My Story
Hi there,
I'm Theresa, but people call me T
A Professional Designer & Artist based in Columbus, Ohio. I've had over 20 years experience in the field of visual communication for BOTH print & web and have placed my focus on Brand ID, Visual/ Digital/ Graphic Design & Web Development.
When I'm away from my computer, I am busy being a dog mom, a sci-fi nerd and finding peace by illustrating. I love hiking, dancing to funky music and really strong coffee.
Passion for Design
Growing up in the 70's, I was surrounded by people in my extended family who were hippies and artists. They taught me as a youngster about art principles and how to find joy in expression. I was always fascinated by album covers & pop culture icons, which ended up paving my path at an early age to becoming a designer & illustrator.
Becoming a Professional
I started my design career on Long Island, NY where I first studied Fine Art at NCC for 2 years and science at Stonybrooke University for another 2. I was tempted away by a great position as an Assistant Art Director for a company that did scenery displays & backdrops and worked there for 8 fabulous, crazy years.
I was in a really bad accident and became temporarily disabled, so back to college I went at Farmingdale University where I acquired my Bachelor in Technology for Visual Communications and fell in love with digital design. I'm still expanding my knowlege and periodically continuing my education with new app certifications.
Learn more about how I use perception & emotion for Visual Communication
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
— Apple marketing collective, 1997
Credentials
Profile
As a visual design lead, I have been responsible for the creation and execution of branding across a wide range of platforms within almost all aspects of print collateral and digital design. I have developed a deep understanding of visual communication, one that draws on my knowledge of creative strategy, best practices, and experience.
I can produce visual products & websites from concept through delivery independently or through collaboration within a team.
Experience
September 2022 - Current
Sr. Creative | Web, Branding & Visual Designer
Socius Marketing, Tampa, FL (remote)
Digital Marketing Agency specializing home services and related products, health & wellness services, with sales funnel integrated website development for B2C. Owned by Evercommerce (a global, publicly traded company), working within the departments of EverPro, EverHealth & EverWell.
Responsibilities
- UI/Web design within Webflow & Wordpress: html/css/jQuery/bootstrap/CMS
- Custom web design and front-end development
- Component design, prototyping, style guides
- Digital, PPC, social media, print design & touchpoint branding
- Logo design & brand continuity across all platforms
- A11Y: ADA-WCAG:AA compliance
- Maintain multiple concurrent projects and work flows
March 2022 - August 2022
Sr. Creative | Web, Branding & Visual Designer
Construction Marketing, Inc., Sarasota, FL (remote)
Niche Advertising Agency specializing in construction and related products, services & real estate development, with branding, print collateral and website development, B2B & B2C
Responsibilities
- Brand development & logo design, digital, print & PPC design
- UI/Website design: user-flows, wireframes & prototypes
- UI/Website development: (HTML, CSS, JQuery), SEO, image & site optimization, ADA-WCAG:A compliance & maintenance
- Managed multiple concurrent projects and work flow
- Worked with and guided clients & creatives to achieve goals
January 2001 - September 2022
Freelance Web, Branding & Visual Design
July 2022 - August 2022
Visual Design Subcontractor
ROICO (remote)
- Fortune 500 Company (non-disclosure): internal, interactive page-flows
February 2022 – April 2022
Web, Branding & Visual Designer
MOJO | Creative Digital, Baltimore, MD (remote)
Digital marketing agency providing branding, digital marketing, website design & development, mobile apps & videography for B2B, B2C & government projects
Responsibilities
- Branding ID, logos, print, digital & email design
- UI/Website Design: page-flows, wireframing & prototyping
October 2021 – February 2022
Visual Design Subcontractor
Creative Circle, (remote)
Talent House & contract placement for marketing agencies & businesses who require graphic artists, designers and developers.
Responsibilities
- Marketing agency back-up/fill-in design for campaigns
Tree Tree Agency (remote)
Marketing Agency
Responsibilities
- Nationwide Insurance rebrand & PDF ADA-WCAG:A compliance
March 2012 - October 2021
Art Director
Construction Marketing, Inc., Sarasota, FL (remote)
Niche Advertising Agency specializing in construction and related products, services & real estate development, with branding, print collateral and website development, B2B & B2C
Responsibilities
- Brand development & logo design, digital, print & PPC design
- UI/Website design: user-flows, wireframes & prototypes
- UI/Website development: (HTML, CSS, JQuery), SEO, image & site optimization, ADA-WCAG:A compliance & maintenance
- Managed multiple concurrent projects and work flow
- Worked with and guided clients & creatives to achieve goals
Achievements
- Developed & propelled 50+ companies with unique, individual branding
- Handled all design, SEO & coding in the early years for local & national construction industry companies that were in serious need of modern branding
- Handled all design while guiding other creatives as the company grew
- Marketing efforts for clients often resulted in an overabundance of leads and projects
January 2012 - May 2016
Graphic Designer, Event & Volunteer Coordinator
(PRO-BONO)
HELP the Animals Inc., Richmond, IN
Large non-profit, no-kill pet rescue, 20-30 hrs weekly
Responsibilities
- Brand development & logo design
- Maintained branding continuity across all platforms
- Marketing strategy, content creation & graphic design
- User interface design, & development
- Print, prepress production & asset coordination
- Website SEO & accessibility, PPC design
- Event Marketing
- Volunteer training & coordination
- Dog training, biography copywriting & photography
Achievements
- Launched campaigns which brought in much needed high-dollar donations to upgrade the facility kennels, drainage, structure and implement progressive adoption and training programs
- Spearheaded the volunteer program as volunteer coordinator, specializing in training "bad behavior" dogs and involving the community
- Adoption rates, community awareness and volunteer hours picked up tremendously allowing them to transfer in dogs and cats from the city shelter who would have otherwise been euthanized for space at the time
2011 - 2012
Web, Branding & Visual Designer
Summersault Web Development, Richmond, IN
Advertising agency specializing in local businesses & non-profit branding and website development, in-house client: Adopt-A-Pet (adoptapet.com)
- UI/Web, logos, print & digital design, landing pages & assets
2008 - 2011
Web, Branding & Visual Designer
LIAAC, LINCS, BiasHELP, ProjectSafetyNet, Hauppauge, NY
Non-Profit Organizations who concentrated in the low income, homeless and recently incarcerated population. Providing STD testing, services & linkages to counseling, case management & care.
