Resume

Summary:

Innovative artist with progressive experience leading creative direction, visual style, and brand identity. Proven record of success conceptualizing and creating high-impact designs that engage and inspire the end user. Collaborative communicator adept at identifying opportunities and implementing solutions that drive business growth. History of success developing artistic marketing concepts, guiding creative direction, and maintaining brand standards.

Core Expertise:

Creative Direction | Marketing Campaigns | Brand Launch/Development | UI/Web/Print Design | Team Leadership | Storytelling | Strategic Planning | Graphic Design | Advertising | Digital Communication | Market Trends | Client Engagement | Photography

Experience:

Senior Art Director
Bluestem Brands, May 2014 – Present

Serves as the in-house creative leader, managing and supervising a team of designers to deliver detailed, high-quality resources with proven lift performance. Maintains brand standards used in collateral, program identity systems, campus branding, press, and digital channels. Collaborates with internal and external project partners, identifying opportunities to optimize efficiencies and expand revenue. Guides photography teams on national and private brand product lines.

    • Conceptualized new brand launches and refined retail brands, implementing guidelines and identifying growth opportunities.
    • Generated 60% of Fingerhut’s annual $1B revenue by developing cross-channel seasonal holiday campaigns.
    • Created Fingerhut’s 80-page brand guideline document, monitoring for off-brand designs and developing templates for on-brand efficiencies.
    • Expanded open/click-through rate 15%+ by integrating topical subject matter and unique customer content.
    • Optimized production/turnaround time and increased the consistency in customer-facing content by implementing templates for creative/UI department use.
    • Reduced production costs 35% by sourcing materials and vendors on custom work.

Senior Graphic Designer & Photographer
Lakewinds Co-op, November 2006 – March 2014

Provided leadership and direction for design projects from ideation to rollout. Created strategic stand-out designs for print and digital channels. Managed internal and external projects, including sourcing vendors and freelancers. Monitored trends and changes in competitive market.

    • Maximized stakeholder engagement and brand awareness by generating targeted social media campaigns and promotions.
    • Drove customer traffic, developing targeted advertising on digital and print platforms.
    • Increased user engagement, redesigning and launching the organization’s website.
    • Directed dynamic photography and editorial recipes, spreads, and food art for seasonal campaigns, social platforms, in-store promotions, and editorial publications.

Digital Artist, Linda’s Photography, May 2006 – October 206

  • Digital library maintenance and management
  • Color correction, initial edits and final client orders
  • Design print and digital advertisements

Technical Proficiencies:

Adobe Creative Suite | Photoshop | Illustrator | XD | InDesign | Lightroom | Premier Pro | MS Office

Education & Professional Development

Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Design, Hennepin Technical CollegeBlueStem Brands Leadership Training Courses

Awards:

Food Network Photography/Cooking Contest Runner Up | Skills USA Advertising Design State Gold Medallist | Skills USA Advertising Design National Bronze Medallist

Associations:

Hennepin Technical College Graphic Design Advisory Board