I have been creating content for and managing the design departments at every company I’ve worked for. For over a decade I’ve relied on Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects and other Creative Cloud apps daily, building strong technical skills and practical knowledge. I’ve produced high-selling designs, implemented workflows that increased production efficiency, and most recently met every weekly deadline while single‑handedly producing two newspapers.

The design team used Illustrator templates to change the spelling of locations and update details for our “name dropped” designs. This process required creating a new layer in the file and generating separate print-ready files for each new customer or purchase of a design. Using my advanced knowledge of Illustrator, I developed Actions and reusable Graphics that streamlined the workflow and reduced the steps and time required to create a new file from minutes to mere seconds. This ensured the intended typography and final print output remained perfectly consistent, regardless of which designer produced the files. As a result, the team was able to fulfill orders at roughly three times the previous pace and gained more time for creative work outside of production. After implementing these procedural changes in the design department, I was promoted to design department manager. The sticker company’s average fulfillment time improved from about three weeks to roughly one week after adopting the workflow I created.

Deadlines: 120+ successful public prints per year / InDesign / Adobe Skills: MidAmerica Publishing

My work in the newspaper print industry required consistently meeting weekly deadlines for the newspapers themselves, plus additional deadlines every month for holidays, fairs, or local high school events that demanded extra sections, along with a larger yearly magazine. In one year I faced more than 120 print deadlines, which meant collaborating closely with sales to create ads, working with editors to gather stories and images, and coordinating tightly with the print department to ensure everything ran on schedule. Accomplishing this depended on a strong aptitude for and thorough knowledge of InDesign’s features — creating and implementing actions, leveraging automation, and using the full range of built‑in capabilities. My proficiency with Adobe comes from years of solving design problems and consistently meeting the production needs of the companies I’ve worked for.

Most recently, I spent the past couple of years managing the design department for two newspapers. I single-handedly laid out both papers each week while also creating the advertisements that ran in every edition. I collaborated closely with salespeople inside and outside the company, editors, and the print department to meet deadlines and production goals. I was responsible for turning in the final prints every week and maintained constant communication with several colleagues through email, phone calls, and virtual meetings.

Prior to that, I served as the senior graphic designer for a company that specialized in creating and selling designs for the resort market. I produced trade show materials, product concepts, and packaging for that business, and I have years of experience producing content while working directly with clients, sales teams, and the CEO.

Beyond technical design abilities, I have developed strong interpersonal skills that help maintain harmony in the workplace. My Sociology degree gave me the foresight and understanding that design talent alone does not guarantee success; effective collaboration and empathy are essential. I have worked with people from diverse backgrounds and with international co-workers remotely. As a team member, I take pride in perfect attendance and in building a reputation for reliability, and kindness.

Skills