experience

The Inkk Spot has 18 years experience in corporate identity, print design, web design and development, writing and editing, and photography.

Below is a breakdown of the experiences of The Inkk Spot, as well as a list of accomplishments and duties.


Graphic Design Work Experience

Lead Web Designer

Magellan Health Services, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Manage the overall design and style sheet (CSS) infrastructure for all of Magellan's 20+ websites. This includes overseeing other web/creative personnel, serving as consultant on all web development projects, directing the development of website designs and multimedia material, and interacting with management and business owners.
  • Work with management and development team to ensure websites and applications meet customer and business needs. This involves the use of interviews and creative briefs to outline company/project business goals; determine user priorities; and analyze the competition. This research is then used to create an appropriate design strategy that will meet project objectives and goals.
  • Architected new design style for Magellan websites to better reflect the company brand. All of this was outlined in a Web Brand Guide to aid business owners in making design decisions for their respective website(s), to ensure they stay within the Magellan brand and "family."
  • Created/implemented site-wide user interface/design standards for all websites and applications, utilizing user-centered design principles.
  • Use insight and creativity to suggest and/or implement new interfaces, new technologies, new online marketing strategies, usability improvements, etc. This includes the creation of a customization engine that will allow member sites to match the look-and-feel of our customers.

Senior Web Designer

Magellan Health Services, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Act as lead in charge of the design of all web development.
  • Work with Marketing Communications to determine the look-and-feel of Magellan websites — including award winning Intranet and MagellanHealth.com — corresponding with corporate branding guidelines/standards. This includes creating mockups, interface designs, web design/application guidelines, multimedia, and HTML/CSS templates.
  • Work with Marketing Communications and business segments to design and develop online materials for potential business and various corporate products, as part of a cross-platform marketing strategy.
  • Design, evaluate and implement visual human interfaces. This involves conducting user research (surveys, personas, focus groups, etc), refining functional requirements, developing prototype interfaces, and conducting usability/accessibility reviews.
  • Act as project manager with various groups to gather information, organize and schedule groups, manage conflict, persuade, effectively make and communicate decisions, and motivate and encourage team members.

Senior Creative Producer

The Frick Company, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Served as lead in charge of all creative services. This included revamping The Frick Company’s corporate identity, including its portrayal in print (stationery/brochures/ tradeshow booth) and web media and the creation of corporate branding standards.
  • Responsible for outlining marketing strategy to promote revamped corporate image using a variety of media: print materials, website, editorial content, newsletters, electronic company calendars, online email campaigns, link partnerships and affiliations, and marketing campaigns.
  • Served as Web Business Analyst and Information Architect. This involved researching business goals and user requirements; conducting workgroups and usability analysis; and performing accessibility assessments.
  • Served as Web Project Manager for company website redesign project. This included overseeing other web personnel, as well as creating a summary/scope of work, determining proposed timelines, researching needed project resources (equipment/ personnel), and interacting with senior Board members.

Media Designer

Greenhorne and O'Mara, Inc. (G&O), Greenbelt, Maryland

  • Revamped G&O’s corporate identity, including its portrayal in both print (stationery/strategic plan/tradeshow booth) and web (corporate/regional websites) media and the creation of corporate branding standards.
  • Worked with Marketing to develop materials promoting G&O’s revamped corporate identity, as part of a cross-platform marketing strategy.
  • Served as Web Project Manager and consultant for all G&O web development -- both websites for corporate offices and websites for various transportation projects. This included overseeing web in-house and outside personnel, as well as creating a summary/scope of work, determining a proposed timeline and budget, researching needed project resources (equipment/ personnel), interacting with clients, and educating the A/E project team.
  • Conceptualized, designed, produced, and maintained web-based graphics and pages. This included content development, site architecture, production, and site marketing and promotion.
  • Conceptualized and designed print materials. This included design, managing vendors, specifying/analyzing bids, project tracking, pre-press/pre-flight, reviewing bluelines, conducting press checks, and planning/managing photo shoots.