- Maintained branding (4 brands) continuity across all platforms
- Print design, prepress production & asset coordination
- Web design & development, SEO, optimization & maintenance
2005 - 2008
Real Estate Broker & Advertising Specialist
Co-founded E Realty Group Inc., Wading River, NY: 2007
Agent - Prudential Real Estate, Miller Place, NY: 2005
- Brand identity, print design & marketing
- Website design, development & maintenance
- Print design, prepress production & asset coordination
- Website SEO & lead generation
2002 - 2005
Freehand Artist, Graphic Designer, R&D, CNC Laser Specialist
FMT Machinery / Laseredge Designs LTD, Bay Shore, NY
Large format (8'x10'), artistic sign & fence machinery distributor & startup custom laser etching/burning design & production.
- Freehand & digital illustration
- Print design & prepress production
- Website design, development & maintenance
- Interior environmental design, prodution & installation
- Trade show design, prodution & installation
- Vector conversions to CNC laser production
- Research & technical documentation, copywriting
- On site & location CNC laser machinery training for clients
1999 - 2002
Freehand Designer/Artist
Lighter than Air, Hicksville, NY,
Backdrops, signage, mobiles & sculptures for high-end NY parties & events
- Created 3-D sculptures & signage for immersive environments
1993 - 1999
Assistant Art Director
The Art Department Inc., NY
Large scale environmental design, backdrops, signage, mobiles & sculptures for high-end NY parties, events & window displays
Responsibilities
- Lead artist for 3-D sculptures & signage for immersive environment production
- Organized & managed project work flow & production
- Managed & trained 20+ crew on color theory, machinery & art techniques
- Ordered products for production
- Created templates for production
- Installed window displays
Achievements
- Designed & created samples that could be mass produced which increased capacity & production margins
- Designed a production work flow that broke down the project into simpler components and grouped together similar tasks that increased productivity & profit margins
- Produced themed, 3-D gigantic-scale party props, sculptures & environmentals based on the Rug-Rats scary forest & Blues Clues environment for Nickelodeon
- Procured the account & designed/installed window displays for Petland Discounts chain in NY
1990 - 1993
Freehand Artist, Theme & Floral Staging
Stephan’s Florist, NY
Large scale backdrops, signage & mobiles for high-end NY parties & events
- Produced & installed themed environmental party props & floral staging
Education
2001
Bachelor of Technology in Visual Communications
S.U.N.Y. Farmingdale NY
Major: Visual Communication, 4 years
Minor: Fine Art, 2 years
2021-2022
Udemy Online
Adobe XD
Learn Adobe Xd Webdesign: Design websites from zero: UX & UI
Certificate
Adobe XD UI/UX Design, prototype, and handoff from scratch
Certificate
Figma & Webflow
Figma 101 - Learning the basics quickly
Certificate
Complete Web Design: from Figma to Webflow to Freelancing
Certificate
Mailchimp
Intro to Mailchimp: Design Beautiful Branded Emails
Certificate
Skills
Expertise
- UI/Web/Digital design
- Front-end web development
- Page-flow & Usability
- A11Y: ADA-WCAG:AA Compliance
- Graphic/Visual design
- Typography, layout & color theory
- Print design & prepress production
- Branding creation & campaign
- B2B & B2C Marketing
Project Management
- Cloud Collaboration
- Campaign strategy development
- Branding compliance across all media
- Client & vendor liaison
- Maintaining timelines & budgets
- Workflow organization
- Asset procurement & organization
- Conducting technical analysis
- Presentation
- Guiding Jr. Creatives
Production
- Digital imaging for print/web/social
- Design Systems & components
- Wireframes, mock-ups & prototypes
- Interactive & responsive website design
- Internet site load testing & optimization
- Brand ID & mood boards
- Logo creation
- Photo retouching & composites
- Digital banner on-line advertising/PPC
- Digital illustration
- Technical prepress & print production: Business cards, postcards, presentation folders, brochures, catalogs, posters, signage, trade show displays, POP displays, flyers & sell sheets Environmental graphics & 3-D displays, Packaging & die-cut templates
- Magazine & newsprint advertising
Technology
SaaS Applications
- Adobe Photoshop: expert
- Adobe InDesign: expert
- Adobe Illustrator: advanced
- Adobe Dreamweaver: advanced
- Adobe XD: proficient/certified
- Adobe Lightroom Classic: proficient
- Adobe Acrobat Pro: proficient
- Google Analytics: proficient
- Chrome Lighthouse: proficient
- SEMrush: proficient
- Figma: proficient/certified
- Webflow: proficient/certified
- Wordpress Styling: proficient
- Sketch: working knowledge
- Microsoft Suite: working knowledge
- PowerPoint: working knowledge
- InVision: knowledge of
- Adobe Animate: knowledge of
- Adobe AfterEffects: knowledge of
Languages
- HTML5: advanced
- CSS3/SCSS: advanced
- Bootstrap Framework: advanced
- CSS LESS/SASS: working knowledge
- jQuery Libraries: working knowledge
- PHP: forms & includes