Profile:
UX/UI/Visual designer with over 10 years of experience in freelance print and web design, advertising and production. I have 10 additional years of experience partnering to run a business where primary responsibilities were creative direction and consulting towards a user centered brand strategy. Recent years have been used for freelance design and continued education in UX and UI Design.
Education:
Bachelor of Graphic Design, North Carolina State University, 2001
Certificate of Completion, General Assembly 2022-2023, User Experience Design
Certificate of Completion, Design Lab, September 2023, User Interface Design
Skills and Tools:
Proficient in:
Figma, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, WordPress, Google Apps, Slack, Miro, Xtensio, Mac OS, Windows
Knowledgeable in:
Microsoft Office, Pages, Power Point
Skills:
Visual Design, UI – User Interface Design, UX – User Experience Design, User Research, Iteration, Collaboration, Wireframing, User Centered Design, Journey Mapping, User Flows, Prototyping, UX/UI, Information Architecture, Creative Direction, Branding and Strategy, Ideation, Graphic Design, Print Media, Print Production, Image Production, File Management, Photography, Digital Illustration, Copy Writing, Proofreading
Experience:
Freelance UX/UI/Visual Designer, Marie Niehaus Minehart Design,
Raleigh, NC. March 2020-Present
Providing visual design, research and testing support for print and web projects on an as-needed basis that adhere to brand guidelines for each client. Working autonomously with attention detail, considering various deadlines and budget needs is instrumental while also representing the qualities important to each individual. Projects vary from logos, business collateral and signage, to websites (including wire framing and prototyping) and emails.
Creative Consultant for TorquedPerformance.com, Denver, CO, Portland, OR, Waynesville, NC. 2010-2019
Provided creative direction, logo design and brand strategy for Torqued Performance, an automotive tuning service business. Through trial and error, success was derived from a user-centered approach that leveraged the service we could provide with how our clients behaved, and how we could identify their core needs. I created the Torqued Performance original logo and ‘Stay Tuned’ slogan for the merchandise design. I also provided creative direction and brand strategy for the for redesign of TorquedPerformance.com. We focused on the community aspects of vehicle modification and racing, while putting forward aspects of fun and the spirited nature of the sport.
Design Contract, Lakeshore Staffing, Denver, CO. May 2010
Provided image and data production services to an architectural design firm to update their website. Responsibilities included resizing, retouching and populating photography from database sources to their site building tool, and uploading images to an online source for future use. Aside from Photoshop, accuracy and organization were the primary skills required for this position.
Graphic Design Production, Sports Authority, Denver, CO. 2007-2010
Graphic designer for fast paced advertising department. Designed, populated and maintained rounds of updates for content heavy pages where maximized space, compelling imagery and accuracy of data were all top priority under tight and moving deadlines. Alignment to branding protocols and processing of changes from marketing managers as well as creative direction from team leads was a process of evolving through and reacting to daily market changes. Reinvention inside the umbrella of brand consistency was an encouraged challenge, as was fresh concepting for seasonal product changes and holiday events. Compelling reinvention was important inside the framework of the brand’s 50+ year legacy. Inter-department communication and up-to-date accuracy of 100’s of products per insert were accomplished with stamina and determination to deliver within printing deadlines.
Graphic Design Production, eToys, Denver, CO. 2006
Graphic designer for the eToys, Sears Wishbook and My Twin catalogs. Each book was content heavy, and required brand awareness and adherence to styles and direction provided by creative directors and the marketing team. Maximizing space while maintaining sense of playfulness with accuracy in descriptions and prices through rounds of updates were the main skills required along side photo editing and file management. For a special project, I illustrated cover concepts for pre-photography brainstorming sessions for the Sears Wishbook.
Graphic Designer, Martz Supply, Denver, CO. 2004-2005
Graphic Design and marketing for high-end kitchen and bath retail and wholesale supplier. Created and maintained sales and specification material for clients. I handled light showroom photography and created sales materials and mailers for special promotions for the showroom and outside sales teams. I also provided product photography if nothing was supplied by the data sources, and set up and managed a database of product images for use in sales kits. Sales kits included product selection booklets that were printed and assembled per client order.
Graphic Designer, Wilkinson Supply Company, Raleigh, NC. 2002-2004
Designed internal and external marketing materials for high-end kitchen and bath retail and wholesale supplier. I designed and printed business cards, brochures, mailers and catalogs for inside and outside sales teams. I also provided light showroom photography, created and maintained a database of sales materials and executed copy writing and proofreading as needed.
Visual Design Co-op, IBM developerWorks, Research Triangle Park, NC. 2000-2001
Designed and updated illustrations and icons to accompany articles and services to developers. I helped represent articles and services by visualizing new ideas with adherence to creative direction. We created compelling images that satisfied the need for fresh materials while adhering to iconic brand styling and the needs of the content team.
Graphic Design Production, Homes & Land, Pinehurst Magazine, Raleigh, NC. 1999 & 2002
Design and production for real-estate catalogs. I populated, updated and designed content heavy advertisements representing real estate agents in a monthly catalog. Responsibilities also included typesetting, design and proofreading for Pinehurst Magazine that involved more sensitivity to the brands of each advertiser and storytelling for articles. My team designed ads and article layouts that served the clients while adhering to the Pinehurst Magazine brand concept of opulence, tradition, and hospitality.
Continued Education (2020 & 2021):
Interaction Design Foundation: Become a UX Designer from Scratch (Top 10%)
Interaction Design Foundation: How to Create a UX Portfolio (Top 10%)
Enterprise Design Thinking: Practitioner Badge
Udemy: Sketch from A to Z: Becoming an App Designer