Michael State Art Director/Senior Designer

Highly creative professional with comprehensive experience leading and directing quality design/visionary projects from initial conception through completion for a variety of high-profile clients/brands.

Repeated success providing innovative design and market-savvy branding strategies, as well as integrated campaigns to drive brand awareness and audience engagement. Adept at translating client objectives into visually captivating experiences across multiple mediums, including print and digital platforms. Skilled in building, managing, and mentoring high-performing teams to achieve impactful design outcomes. Continually staying updated on industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure cutting-edge and innovative design solutions. Elite communicator distinctively committed to establishing and sustaining strong, long-term working relationships with clients and team members for project success.

Areas of Expertise

• Brand Development & Strategy

• Creative Direction & Leadership

• Visual Design & Composition

• Print & Digital Design

• Image retouching and manipulation

• Art Direction & Photography

• Marketing & Advertising Campaigns

• Brand Identity & Logo Design

• User Experience (UX) Design

• Project Management & Coordination

•Team Collaboration & Mentoring

•Attention to Detail & Quality Control

• Trend Analysis & Forecasting

Design Software

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat. With a working knowledge of Adobe After Effects.

Notable Career Accomplishments

•Received prestigious accolades for exceptional showroom design at AmericasMart Atlanta in 2018 and 2019.

•Devised and implemented cohesive print and digital marketing campaigns that maximized brand exposure.

•Steered the development of a fresh and impactful brand identity for all Bardahl Manufacturing products in their Latin American markets. Branding was then adopted for use in European, Asian, and US markets.

•Produced a wide range of materials and services, including identity systems, brand style guides, collateral materials, creative pitches, event marketing, print and packaging designs, photo art direction, posters, signage, presentations, integrated campaigns, websites, digital marketing content, social media content, e-books, email marketing, and info-graphics.

Professional Experience

Art Director Georgetown Home and Garden • Apr 2016 to Present

Craft and enhance brand image through meticulous refinement and creation of the brand book and style guidelines. Collaborated with sales and marketing departments to establish a unified and compelling company image and messaging. Orchestrate the design and execution of annual catalog, seasonal supplements, and diverse marketing materials. Edit and format images for various platforms including print, web, social media, and mobile campaigns. Organize, maintain, and archive all design files for easy retrieval and accessibility. Develop and update engaging web content across social media channels. Streamline workflow management to meet stringent deadlines while ensuring impeccable quality and consistency. Foster impactful collaborations with offshore manufacturers to facilitate product design, development, and necessary refinements for successful market launch.

•Directed in-house photography and provided art direction to professional photographers for product and editorial visuals.

•Designed, constructed, and installed captivating award-winning showrooms and trade show exhibits.

Brand Consultant/Senior Designer m.state design • Jul 2005 to Apr 2016

Collaborated with a diverse clientele to devise consistent and captivating brand strategies, overseeing the entire process from inception to execution. Acted as an external creative consultant, orchestrating a teams of photographers, copywriters, web designers, tradeshow designers, and marketing specialists to deliver comprehensive and impactful brand materials for internal and external purposes.

•Designed a complete rebranding of ADAPX™ award-winning Capturx Software, including brand identity and logo, packaging, website, eBooks, collateral materials, case studies, trade show banners, info-graphics, and editorial photo shoots.

•Successfully catered to a diverse clientele, including esteemed companies and organizations such as ADAPX, Anchor Marine, Bardahl Additives and Lubricants, Creighton Edwards Home, Field Data Integration (FDI), Focus on Hair Magazine, Gordon

Thomas Honeywell LLP, InfraShine Ceramic Styling Tools, Island Dog Sign Company, MHHM Creative, O’Brien Auto Group, Pacific Lutheran University, Pierce County Arts Commission, Princeton Press, Purely Visual LLC, Two Dogs Barking Productions, and StrataGen.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art Eastern Washington University

Bachelor of Fine Arts BFA, Industrial Design University of Washington

Contact

206-***-**** adw9zf@r.postjobfree.com References available upon request

Online Portfolio

michaelstate.portfoliobox.net linkedin.com/in/michael-state-742933b

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