Colleen Carmichael Chavez

San Diego, CA

acsx78@r.postjobfree.com

858-***-****

Freelance Graphic/Web Designer

* ***** ******** ****** ******

San Diego and Los Angeles, CA

January 1992 to Present - 2015

RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE:

May 2015 Contract work for SteamMaker: Adobe Photoshop/Illustration backgrounds created for PowerPoint slides for education company (STEM).

April 2015 - A Word Court Reporting Service Twenty year old logo revamped for 2015 for court reporting business.

Oct 2014 - June 2015 New logo and website developed for TruCareer Coaching, a professional career coach service. In addition to logos, photographs were created or modified for website.

Responsibilities

Started freelance design business, providing graphic services for a wide variety of clients such as: Emerald City Rhythmic Academy (ongoing projects 2010 - 2014), Brandopolis, American Heart Association, Prudential California Realty, LSI Graphic Evidence, Saint Gregory the Great, Weider Foods, etc.

Accomplishments

Provided graphic services to clients: improving their look and logo for marketing and advertising. A lot of my clients are small businesses and non-profits who have to work with a small budget, so I need to be very creative for their money.

Skills Used

From concept to finished piece, I have to wear many hats at my job. I have to be the production artist and the art director all in one. I use my illustration, design/layout skills, in short all of my creative skills to create artwork for my clients in a timely manner.

Web Designer/Developer, Computer Consultant

Jerabek Elementary School

San Diego, CA

August 2010 to December 2013

Responsibilities

Maintained website for elementary school, designed the look and graphics for the site. I kept in constant contact with teachers, parents and staff to keep the site up-to-date.

Ran computer lab for both upper and lower grades: maintained computers (i.e. with current software, updates, etc.), assisted teachers with curriculum such as teaching kids how to search the Internet, taught them keyboarding with programs such as Type to Learn, taught programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Repaired and installed computers, printers, etc. for teachers and staff on site.

Accomplishments

Streamlined operations at the school: for example computer lab was a mess with computers needing updates, new software, etc. The equipment broke down more often and I cleaned up the lab, making software and hardware run more efficiently. Teachers noticed this because when they came in to use the lab over the years, there was less work and maintenance to be done.

I made the website more user friendly and visually attractive over the years. We received many compliments from other schools who modeled their websites after ours.

Helped the teachers and students become more confident in their computer skills and some not so afraid of computers. Taught the teachers new ways to do the job better.

Skills Used

My computer program skills: I used my software skills to help the teachers teach the kids to work on the software and use the Internet (teaching shortcuts, how to do a page layout, insert photos, etc). HTML skills: used these skills to work on the website.

My website skills: I know how to create photos and illustrations for the website, also am highly skilled in page and web layout design (my graphic design background skills). I keep up to date with communications for the parents and staff, also the students.

Organizational skills: keeping track of maintenance of the computers on campus, keeping track of equipment in lab, creating schedules for classes to use lab.

Patience - keeping old equipment running because we didn't have the money to buy new items.

Graphic Designer

Century Publishing

Poway, CA

July 1999 to October 2000

Responsibilities

Produced directories for award-winning publisher of chamber of commerce directories: from covers, editorials, ads, and directory lists.

I was responsible for projects from initial design to final film output.

Accomplishments

Some of my directories and maps won awards for the company. One, Victorville was especially noted for improving traffic to its community and advertising due to my innovative and clean design.

Skills Used

Illustrator and page layout skills. I also was noted for producing clean, nicely designed ads: not your typical, cluttered unattractive ads.

Art Director/Mac Graphic Designer

Clone Graphics

Del Mar, CA

March 1999 to July 1999

Responsibilities

Created camera-ready art for a wide range of clientele. Managed jobs from start to final piece.

Accomplishments

Helped streamline operations: from one time clients to regular clients. Cleaned up files, organized art department.

