View My VisualCV Online: http://www.visualcv.com/njbenj

Summary

Since 1995 I have been a graphic designer/art director/prepress technician/production manager/production artist/project manager and have managed or created design projects big and small, for both print and web. Currently I work as an Art Director for Cengage Learning, where I am responsible for the design of educational materials for post-secondary and higher education markets. I am also a busy freelancer and have had an ongoing stream of side projects for the last 12 years.

 

My software skills include InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, QuarkXPress, Flash, GoLive, MS Office suite, HTML, XML, Javascript, Actionscript, and various utilities used for FTP, file compression, and font management.

 

I am also a working artist and maintain an art blog at www.gettotallyawesome.blogspot.com

Work History

Cengage Learning

Clifton Park, NY, United States
Jun 2007 - Present
Art Director 
  • Apply visual direction for textbooks, ancillary materials, and media packaging.
  • Liaison with production, editorial and marketing departments to clearly understand
    products’ visual needs.
  • Hire and manage freelance designers and production artists.
  • Research and purchase stock imagery.
  • Maintain corporate branding standards.
Clifton Park, NY, United States
Aug 2004 - Jun 2007
Production Editor / Content Project Manager 
  • Oversaw layout and manufacturing of textbooks and interactive educational materials.
  • Assumed responsibility for schedule, quality, aesthetics, and budget of print and electronic products.
  • Designed book covers, packaging for electronic materials, and branding for online training content.
  • Managed copyedit and style of content, vendor performance, and overall quality of deliverables.
  • Oversaw XML tagging of content.

J&D Walter Distributors

Glenmont, NY, United States
Nov 2003 - Aug 2004
Marketing Graphic Designer 
  • Created all marketing materials for sales force.
  • Designed and preflighted ads to be printed in motor sports publications.
  • Concepted and created packaging for motor sports apparel and accessories.
  • Redesigned and maintained company website.

Adventure House

New York, NY, United States
Sep 2000 - Jun 2003
Production Manager 
  • Oversaw design and layout of educational materials and business collateral.
  • Proofed, preflighted, troubleshot, and repaired large and complicated files for print.
  • Created and maintained digital archives and assets.
  • Met with clients to review printer proofs, production schedules, and trafficking.
  • Hired and managed a staff of 8 freelancers.
  • Strategized procedures for producing 4-color books on tight deadlines.
  • Developed internal processes designed for a workload of over 50 simultaneous jobs, including
    - Filenaming conventions
    - Division of labor and staffing
    - Quality control and proofing
  • Instituted an effective electronic workflow based on creation and exchange of PDF files over the web.

Playing 2 Win

New York, NY, United States
Sep 2000 - Dec 2001
Desktop Publishing Instructor 
  • Provided lessons and activities for adults to gain experience with page layout, including
    - Using Quark and Photoshop to design simple layouts
    - Applying spot colors vs. process colors
    - Basic rules of design and effective use of visual devices to convey a message
  • Assisted with lab members’ projects through technical and creative guidance.

Type Characters / Unique Litho

Denver, CO, United States
Jan 1999 - Jun 2000
Prepress Technician 
  • Troubleshot digital files for a variety of problems including font and support file
    issues, trapping, color breaks, resolution, file type, and color correction.
  • Managed customer and in-house projects, maintained contact, and provided
    technical support and consultation for clients.
  • Performed traditional prepress tasks including stripping and plate burning, and
    created various proofs such as matchprints, color keys, and bluelines.
  • Scanned, typeset, and designed for high resolution output.
  • Output film separations, linotronic paper, laser, and dye sublimation proofs.

Extra Graphics

Denver, CO, United States
May 1998 - May 1999
Graphic Designer 
  • Performed all scanning, typesetting, and image retouching in preparation for layout.
  • Conducted design and layout for all projects.

CEC Document Services

Denver, CO, United States
Apr 1998 - Dec 1998
Digital Specialist 
  • Prepared an assortment of digital files for print on both PC and Mac platforms.
  • Output native, postscript, and PDF files to laser, Fiery, and DocuTech printers.
  • Typeset and designed business cards, tabs, fliers, posters, and other documents for
    clients.
  • Troubleshot print jobs.

