Creative Director Graphic Design

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

A results-focused and goal-oriented creative director and designer with more 20 years of experience in the branding and marketing industry, and many years of leadership experience with design and sales teams over multiple projects. A strong leader and mentor who inspires creative professionals to achieve their maximum potential while providing lasting digital and print solutions for clients. A collaborative and strategic thinker who is able to communicate clearly and creatively. Consistently successful in setting and achieving branding and marketing goals that generate profits for clients and creative agencies. A proficient and detail-oriented design professional, passionate about branding and design. PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVE

To continually provide excellent creative, design leadership and brand communication experiences that connect with audiences on a deep, emotional level and compels them to engage with organizations and their products and services.

PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

To help individual people and corporate organizations grow and prosper through creative and effective design experiences, focused leadership and successful results. SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Brand Strategy: Ability to create unique brand strategy plans that make strong emotional connections between companies and consumers and motivates them to buy their products and services. Creative Direction: Proven ability to set and meet or exceed high creative and design standards in branding and marketing. Effectively builds and leads creative teams of writers, designers, illustrators, animators, programmers, photographers, and other creative professionals to produce successful, effective, award-winning solutions.

Web & Interactive: Highly experienced in Internet development since 1995, successfully implementing systems and applications such as content management systems, social networking, email marketing campaigns, and other database driven content. Creative implementation of interactive interfaces utilizing animation, scripting, and databases.

Leadership & Management: Excellent leader who brings out the best in employees and establishes clear objectives. Ability to oversee multiple staff, projects, budgets and timelines. Client Acquisition & Relations: Extremely talented in establishing and maintaining superb client relations as a result of effective communication and presentation skills. Account Management: Interact extensively with clients and manage projects and negotiations. Ability to develop and build trusting client relationships. Copywriting: Responsible for writing headlines, content, positioning statements and taglines, developing creative and compelling brand stories.

Employee Development: Utilizes and develops the skills and talents of designers and freelancers to maximize creativity, efficiency, and productivity. PAUL RUETTGERS CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER

phone 541-***-****

email ****@*********.***

portfolio www.paulruettgers.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kinetic Branding May 2008 – Present Award-winning branding, marketing and web development agency. Founded Kinetic Branding with a learned philosophy of connecting with consumers on a deep, emotional level that motivates consumers to buy. Created a unique brand communication process that connects companies to consumers through an emotional branding process called Brand Energy™. Identified 20 human desires, or felt needs, that is paired with an organization’s products and services, and provides analysis and direction for companies to succeed in connecting with new customers. Responsible for high creative and design standards as well as the management and development of sales and creative professionals. Assists sales team in acquiring new business and managing client relationships. Leads designers, programmers, copywriters, and freelancers throughout multiple projects. Manages website development and marketing direction. Ensures project objectives, deliverables, deadlines, and budgets. Provides constructive feedback to designers and programmers in a clear and motivating way. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, training, managing, and evaluating team members. Creates and improves on internal structures, procedures, and project workflow. GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR + CO-FOUNDER Zeal Group September 2006 – May 2008 Award-winning branding, marketing and web development agency. Responsible for design excellence as well as the management and development of creative professionals. Assisted in acquiring new business and managing client relationships. Led art directors, designers, programmers, copywriters, freelancers, and other vendors throughout multiple projects. Managed website structure, navigation, content, usability, design, marketing direction, programming, and production. Ensured project objectives, deliverables, deadlines, and budgets. Developed creative briefs that communicate marketing objectives clearly and reflects the value proposition of the client’s brand. Provided constructive feedback to designers and team members in a clear and motivating way. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, training, managing, and evaluating team members. Created and improved on internal structures, procedures, and project workflow. Created and developed integrated branding tools and devices to improve final solutions. Has won several prestigious corporate identity and website design awards.

FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Zeal Creative April 2000 – September 2006 Award-winning branding, marketing and web development agency. Managed designers, freelancers, illustrators, photographers, copywriters, programmers and other vendors throughout multiple projects. Managed website structure, navigation, content, usability, design, programming, and production. Ensured project objectives, deadlines, and budgets. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, training, managing, and evaluating team members. Created internal structures, procedures, and project workflow. Responsible for writing creative briefs that communicated clear marketing objectives, and managed teams to create unique solutions that exceeded expectations. Acquired and managed new client accounts. Participated in client meetings and pitched creative concepts to clients. Provided feedback to designers, and mentored them to create effective design solutions. Has won several prestigious corporate identity, packaging and website design awards. PAUL RUETTGERS CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER

phone 541-***-****

email ****@*********.***

portfolio www.paulruettgers.com

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Glyphix Studio October 1995 – April 2000 Award-winning branding and web development agency with a large client base including Honda Motors, IBM, SAS, Century 21 and Warner Bros.

Oversaw the artistic development of marketing and promotional materials, including identity, collateral, packaging, web sites and other related projects. Served as mentor to design teams and ensured creative concepts were carried through all aspects of the project and that the end product met marketing objectives. Pitched creative concepts to internal teams and clients and clearly communicated concepts from a design, business, and competitive standpoint. Assisted in articulation of design problems and solutions in client meetings. Researched companies and prepared internal creative briefs. Kept design team focused on objectives, working within deadlines and budgets. SENIOR DESIGNER The DuPuis Group May 1994 – October 1995 Award-winning branding and packaging agency with a large client base including Disney, Nestlé, Hewlett-Packard, Dole, Mattel, Baskin-Robbins.

Designed print brochures, collateral pieces, point-of-purchase displays, logos, product branding and packaging. Designed Websites that inspired users and created compelling digital experiences. Developed creative designs for a wide variety of design projects and worked as part of a creative team, assuming a Lead Designer role and assisting the Art Director. Worked with clients such as Baskin- Robbins, Disney, Dole, Hewlett-Packard, Mattel, Nestle, and others. Effectively interpreted client’s needs as outlined in creative briefs and translated them into compelling visual designs. EDUCATION & TRAINING

California State University, Long Beach Graphic Design Program, 1991 – 1995 Art Center College of Design, Pasadena Audited Design Courses, 1993 – 1994 Ultimate Leadership Intensive Workshop 2005

SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

- Adobe Creative Suite (design, layout, illustration, video and more)

- Apple Applications

- Cinema 4D (3D application)

- Project Management Applications

CONTACT INFORMATION

Phone: 541-***-****

Email: ****@*********.***

Portfolio: www.ruettgers.com

Additional information provided upon request.

PAUL RUETTGERS CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER

phone 541-***-****

email ****@*********.***

portfolio www.paulruettgers.com

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