Creative Director

Posted on: 2008-03-03

PROFILE Award-winning Graphic Artist – Extensive experience with creating and directing page layout and collateral design. I am a self-motivated, detail-oriented designer and problem solver. I can conceptualize and execute visuals in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining accuracy and quality of the finished product. Clean, contemporary layouts with logical use of typography are my style. Effective Team Player – Known for creativity, flexibility and sense of humor. Former co-worker noted: “JoAnn is an incredibly talented designer, manager and multi-tasker. Unlike many in her field, she really ‘gets’ the delicate interaction between sales and design/production and constantly strives to make all clients (internal and external) happy. She’s an incredible asset to our company!” AWARDS AND HONORS MVP, Cover of the Month - Sept. 2007 GAMMA Award winner - 2003 Gold GAMMA Award, Best Single Issue - 2002 Gold GAMMA Award, Best Single Cover - 2002 Bronze GAMMA, Best Design - 2000 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Creative Director – Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing (AMP) July 2003 to Present MAGAZINES: Plan Your Meetings Magazine, Southwest and Southeast; Encore Atlanta, The Fox Theatre and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Where Atlanta; Where Georgia; Travel Georgia; Guest Informant Atlanta RESPONSIBILITIES: Managed and mentored a diverse group of designers, web designer, freelancers and production manager. Responsible for: hiring, yearly reviews, motivating and problem solving, distributing work flow, critiques, organizing and directing photo shoots and paginations. Managed and met aggressive personal and team deadlines, handled changing priorities, while adhering to strategy, accuracy and time lines. • Grew production department into a fully staffed and highly productive creative department. Established and implemented ad traffic and approval procedures. Revamped design of all titles to a cleaner, more upscale look. • Responsible for cover and page layout of four visitor publications: one monthly, two quarterly and one yearly. Art direct two B-to-B and two arts publications. • Work closely with editors, photographers, printers, account managers, marketing staff and clients to ensure that visual content is compelling, effective and on strategy. Consult with marketing department on promotional and collateral material. Took designs from concept to completion. • Art directed and designed custom publishing material for The Fox Theatre, Atlanta Ballet and The Atlanta Opera. Pieces include: The Fox Theatre souvenir books, Atlanta Ballet 75th Anniversary souvenir book, the annual Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker Program and The Atlanta Opera season program. • Developed the prototype that combined Essential Guide and Guest Informant into one publication – Where Guestbook. Art Director – contracted to Morris Visitor Publication (MVP) April 2007 to Present MAGAZINE: Where Guestbook RESPONSIBILITIES: MVP purchased Where Atlanta, Where Georgia and Travel Georgia in 2005. We continued to design these titles until September of 2007. Based off the quality of work generated from our department, MVP sent 17 of their annual East Coast titles to be designed by our creative department. While contracted to MVP, I continue to perform my duties with AMP. • Art directed and designed high-end visitors publications with an art book look, distributed in upscale hotel rooms. • Hired photographers and freelance designers; set-up and directed photo shoots; gathered and color corrected all photography. • Work closely with editors and publishers in eight different states, along with creative directors in California. Art Director & Production Manager – Atlanta Publishing, LLC July 1998 to May 2003 MAGAZINES: Atlanta Sports & Fitness Magazine (ASFM) & Georgia Athlete magazine RESPONSIBILITIES: Art directed as well as designed two regional publications, large-scale events collateral, magazine collateral and marketing material. Responsible for hiring designers, photographers and illustrators, organizing and directing photo shoots, and managing creative staff. • Spearheaded complete redesign of ASFM. • Developed production work flows and solutions; increased department’s performance by 200% within the first six months by creating and enforcing company deadlines, coordinated monthly staff meetings and establishing quality control procedures. Communicated between departments to assure press deadline were met; serve as contact for vendors and press liaison, responsible for pre-press approvals and press checks. • Research, budgeting, purchasing and installation of all software and hardware; maintenance of computers, email and Internet. SOFTWARE AND ARTISTIC SKILLS Adobe CS2: Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator & Photoshop; QuarkXpress & PageMaker (learning GoLive, ImageReady, WordPress and Drupal); Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, Access & PowerPoint; Photography, Illustration, Pastels, Water painting, Oil painting & Murals FREELANCE CLIENTS Here to Serve Restaurant group - Ad (Twist, Shout, Goldfish, Prime, Stripe, Posh, Lola and Noche) Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - Symphony Club brochure H2O Magazine - Designed logo and architecture of magazine for Launched, continued to design and art direct publication for the following three months Morris Pop-up Products & Maps - catalog Morris Visitor Publications - Milwaukee Guestbook Hiptennis.com - Logo Plan Your Meetings Magazine - Media Kit Roasted Garlic Restaurant - Vinaigrette label Michael Carroll Campaign - Logo, signage and T-shirts Hawaiian Beach Tan - Logo Hotlanta Beverage & Bottling - Logos, labels, web and signage High Country Outfitters - 25th anniversary logo, T-shirts and ads Everything Electrical Inc. - New corporate identity and collateral Unique Matting & Framing - Logo, letterhead and business card Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association – Logo Book-A-Pro, US Wellness, Dan Parisi and Angie Callihan – Ad Design EDUCATION Montana State University, Bozeman, MT College of Arts and Architecture Bachelor of Arts in Art, Graphic Design Option August 1993 to August 1997 PROFESSIONAL TRAINING Advanced Photoshop - 2000, 2007 Essentials of Printing & Pre-press - 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 Quark 6 & G-5 Seminar - 2005 Design Seminar - 2001, 2002 Redesign, Retool & Startup Seminar - 2002 Know your Adobe Seminar - 2002 Redesign Seminar - 2001