Shannon-Rose

Saratoga Springs, NY, United States
Prepress operator 
  • Operated drum and flatbed scanners.
  • Output color separations to film and RC paper for a variety of companies and individual
    clients.
  • Cleaned up and color corrected scans.
  • Made matchprint proofs.
  • Typeset and formatted text, created clipping paths and silhouettes, and prepared
    layouts.

Education

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY, United States
Sep 1992 - May 1996
Bachelor of Science, Studio Art

Interests

Skateboarding, hiking, eating cookies, laughing, playing drums, falling down, socks, laughing at myself, falling then laughing about it, laughing about stuff from 10 years ago, falling in dirt and then laughing really hard, dancing horribly, juice, wood.

Benj's Portfolio

Tractor-Trailer Computer-Based Training packaging

Tractor-Trailer Computer-Based Training packaging

4-color DVD-style packaging for electronic truck driver training materials.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Design, photo research

African-American Research Library Brochure

African-American Research Library Brochure

1-color brochure for a new wing of the Denver Public Library.

Client: Denver Public Library

Tasks: Design, prepress

Delmar's Standard Textbook of Electricity book cover

Delmar's Standard Textbook of Electricity book cover

 

4-color casebound book cover.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Design, photo research

 

Adobe Photoshop/Photography book cover

Adobe Photoshop/Photography book cover

 

4-color book cover.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Art direction

 

Saint Skateboards website

Saint Skateboards website

 

Website design and production for Brooklyn-based skateboard company (now defunct).

Client: Saint Skateboards

Tasks: Design, photograhy, HTML, Javascript

 

Andrew Eccles Photography website

Andrew Eccles Photography website

 

Website design and production for world-renowned celebrity photographer (site was recently redesigned by another company).

Client: Andrew Eccles

Tasks: Design, HTML, Javascript

 

Hudson Valley Community College student art show postcard

Hudson Valley Community College student art show postcard

 

4-color postcard for student art show.

Client: Hudson Valley Community College

Tasks: Design

 

Trés Jolie Cakes website and logo

Trés Jolie Cakes website and logo

 

Logo design and website design/production for custom cake baking business.

Client: Trés Jolie Cakes

Tasks: Logo and web design, HTML, Flash

 

Ozone Pollution brochure

Ozone Pollution brochure

4-color brochure for education about ozone pollution.

Client: Denver Regional Air Quality Council

Tasks: Design, photo research

InFact Overcoming the Odds poster

InFact Overcoming the Odds poster

4-color poster for Overcoming the Odds documentary.

Client: InFact

Tasks: Design

Conceptual Drawing book cover

Conceptual Drawing book cover

4-color book cover.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Art direction

 

InFact FCTC poster

InFact FCTC poster

4-color poster for signing of international FCTC treaty to ban aggressive tobacco advertising.

Client: InFact

Tasks: Design, illustration

 

The Green Home book cover

The Green Home book cover

4-color book cover.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Design, photo research

eSolve Solutions brochure

eSolve Solutions brochure

4-color brochure for local high-tech startup.

Client: eSolve Solutions

Tasks: Design, photo research, template creation

 

Automotive Technology book cover

Automotive Technology book cover

5-color book cover (CMYK + metallic foil stamping).

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Art direction

Jon Dragonette photography website

Jon Dragonette photography website

Website design for San Francisco-based photographer.

Client: Jon Dragonette

Tasks: Web design, HTML, Flash

Exploring Web Technologies book cover

Exploring Web Technologies book cover

4-color book cover.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Art direction

Building Code Basics book cover

Building Code Basics book cover

4-color book cover.

Company: Cengage Learning

Tasks: Art direction, photo research

Autocom ad

Autocom ad

4-color Autocom advertisement in Robb Report magazine.

Company: J&D Walter Distributers

Tasks: Design

Aili and Hassan's wedding invite

Aili and Hassan's wedding postcard

4-color postcard for Aili and Hassan's wedding.

Tasks: Design, photography

CDGLCC brochure

CDGLCC Brochure

4-color brochure.

Client: Capital District Gay & Lesbian Community Council

Tasks: Design, photo research

 

Frank Group logo

Frank Group logo

 

2-color logo concept and design.

Client: The Frank Group

Tasks: Design