Resume

Love Vs Design Director of Design and Product (freelance) 2020 - 2024
When the pandemic struck and weddings stopped, the CEO of Basic Invite and I worked together to help them pivot into a new custom color wallpaper brand, Love Vs Design.

• Developed a new brand and product line from scratch during the pandemic, successfully pivoting from an existing brand.

• Hired and led a high-performing design team to bring the brand's vision to life.

• Built and managed an Instagram following from zero to 135k followers.

• Designed website and mobile site for an intuitive and visually appealing user experience.

• Designed product packaging and instructions for new product launches.

• Created and executed an impactful email marketing strategy in Klayvio, resulting in six-figure increases in attributed sales.

Basic Invite Director of Design and Product (freelance) 2015 – 2024
Working with Basic Invite has been a labor of love. I joined in a freelance Director role to update the brand, site design, and product assortment by assembling a new stationery design team - it was no small task! The result was an almost 6x increase in revenue from 2015 to the start of the pandemic.

• Refreshed and modernized the brand identity, increasing its appeal and relevance in the market.

• Established and led a new design team to elevate and update the product line's visual aesthetic.

• Created captivating photography and styling for website and marketing materials, enhancing the brand's storytelling.

• Redesigned packaging, catalogs, and wedding sample kits, resulting in a cohesive and attractive brand image.

• Introduced successful new product lines, including holiday cards, driving significant revenue growth.

• Developed and executed an effective email marketing strategy, utilizing engaging designs and content to boost customer engagement and sales.

Harland Clarke Director of Design and Product (remote) 2013 - 2015
As Director of New Product Development, I coordinated the expansion of existing stationery and gift product lines, and built a winning team of talented designers.

• Successfully expanded new product lines for Harland Clarke's consumer-facing stationery and gift brands, driving significant growth and revenue.

• Oversaw design efforts of Harland Clarke's white label stationery and photo card business with major retailers, ensuring high-quality products that met client specifications.

• Built and led a new design team to refresh existing product lines, fostering a creative and collaborative work environment.

• Aligned branding and site design with evolving market trends and customer preferences, enhancing the company's visual identity and user experience.

• Improved usability of the product customizer through collaboration with development teams, implementing user feedback to optimize the customization process.


Minted.com Senior Merchandise Designer 2012 - 2013
At Minted I lead the Merchandise Design Team and assisted in new product selection.

• Managed an internal design team responsible for curating thousands of products from global designers annually, • ensuring exceptional quality and creativity in the catalog.

• Improved cross-team efficiency by collaborating closely with the production manager, resulting in accelerated project timelines and enhanced collaboration across departments.

• Participated in product line selection, alongside the CEO Mariam Nacify.

• Assisted in development of new product lines, including letterpress and foil pressed, to meet emerging market demands.


Paper Source Illustration and Graphic Design 2010 - 2011
While at Paper Source I got the opportunity to work on all aspects of their design efforts as a designer and illustrator.

• Designed and developed diverse product lines for Paper Source, including greeting cards, wrapping paper, gift tags, stickers, gift bags, calendars, note pads, wedding invitations, holiday cards, and more.

• Managed letterpress production to optimize press sheets, colors, and products, ensuring cost-effective manufacturing while maintaining quality standards and price margins.

• Created visually captivating Waste Not Paper catalogs to showcase Paper Source's wholesale offerings and attract new clients.

• Collaborated with photography team to style product visuals in line with brand aesthetic and appeal to target audience.

• Developed engaging email designs and web ads to support marketing and promotional campaigns.

• Produced visually appealing in-store signage to enhance shopping experience and create a cohesive atmosphere.

• Designed product packaging and instructions for new product launches.

• Contributed to exceptional customer service and met increased demand during peak seasons through active participation in-store.

Freelance Illustration and Graphic Design est. 2007
I have been lucky during my freelance design and illustration career to contract and consult with many amazing brands and companies including: Canva, Fitbit, Walmart, Walgreens, Lotta Jansdotter, Crane & Co, American Greetings, Paperless Post and many others.

EDUCATION
Columbia College Chicago, BA

SKILLS
Creative Direction, Brand Direction, Illustrative Design, Product Photography, Patterns In Repeat, Surface Design, Stationery Design, Web-to-print, Creative Team Building, Site Design, Product Line Curation, Color Forecasting and Inspiration.

SOFTWARE
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign & Fresco. Procreate. Affinity Designer. Figma. Klayvio. Trello. Clickup. Slack.