculpture, image, and moving form. Earlier works are varied in medium but connected through a consistent interest in perception, symbolism, and psychological depth. Selected pieces remain available for exhibition and collection.
I also host Hearth Tales, a podcast and radio show featuring conversations with artists, makers, and culture-bearers across Aotearoa. In addition, I serve on the board of the Motueka Arts Council, supporting community-rooted, interdisciplinary practice.
Commissions, Sales, and Licensing Opportunities
With nearly three decades of experience across design and creative direction, I work on projects that require both conceptual thinking and practical execution. This includes visual identity, digital systems, and creative direction where narrative and meaning are central.
I take on commissions across sculpture, visual work, and applied design. These range from standalone pieces to site-specific works and collaborative projects. My approach is grounded in process, material, and context, working closely with clients to develop outcomes that are considered, intentional, and fit for purpose.
Original works are available for acquisition, licensing, or exhibition. For enquiries relating to commissions, collaborations, or collections, please get in touch.
Podcasts & Publications
Podcast / 21 September 2021
Brave UX - The Space In Between
Rich McCoy unpacks some formative experiences from the Kalahari Desert, how we can conquer our creative fears, and why designing lean creates value faster. Highlights include: How has growing up in the Kalahari Desert shaped him? What does it mean to “get primal” with design? How do we get over our fear of showing our work? What are some clues that product teams are out of alignment? How has Dyslexia influenced his creative practice?
Podcast / 28 August 2021
Nodes of Design
In this episode, Rich shared great insights on lean design practices and their frameworks. Rich then spoke on the different ways of scaling lean practices across organizations without compromising the quality of deliverables and how lean practices help rapid innovation and find the right product-market fit.
Magazine / March 2013
In Media 4 Talent
The esteemed television network hailing from the UK, Channel 4, article featured in their creative talent magazine. The piece focuses on the pioneering efforts of creatives with dyslexia, including myself, who are making waves in the field of creative arts. Through their awe-inspiring and innovative projects, these individuals are elevating the conversation surrounding disabilities, advocating for greater awareness and acceptance.
Magazine / March 2013
New Design
A piece featuring my home office in the Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand, and exploring the workspaces and environments of creatives. It aims to delve into the unique sources of inspiration that drive our work and showcase the diversity of creative expression that emerges from these spaces.
Book / 18 May 2012
The Designer's Web Handbook
The Designer's Web Handbook helps any designer understand the full life cycle of a digital product: idea, design, production and maintenance. The best web designers create not only beautiful sites but also sites that function well-for both client and end user.
Book / 26 September 2008
The Web Designer's Idea Book
The Web Designer's Idea Book includes more than 700 websites arranged thematically, so you can find inspiration for layout, color, style and more. Author Patrick McNeil has cataloged more than 5,000 sites on his website, and showcased in this book are the very best examples.
Book / 30 January 2003
Idea Revolution
Through activities, exercises and anecdotes this overflowing book gives creativity-tapped graphic designers several methods of generating ideas and reconnecting to their creative energy. This book targets the major obstacles in the creative process by guiding designers through exercises that jolt themselves, their colleagues, and their clients back to life.
Magazine / May 2001
PC FORMAT
This website was once an experimental platform where I had the opportunity to showcase my creative vision through playful digital art and innovative interfaces. I'm proud to have learned that the site was even used in the curriculum of Greenwich University London's Digital Design courses. If you're interested in discussing my experience with experimental design and digital art, please don't hesitate to get in touch.