|
Experience I *somewhat* recently relocated to the Cleveland, Ohio area after spending the last nine years outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. I originally grew up in the suburbs surrounding Cleveland, took a few courses at Cuyahoga Community College, then decided to attend class full-time at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. While studying visual communications and graphic design, I spent summers working at a prepress bureau in Berea, Ohio learning the daily operations of how printed collateral is actually produced. I wrapped up college in 1998, came back to Ohio for a bit to start the post art school job search, and shortly after ended up in Pennsylvania working for The Franklin Mint. Advertising design, illustration, prepress, product design...I had the opportunity to get my hands dirty on lots of different projects. While working at The Franklin Mint, web design started to really take off and I was afraid that I would miss the boat if I continued on in my current position. At that point, The Mint started having financial problems and was struggling to update a marketing platform that had served them so well in the past. A small multimedia firm specializing almost entirely in web design was looking to add a designer to the mix who had print experience to help expand their creative capabilities, so the fit was right. I began learning web design (as well as information architecture, search engine optimization, and email marketing) by working with a small team of talented designers and developers. As I was picking up the web side of things, I continued designing for print as projects came along and also started doing more project and account management. My responsibilities eventually grew to include not only design conceptualization and production, but project direction and inter-office functionality. But all good things come to an end and I left to join my significant other, who accepted an editorial position with American Greetings. Shortly after returning to Cleveland, I landed a position in the marketing department of an international company specializing in the manufacture and distribution of healthy lifestyle equipment. It was a complete 180 degree change from how I have worked in the past, but the move gave me the opportunity to see how things go down in a different environment, while at the same time expanding my professional skills and goals. The experience gained as a member of a small in-house marketing team was invaluable. I was no longer "just" a graphic designer, I was now involved with marketing strategies and brand development – skills essential to being a well-rounded professional in the communications and marketing industry. Now, if you're the type that's interested in dates, details, and software packages, have a look at my resume and feel free to drop me a line with any questions or comments. |