Skills Used

Used QuarkXpress, Pagemaker, Illustrator, and Photoshop to do a wide variety of jobs: from business cards, corporate packages to brochures, flyers, posters and greeting cards.

Production Manager

Southern California Dog Magazine

Alpine, CA

August 1997 to March 1998

Responsibilities

Managed production of North American Dog Magazine and oversaw freelancers for five regional sections (design, layout, scans) from concept to pre-press stage.

Accomplishments

Organized flow of production, making everything more streamlined. Redesigned magazine and its regional sections.

Skills Used

Used Quark Xpress for design/layout, produced logos, illustration, ads, etc. with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Worked with vendors, editors, writers, artists, to create the magazine.

Art Director/Graphic Designer

Carmel Valley News/Rancho Santa Fe Review

San Diego, CA

January 1995 to August 1997

Responsibilities

Produced ads and page design for publisher of award-winning community newspapers (Rancho Santa Fe Review and Carmel Valley News).

Accomplishments

Helped with the newspaper’s transition from paste up to digital/film for camera-ready art. Established the art department for Carmel Valley News.

Skills Used

Used QuarkXpress, Illustrator and Photoshop. Paste-up/production skills. Designing ads and logos. Scanning and touching up photos/artwork.

Art Director

Michael Angelo's Gourmet Italian Foods

Vista, CA

April 1993 to October 1994

Responsibilities

Established art department (sales/marketing) for frozen food manufacturer. Created artwork for packaging, ad slicks, point-of-purchase, brochures, and promotions. Designed/assisted in photo shoots. Worked and researched various vendors (printers) to produce camera ready artwork.

Accomplishments

Establishing the art department. Continued with some re-branding of the product and look of the company. Creating all of their product line with illustrations, product photos, and packaging. Helped recreate a cleaner, "more gourmet" look to their Sam's Club and Costco line.

Skills Used

All computer graphics software including: Illustrator, QuarkXpress, and Photoshop. Worked with vendors to produce camera ready artwork.

Prudential California Realty

Graphic Designer

Beverly Hills, CA

March 1990 to January 1992

Responsibilities

Responsible for creating/designing ads for newspapers and magazines such as The Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine for a major real estate firm. Developed marketing materials for real estate agents including: brochures, logos, flyers, and various corporate materials.

Accomplishments

Designed award winning ads that helped increase sales and corporate identity for many of the agents and firms throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County region. Supported the special events department with new marketing logos and corporate packages for the real estate agents; also in-house support for various awards and recognitions.

Skills Used

Used Adobe software and Pagemaker to create ads, newspaper layouts. Creative skills for designing logos and brochures to support sales team. Production skills used in traditional camera ready layout.

Graphic Illustrator

ERC Environmental and Energy Services

San Diego, CA

July 1988 to March 1990

Responsibilities

Provided graphic support for environmental consulting company. Prepared charts, graphs, covers, maps, and drawings for proposals and inter-company graphics.

Accomplishments

Helped with the transition from traditional paste up to doing all of the production on the Macintosh.

Skills Used

Computer graphics skills: used Mac with Adobe software such as Illustrator. Production art skills

Education

BA in Graphic Communication

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

1986 to 1988

Journalism

University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM

1983 to 1985

Skills

Have worked on both Mac and PC computers in desktop publishing, illustration, logo design since 1987. Have worked with a variety of programs including: Illustrator, Photoshop, In Design, Dreamweaver, QuarkXpress, Director, etc. Designed ads, websites, brochures, illustrations, corporate packages, cover designs, business cards, packaging, etc. for clients on a freelance basis since 1987.

Additional Information

I am always continuing my art education by taking on-line classes in computer and graphics software, on site classes such as watercolor and drawing classes.

Mesa College On-line courses (Ed to Go)

Creating web pages (html) Dreamweaver, San Diego, CA 2001 - 2002, 2007 Flash

UCLA Extension

Classes in Illustrator, Quark, Photoshop, and Macromind Director, Los Angeles, CA 1990 - 1992

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