Creative Associate

Issue Dynamics Inc., Washington, DC

  • Conceptualized, designed, and produced web-based graphics and pages for both outside and in-house clients. Working with clients and other web personnel, aided with content development, site architecture, information/visual design, production and site marketing and promotion (advertising, print materials, etc).
  • Served as primary contact for all print production. This involved working directly with vendors and clients, specifying/analyzing bids, submitting proposals/POs, reviewing bluelines/matchprints and project tracking.
  • Conceptualized and designed print materials (from one-color to four-color process), including newsletters, brochures, promotional materials, advertising and other publications, for both outside/in-house clients.

Communications Coordinator

International Fabricare Institute, Silver Spring, Maryland

  • Coordinated all printing activities, editorial content, advertising and photography. This involved working directly with vendors, advertisers, staff, and freelance writers/designers; specifying bids; pre-press/pre-flight; reviewing blue lines; project tracking; publications management; writing/editing copy; planning editorial calendars; and planning/conducting photo shoots.
  • Responsible for the design of various association publications (from one-color to four-color process), including monthly newsletter and magazine, bi-monthly technical journal, brochures, and media kit.
  • Designed and maintained association website. Working with in-house personnel and coordinating with monthly publication deadlines, aided with content development, site architecture, information/visual design, production and site promotion.

Administrative Assistant

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology,
Arlington, Virginia

  • Played a major role in shifting all graphics creation/production from outside to in-house resources.
  • Assisted in the writing and preparation of bi-monthly newsletter and annual school and state directories.
  • Designed and maintained workshop materials, including brochures, flyers, workbooks and information packets for applicants.

Assistant Public Affairs Officer

U.S. Navy, Fleet Surveillance Support Command, Chesapeake, Virginia


Teaching Experience

Instructor

Saint Louis Community College, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Taught professional courses on HTML.
  • Designed professional course on CSS.
  • Enhanced existing HTML courses by researching educational material and creating custom assignments to account for different learning styles, androgogy, and various teaching and learning situations.

Freelance Instructional Designer

Magellan Health Services, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Revamped existing online course to incorporate traditional teaching models and strategies, as well as account for different learning styles, androgogy, various teaching and learning situations, the needs of learners with accessibility issues, and limitations of current technologies.
  • Experimented with various online environments for teaching and learning. This included taking the same material and teaching it using different teaching methods (collaborative vs. independent study) and delivery systems (synchronous, asynchronous, web-based).
  • Experimented in teaching course content using a various of methods, including webcasts (Netmeeting), lecture, discussion, chat, email, group projects, debates, Webquests, narratives, visual examples (diagrams, video, graphics, etc), learning games, case study analysis, group critiques, role play, and hands-on activities and projects.
  • Aided in assessing students’ knowledge according to Kirkpatrick’s Model. This included not only tabulating their final scores, but also tracking their responses on subsequent surveys, which were relayed to management.

Volunteer Activities

Gateway Hammerheads Scuba Club

  • Serve as board member and consultant for club promotion.

Epworth Children and Family Services

  • In process of exploring opportunities to teach Life Skills classes for foster children.

Education

Master of Science, Education

California State University, Hayward, California
March 2004

Chancellor's Certificate of Web Page Design

University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri
May 2001

Bachelor of Science, Communications

University of Maryland University College, College Park, Maryland
December 1997

Software

  • Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
  • Adobe Flash Professional CS4
  • Adobe Fireworks CS4
  • Adobe Captivate CS4
  • Apple Final Cut Express
  • Sonic Foundry Sound Forge
  • Adobe Acrobat Professional 9
  • Adobe Photoshop CS4
  • Adobe Illustrator CS4
  • Adobe InDesign CS4
  • Quark XPress 8
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Project

Technology

  • XHTML/HTML
  • CSS/DHTML
  • XML/XSL
  • Javascript
  • Flash/Actionscript
  • PDF
  • Active Server Pages (ASP)
  • SQL