KEVIN SZELL

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

646-***-****

ad29kh@r.postjobfree.com

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Portfolio >

Current Work Samples:

Case Studies

Logo Design

Guidelines

Campaign Samples

Branded Presentations

Sales Collateral

Websites: Aligned • Amplix • CIS • DaVinci • Elevated • Kennedy Dental • Opex • Premier • Recon • TelEnergy • TMG • V3 Tech

Work Experience

JUNE 2020 – Present

Creative Director Root23 Agency hybrid

A creative agency specializing in the IT/Telecom tech industry.

I lead a team of creatives, often providing hands-on design solutions for clients in the IT/Telecom tech space who want to update their online brand presence to differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

Creative Direction and hands-on design solutions

Participated in the development of compelling brand strategies including naming, and tagline solutions that aligned with the companies’ market position.

Brought brand strategies to life through creative concepts for logos, comprehensive visual identities, and campaigns.

Built comprehensive brand standards and guidelines.

Designed sales collateral including presentation decks, sales sheets, case studies, white papers, etc.

Supported email marketing campaigns with art for blogs, social, and email.

Directed creative staff and external creative resources providing creative briefs, critical review of work, proofreading,

and editing.

Presented to clients creative solutions and concepts.

Managed the project and client relationship.

Mentored staff in presentation, writing, project management, and business development skills.

Sales Support, Business Development, and Operations

Collaborated with sales team sharing pricing models and recommending value-based pricing of services.

Evaluated staffing needs and participated in staff reviews which often meant dealing with HR-related issues.

Implemented project management tools to have more cross-discipline visibility into projects.

Help business explore beyond a single market vertical

MAR 2020 – MAY 2020

Creative Director iOttie, Inc new york

A lifestyle accessories brand for the automotive industry.

Creative leadership, brand management, and departmental organization of the marketing and graphics teams, building a unique brand culture within the organization.

Implemented the use of creative briefs; a new process for the organization for managing assignments against resources, thereby creating workflow priorities with established goals and deadlines.

Increased department productivity through weekly staff meetings and peer accountability, highlighting to executive management where individuals were over-committed or assignments over-staffed.

Recommended design standards after observing current creative standards for product launches, developing guidelines for consistent application of brand including information hierarchy, image, illustration, and typography and its application to packaging and product communications, advertising, and online promotions.

Promote a brand-driven culture; traditionally they used design in the development of products but could not parlay a similar point-of-view to their culture.

JUNE 2019 – MAR 2020

Director of Visual Arts Sonneman – A Way of Light new york

An architectural lighting company.

Hired to shift the perception of the brand (internally and externally) from a manufacture/dealer culture to a high-design, brand-driven organization through advertising, social media, online, trade events, and other sales communications.

Directed the “design studio” staff of creatives ranging from UX/UI web design, 3D artists, graphic designers, and copywriters.

Collaborated regularly across departments with product design, engineering, and sales.

Implemented project management tools (Asana.com/Monday.com) for one-source project communication with departmental teams vs. the use of traditional Excel documents which were managed individually by each department lead.

SEPT 2002 – NOV 2018

Creative Director The Moderns new york

A creative agency, specializing in architectural interior brands.

I ran the creative studio, leading the development and execution of creative, managing the creative team, outside creative partners,

and client relationships. Here my experience encompassed strategic marketing and branding initiatives that often included a 360 multidisciplinary approach.

Translated strategy to visual identities and campaigns.

Developed comprehensive brand identities and guidelines for B2B market segments.

Created sales and marketing collateral including PowerPoint/Keynote presentations, sales brochures, catalogs, and more.

Developed advertising campaigns.

Website design, Tradeshow and Event branding, Showroom Design, and more.

In addition to my creative duties, I was also responsible for business operations including:

Writing proposals and SOWs.

Presenting and negotiating scope-of-works.

Managing clients, approvals, deadlines, and billings.

JAN 2000 – AUG 2002

Director of Brand Design FutureBrand new york

An IPG Company and global brand-led business transformation company.

In a senior leadership role, I led a creative team, working alongside client services and brand strategists within the agency on national and international brand transformation projects in varied market sectors, from banking to technology, pharmaceutical to real estate. Some key accounts I was proud to be a part of included Samsung, Palm Island in Dubai, Accenture, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

SEPT 1995 – JAN 2000

Senior Designer and Studio Director The Moderns new york

Managed and developed the creative output of the studio.

Creative staffing and management of agency operations.

JAN 1994 – SEPT 1995

Senior Designer Pentagram new york

Mentored under the tutelage of Peter Harrison.

Senior team lead for all design efforts, while also working across partner teams within Pentagram.

Consulting

Burnett Group, Lewin/Holland, SGN Group, Tracy Turner Design, Imagine The Next, Zetlin & DeChiara

Skills

Specialties

Creative / Design Direction

Brand Identity & Standards

Brand Architecture

Strategic thinking, brainstorming, and creative translation

Typography

Experienced In

Photography Curation / Art Direction, Advertising, Presentation Design, Print / Promotional Design, Sales Literature / Collateral,

Packaging Design, Exhibit / Event Installations, Tradeshow Design, Environmental Design / Signage, Information Graphics

Management

New Business Development, Mentoring / Creative Leadership, Project Management, Client Relationships, Intellectual Property, Vendor Management: including outsourced designers, digital consultants, writers, editors, printers, and manufacturers.

Other Skills

Listening and Empathy, Collaboration, Oral and Written Presentation, Strategy, Storyboard, Drawing/Illustration, Proofreading, Editing and more…

Technical Proficiencies

Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Microsoft 365: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Production: Pre & post-production, Print production, proofing, and Web ready assets

Presentation: PowerPoint, Keynote

Digital Marketing Tools: Mailchimp, Active Campaign, HubSpot

Website Design: Figma, WordPress

Project Management: Monday.com, Asana or similar

Awards + Publications

American Corporate Identity

American Graphic Design Award: Excellence in communication & graphic design

American Institute of Graphic Arts: Best Comprehensive Branding

Communication Arts: Award of Excellence

Graphis Magazine: Design Award

*Rebrand 100: “Best of” Award

Clients

AIGA, American Express, Aveda, Berry+, CFS/SOLID, Contract Magazine, Cradle to Cradle, Dun & Bradstreet, Echo Design, Ford Motor Company, Forms + Surfaces, *France Telecom, WorldTV, General Cinemas, Green Clean, *Harter Furniture, HBO, InterContinental Hotel, *Knoll, Koroseal Interior Products, Maharam Textiles, *McGarry Bowen Advertising, The McGraw-Hill Companies, MechoSystems, *Milliken Carpet (MilliCare), Mendick Management Company, Miller Freeman (Interplan), Mipcom (A Reed Midem Company), Nasdaq, Pontiac, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Samsung Wireless, *Shaw Industries (a Berkshire Hathaway Company), Sundance Channel, Sundance Cinemas, TOTO USA, UltraFabrics, UPromise, The World’s Fair: Expo 2000, Vornado Realty Trust

Non-Profit Clients

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, The Momentum Aids Project, More Art, Pajama Program, Public Architecture Design,

Sri Center International Inc., Take The Lead

Education

Pratt Institute, new york

School of Art and Design

MS, Communication Arts and Graphic Design

University of Dayton, ohio

College of Arts and Sciences

BFA, double major in Visual Communications Design and Illustration

Art Institute of Florence, italy

Study abroad in affiliation with Drake University, iowa and Centro Lorenzo de’Medici, italy

Art history, photography, and studio painting

— Thank You —

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