Design/Multimedia Production
Career Summary:
I work with government contractors, professional associations, nonprofit educational/arts organizations, small businesses, and individuals.
I am responsible for working with infographics, digital photography, Word and InDesign documents, website wireframes, UX/UI tools to create print- and web-ready products and fully-developed websites that communicate my client’s mission and goals clearly and easily. As a designer, I help my clients focus on sharing their message clearly and successfully and I support users with training and advice on best practices.
Services include:
- Develop and negotiate client contracts, define scope of work and realistic expectations, site management plans, graphic designs, and content migration.
- Advanced/expert level Adobe Creative Suite/Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects).
- WordPress/WooCommerce set-up, migration, page, and blog layout; customized theme design, and assistance with hosting selection.
- Site architecture/wireframes in Sketch and Adobe XD to help clients visualize requirements and test designs for content, navigation, and interactivity. Manage projects and teams as needed.
- Comps for layout, look and feel, and other design options.
- Intermediate-level JavaScript, and e-commerce implementation and support.
- Additional services: copy editing, content development, email, and technical support.
See my online portfolio at portfolio.hawkeswood.com.
Experience
Print/Digital Designer | The Manhattan Strategy Group LLC
March 2020 – Present
Graphic / Print / Web Design | Multiple Government Client Agencies
- Create on-brand infographics and other collateral in support of a variety of government contracts.
- Design and revise PowerPoint presentations for consistent style with Section 508 compliance in mind.
- Create documents for public and internal distribution with Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop)
- Editing and post-production for an education-themed podcast series in Audacity, equalizing output and adding intro/outro music.
- Closed captioning and Section 508 guidance for video production.
- Support for Business Development, formatting, and graphics for proposals, management of a 5,800-file resume library, and development of best practices for managing the resume formatting process.
- Branding and template development, from initial concept to implementation across all documents for both clients and corporate.
- Redesigned web dashboard tool for client using XD; developed brand guidelines and consistent theming for several client websites and corporate web site, with special attention to User Interface and Section 508 compliance.
- Manage implementation of corporate-branded documents.
Web/Graphic Designer and Videographer/Editor | Web Management Services (Consultant)
June 2005 – Present
Graphic Designer | Green Key Resources/Manhattan Strategy Group
- Created a variety of on-brand infographics and other collateral for a government agency, a set of logos for a government grant program, and revised a PowerPoint presentation to adjust look-and-feel for consistency using Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator/InDesign), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
- Created the design for the 2019 corporate holiday card.
- Contract extended three times.
WordPress Themer | Vector Talent/American College of Cardiology (ACC)
- Created a portable customized WordPress theme to be deployed by up to 26 chapters of the ACC, based on the ACC’s existing website.
- Created wireframe layout, incorporated ACC branding (color, layout, typography), and revised over 2,000 lines of CSS code to insure consistent look and feel and responsive layout compatible across devices.
- Selected and installed appropriate plugins to assist with layout as needed.
- Drafted a complete step-by-step instruction guide for installing and customizing the theme for each chapter, including section headings, links to select resources, and tutorials to assist new WordPress users with understanding the basics of site architecture and customization.
Web Designer | Blood and Cardstock Games:
- Recently completed upgrade of site from original HTML pages to WordPress.org installation.
- Updated shopping cart system to WooCommerce, tested and released upgrade.
- Continue to support client as needed.
- Complete site design, management, and e-commerce support.
- Implemented LinkPoint and PayPal payment gateways.
Web Designer | The Maccoby Group:
- Revised site structure and updated look and feel of site to improve navigation and site maintenance for web manager.
- Updated CSS structure to improve graphic presentation.
Web Designer | Interactive Technologies Group, Inc./Defense Acquisition University (US Dept. of Homeland Security)
- As part of a six-member team, converted multi-lesson web-based training course from Microsoft PowerPoint storyboards and draft graphics to fully realized multi-page online course.
- Manually adjusted CSS templates as needed; insured Section 508 compliance.
Graphic Designer/Communicator | FMP Consulting
October 2018 – September 2019
- Designed a wide variety of collateral artifacts (one pagers, logos, posters, brochures, and
business cards) using Adobe CC (Illustrator, InDesign) Sketch, InVision, GitHub, and Slack to
support a major government agency’s team web sites. - Developed a guide for best practices and design requirements for highly focused, web-based microsites to support the Open Opportunities platform and USAJOBS.
- Designed additional collateral for other projects, including infographics, newsletters, white
papers, pricing schedules, and other print documents. - Participated in regular Agile scrum meetings and work group sessions to determine tasks.
Videographer/Designer/Artist
May 2006 – Present
Website Design/Management:
Web Designer/Manager | Costume-ConNections:
- Managing data/file migration/conversion team to replace ~9,000 image visual gallery (originally managed with Gallery2, a PHP/MySQL system) with WordPress/compatible solution.
- Migrated front end data archive from initial static HTML pages to WordPress to simplify maintenance and content retrieval.
Illustration/Book Design:
- The Bow and the Butterfly: children’s book illustrations/layout with Corel Painter Essentials, Adobe Illustrator and InDesign; 1st printing December, 2016 through CreateSpace.
Videography:
- Room 3: Edited video submission for 48-Hour Film Festival with Discordian Films using Adobe Premiere Pro (Creative Cloud). Film was nominated for Best Villain and Best Scare.
- The Puppeteer: wrote screenplay, directed and produced nine-minute short film based on Han Christian Andersen’s The Puppet-Show Man, using Nikon and Panasonic Lumix cameras, Adobe Premiere and After Effects.
- Untitled Documentary: Shot and produced a 20-minute video documentary, edited with Sony Vegas Studio, for a client, utilizing existing video footage, still images and audio track.
- Promotional Video: Produced several short videos for Washington Revels, Time-Based Media, and Film and Media Production. (YouTube: Hawkeswood Productions Channel)
See YouTube: Hawkeswood Productions Channel.
Awards & Honors:
- MSG STAR Award for Employee of the Year: Accountability (2023)
- International Costumers’ Guild President’s Award (2003, 2023)
- Member, Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, Alpha Alpha Sigma Chapter (2014)
- Lifetime Achievement Award, International Costumers’ Guild (2008)
- Costume-Con Founder’s Award (2005)
- Cast Member, Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honors Society, Kappa Lambda Chapter (1984)
Education:
- BA in Graphic Communication, University of Maryland Global Campus
- BA in Theatre Arts (Design/Technical emphasis), SUNY College at New Paltz