Senior Graphic Designer - Brand & Marketing Leader

Michelle K. Smith

Minneola, FL • 352-***-**** • ****************@*****.***

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-smith-303a6942/ • https://michellekayesmith.portfoliobox.net Senior Graphic Designer Brand & Marketing Design Specialist Creative marketing and brand design professional with 15+ years of experience producing high-impact print and digital campaigns for education, publishing, manufacturing, and international marketing organizations. Expert in brand consistency, publication design, marketing collateral, trade show graphics, advertising, packaging, and cross- functional creative production. Recognized for managing high-volume projects, leading creative initiatives independently, and delivering polished visual communications from concept through production. Core strengths include:

• Brand Identity & Visual Systems

• Print & Digital Marketing Design

• Editorial & Magazine Production

• Marketing Campaign Development

• Packaging & Product Graphics

• Vendor & Print Production Management

• Trade Show & Event Graphics

• Photography & Photo Retouching

• Creative Project Management

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

Professional Experience

Montverde Academy — Graphic Designer II

Montverde, FL June 2024 – Present

• Design and produce branded print and digital marketing materials aligned with institutional brand standards and style guidelines.

• Create event materials, brochures, direct mail pieces, flyers, digital banners, advertisements, and school publications.

• Lead production and layout design for a 56-page school magazine in collaboration with photographers and copywriters.

• Prepare and preflight files for digital and offset printing to ensure production accuracy and quality control.

• Review and revise layouts, multimedia assets, and copy for consistency and visual impact.

• Support school-wide marketing initiatives through strategic visual communication and campaign execution. Senninger Irrigation / Hunter Industries — Senior Graphic Designer Clermont, FL January 2007 – October 2023

• Served as sole in-house Graphic Designer supporting global marketing, sales, international sales teams, and customer-facing campaigns.

• Maintained and evolved corporate brand identity across all print and promotional channels.

• Designed catalogs, brochures, magazine advertisements, trade show displays, packaging, social media graphics, apparel, direct mail campaigns, and point-of-purchase materials.

• Produced creative assets for product launches, factory tours, events, and promotional campaigns.

• Managed multiple concurrent projects while meeting tight production schedules and marketing deadlines.

• Coordinated with domestic and international vendors, printers, and freelancers to ensure quality, budget adherence, and on-time delivery.

• Trained internal team members on repetitive production workflows and design systems.

• Participated in marketing strategy planning meetings and customer engagement initiatives across multiple states.

• Contributed photography, color correction, video recording, and light copywriting support for marketing campaigns.

• Designed annual branded holiday campaigns including calendars, ornaments, and corporate greeting materials.

Key Achievement

• Recipient of the CEO Innovation Award for the design of the Senninger Maxijet Selection Tool. English Communications — Creative Director

Leesburg, FL October 2005 – January 2007

• Directed creative production for LAKE Magazine (200+ pages) and V Magazine (100+ pages).

• Led publication branding redesign initiatives to modernize visual identity and audience engagement.

• Designed magazine advertisements, billboards, branding packages, and promotional campaigns for agency and client projects.

• Organized and directed large-scale photo shoots, contributing creative vision and production oversight.

• Collaborated with high-profile clients to develop customized advertising and marketing solutions.

• Managed two employees and coordinated monthly editorial and creative planning meetings. The Muskegon Chronicle — Graphic Designer

Muskegon, MI

• Produced marketing and editorial design materials for circulation, promotions, advertising, and editorial departments.

• Designed travel magazines, calendars, brochures, billboards, special publication covers, and advertising campaigns.

• Created presentation concepts and spec advertisements for prospective clients and sales initiatives.

• Collaborated directly with customers to develop campaign concepts and creative direction.

• Developed custom illustrations and promotional materials supporting publication marketing efforts. Leadership Experience

Team Leadership & Vendor Management

• Managed freelancers, print vendors, and international production partners.

• Trained employees on Adobe InDesign workflows and production processes.

• Oversaw project scheduling, print coordination, inventory approvals, invoicing, and archival organization. Education

Kendall College of Art & Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Art & Illustration

Honors Graduate

University of Michigan

General Studies - Honors

Technical Skills

Adobe Creative Suite:

• Adobe Certified Professional

• AI-assisted design workflows

• Adobe InDesign

• Photoshop

• Illustrator

• Acrobat

• Bridge

• Canva

• Figma

Additional Tools:

• Microsoft Word

• PowerPoint

• Teams

• Wrike

• Active Collab

• SmugMug

• Knack

• Yumpu

Awards

CEO Innovation Award

Senninger Irrigation / Hunter Industries

Recognized for design and development contributions to the Senninger Maxijet Selection Tool.

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