Profile
Graphic artist with twenty years experience designing and producing both
technical documentation and marketing materials. Writer with five years experience writing and editing articles, book reviews, press releases, and advertising copy. Self-managing, with lead
experience working in teams. Detail oriented, with an ability to meet
both quality and budget standards. Creative, collaborative, and organized
in approach to meeting project, team, and corporate goals. Proven ability
to lead and facilitate change initiatives. Quick learner, with a keen
aptitude for mastering software. Analytical thinker with an ability to
solve problems independently and through consensus.
Software proficiency
Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, InDesign, FrameMaker; FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Office applications. Recent training in JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL.
Work Experience
2002 - Present, Freelance Consultant
- Designed web sites and marketing materials for fine artists and educational organizations.
- Wrote and edited articles for lifestyle/social web sites
- Planned, tracked and ensured timely completion of creative services
projects for a major shipping company.
- Designed and produced a variety of custom-printed
and hand-bound pieces.
2001 Cisco Systems, Inc., Seattle, WA
- Supported writing/editing group with tools and file
management for software documentation.
- Reformatted existing files to meet Cisco graphic standards.
- Wrote procedures for writers and editors for reverting
to a previous version of Adobe FrameMaker.
- Assisted writers with developing concepts for illustrations.
1996 - 2001 Active Voice Corporation, Seattle, WA
- Created manual designs for three documentation sets
ranging from 500 to 2,000 pages each. Produced visual standards documents
for all book designs. Led process for modifying book designs. Team-designed
information with writers and editors. Assisted other graphic designers
in producing templates for four book designs.
- Designed and led the initiative to migrate the Publications
department (15 persons) from Microsoft Word to Adobe PageMaker. Trained
writers to perform basic page layout.
- Worked with marketing communications and manufacturing
departments to produce manual covers and product CD packaging for three
Active Voice brands. Adapted five OEM brands to Active Voice packaging
formats.
- Produced functional templates in Adobe FrameMaker.
Specified settings for advanced features such as conditional text, variables,
cross-reference formats and document properties, enabling my department
to publish multiple versions of a documentation set from a single set
of files.
- Supervised creation and management of several hundred
illustrations. Set standards to optimize their reusability.
- Created more than 100 technical illustrations and
diagrams showing hardware configurations.
- Worked with vendors to ensure timely completion and
delivery of approximately 10,000 pages of documentation over a four-year
period.
- Supervised the work of up to five graphic artists,
training them in policies, procedures, and time management.
1994 - 1996 Merchant du Vin Corporation/Pike Brewing,
Seattle, WA
- Produced marketing materials for a variety of media.
Produced entire line of marketing materials for name change from Pike
Place Brewery to Pike Brewing. Assisted Creative Director in rendering
designs for paper, ceramics, clothing, embossed metal, and vehicle signage.
Prepared files for various output methods.
- Managed extensive image library. Corrected and manipulated
scanned images. Created illustrations for brewing supply catalog.
- Drafted presentation visuals for sales department.
- Wrote a style guide which included beverage industry
terms and non-English names and words used by client breweries.
1987 - 1994 Aldus Corporation, Seattle, WA (now a part
of Adobe Systems, Inc.)
- Led graphic production efforts for several versions
of the Aldus Persuasion product documentation. Led documentation team
for the Aldus Persuasion 2.1 New Features Guide. Acted as subject matter
expert and technical editor for entire Aldus Persuasion 3.0 documentation
set.
- Adapted manual designs for Aldus Fetch and Aldus TrapWise
for different package sizes.
- Designed and produced templates for Aldus Persuasion
2.x presentation software.
- Illustrated and produced software manuals in European
languages as well as English. Assisted other graphic artists in illustrating
and producing manuals for Aldus PageMaker and Aldus FreeHand.
- Wrote the Aldus Persuasion 3.0 AutoTemplate Guide.
Education
- University of Washington, Web Technology Solutions Certificate, 2011
- University of Washington, Multimedia Certificate,
2002
- Western Washington University 1977 - 1980
Other
- Betty Edwards’ seminar: “Drawing on the Right Side of
the Brain”
Awards
Society for Technical Communication
- 2000: Excellence in the category of Quick Reference
Guides
Unity at a Glance
- 1997: Achievement in the category of Software User
Guides
Lingo User Guide
- 1994: Achievement in the category of Software User
Guides
Aldus Fetch 1.0 Getting Started
- 1993: Excellence in the category of Quick Reference
and Job Aids
Aldus Persuasion 3.0 AutoTemplate Guide
- 1991: Achievement in the category of Publication Design
Aldus Persuasion Desktop Reference
- 1990: Excellence in the category of Software Reference
Guides
Aldus PageMaker Reference Manual
- 1989: Excellence in the category of Job Aids
Aldus Persuasion Desktop Reference
From the Technical Publications department at Active
Voice Corporation, 1998: Recognition “For exceptional efforts to
ensure the excellence of our documentation.”
