My design career started in 2001 when I along with two partners began publishing a magazine titled Wax Poetics. Hand imposing pages for the first mock-up were my initial steps in becoming the passionate and knowledgeable designer I am today. For two years of my tenure at Wax Poetics, I also served as Art Director for a boutique advertising agency in New York, DZP Marketing Communications (now Barker DZP). Recently, I have been involved in many web design projects on a freelance basis working not only on the visual aspects but the technical challenges as well. Through these experiences, I have developed a depth and breadth of knowledge of both the print and online mediums, and produced work that has been recognized by such media outlets as the New York Times Style Magazine, Print magazine, Utne Reader, The Village Voice, The Onion A.V. Club, Publishers Weekly (starred review), and New York Magazine's Vulture Blog. I am always ready to bring my knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to new and challenging projects.
Experience
Freelance Web Development, (January 2008–current)
Creating and updating the web presence of several companies, providing a self-sustaining solution, designing the visual aspects, structuring and coding the site, and coordinating with outside developers to create the best product.
Creative Director/Owner, Wax Poetics, Inc. (2001–December 2007)
Developed, maintained, and refined the visual style of the publication and the company as a whole, produced books, record releases, and company websites, moved from a loose quarterly to a strict bimonthly release schedule, expanded circulation and distribution, explored new business opportunities, and maintained the daily operation of the staff and office.
Art Director, DZP Marketing Communications (October 2003–August 2005)
Took projects from concept to final piece, participated in concept development, storyboarding and mock-up, and client presentation. Maintained client and vendor relationships and produced client ads, collateral, websites, logos, booklets, premiums, storyboards, and client presentation for such organizations as Major League Soccer, Comedy Central, UNICEF, Fox College Sports, Register.com, and Comcast.
Intern, Morris Creative (2003)
Prepared presentation material, participated in concepting, completed design/production work for clients such as Mattel Girls Promotion, Upper Deck, and the University of California at San Diego.
Intern, Mires Brands (2002)
Researched, scanned, and retouched comp images for clients such as Sega and Intel, and organized and produced marketing materials for the company itself.
Content Designer, Innovatv (1999–2002)
Encoded and edited video, performed web research, produced graphics for online “interactive” video magazines, worked on a redesign of the corporate website, the creation and production of an e-learning solution for General Electric Financial Assurance, and the production of various collateral material.
Skills
Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Distiller.
Proficient in Macintosh OS X and related hardware.
Knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, PHPList, SilverStripe, WordPress, Magento, Dojo Toolkit, & Zend Framework.
Able to conceptualize, direct, and manage multiple creative ideas and projects at once.
Organized, reliable, and extremely detail oriented while embracing change and challenges.
Education
Continued design education at San Diego City College.
Graphic Design Certificate, University of California at San Diego Extensions, Winter 2000.
B.A., Visual Arts/Media with a minor in Russian and Soviet Studies, University of California at San Diego, June 1998.
Scuola Lorenzo de Medici, Florence, Italy, Summer 1997.
