It's all about
the story...
My grandfather, Leo, was a magician for roughly 50 years. He had this uncanny ability to tell a story that would have everyone on the edge of their seats wanting more. His use of misdirection and the power of a pause were just a few tools at his disposal – creating something out of nothing.
Beyond the stage, he would buy and collect some of the craziest stuff. Often, he would place one of these items on the dining room table just to see if it would stir up questions and conversation from visitors. These items were avenues by which he could create interest, and ultimately a means to connect with others.
He didn't so much care about the trick or the odd trinket, but how he could bring enjoyment not just for himself but his enjoyment of bringing a smile to others through the "narrative".
As a kid, I would occasionally assist him in his magic shows and be his accomplice in buying his latest bauble. Through this, I caught the "bug" of captivating an audience.
Whatever I create and/or design, my motivation lies in understanding what the audience wants, and I strive to create a story that produces an emotion subsequently followed with an action (consuming or purchasing). There is a satisfaction for me when myself or my team can create that emotion through refinement with design.
Grandpa Leo always told me, "If the story is good, they'll always come back for more."
resume
EDUCATION
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY - 2002 BFA IN ARTS & DESIGN - ALLENDALE, MI
ART INSTITUTE OF DENVER - 2015-16 WEB DEV DESIGN & CODING - DENVER, CO
FREELANCE GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN
JULY / 2017 – PRESENTCommisioned on a variety of projects ranging from UI/UX design to other online/social designneeds. Consult on brand development. Produced promotional videos for local events.
SENIOR GLOBAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
SEPT / 2008 – JULY / 2017CROCS INC. BOULDER, CO
Designed, implemented and managed campaigns for a global brand presence in e-commerce, social, retail and wholesale. A design agency environment with top talent. Through a well developed creative process, the team explored each product story while adhering to core brand initiatives.
DIGITAL – Online, social, and email campaigns (designed and coded). My animation and video skills were utilised for various projects. Assisted in new UX/UI design for Crocs.com for global multilingual markets. Produced online brand standards to be followed by global affiliates.
PRINT – Creative for multiple wholesale vendors and retail partners in the U.S. and globally. Design responsibilities included creation of OOH marketing, print campaigns parallel with online promotions, creative for retail stores, product/package design, and conference booth design.
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGN
AUG / 2006 – SEPT / 2008FREEDOM COMMUNICATIONS / THE GAZETTE COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
Rapid turnaround and pre-press deadlines. Designed and managed a weekly automotivepublication. Assisted company with an introductory online and social presence.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
DEC / 2005 – JUNE / 2006RANDOM HOUSE / WATERBROOK PRESS COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Book publishing marketing and design along with photo manipulation.
FREELANCE GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
1998 - 2016BAKER PUBLISHING GROUP - COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
KREGEL PUBLICATIONS - GRAND RAPIDS, MI
EDITORIAL PORTAVOZ - SPANISH DIVISION OF KREGEL PUBLICATIONS GRAND RAPIDS, MI
HEULE-GORDON DESIGN AGENCY - GRAND RAPIDS, MI
HORN CREEK CONFERENCE GROUNDS - WESTCLIFFE, CO
Freelance graphic design and marketing. A consult of brand development. Projects of online, print,and social design/marketing.
FIRST BASE MARKETING (INTERNSHIP) - GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Promotional campaigns for various clients including Motorola and Hush Puppy Shoes.
FREELANCE ILLUSTRATION: 250+ illustrations for Kregel Publications. Illustrated four books (Baker Publishing Group and Words of Hope). Commissioned for portraits, landscapes, and other projects. Skilled in various mediums of oil, watercolor, pen & ink, along with digital multimedia.
SKILLS / PROFICIENCIES
SOFTWARE – Adobe CC (Ps, Lr, Id, Dw, Ai, Pr, Br, Ae, with Acrobat), MS Office, Final Cut Pro, and others
CODE – HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap, JQuery and the latest supporting code
SUPPLEMENTARY – Photography and videography both in software and hardware