Jennifer Straus
874 North 1700 West
Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062
801.599.7374
jennifer.straus@mindspring.com
Summary
A creative director with 15 years graphic design, interactive design and consulting experience.
Consistent history of delivering successful visual communication solutions and product design to a very diverse clientele in many industries.
Strong leadership and management skills.
Relevant Experience
Creative team leadership / Company leader
Graphic Design / Web Design (corporate identity & branding, collateral, package, promotional, direct mail, point of purchase and environmental design)
Product concept, design and development
Advertising campaign and marketing strategy and development
Over-seas product sourcing and product production management
Vendor management
Technical Skills
Digital image creation and manipulation (Adobe CS3, Quark Express, etc.)
Pre-press production
Photography and photography direction
Illustration
Copywriting
Professional Experience
2005 - December 2008
Founder + Creative Director, Around The Block
www.aroundtheblockproducts.com
A scrapbooking and paper crafts manufacturing company. The first year in business, Around The Block surpassed the $1 Million dollar mark with an innovative product line including tools, embellishments and home decor items. Products were sold to customers world-wide. The company was purchased by Ultra-PRO Corporation in July 2008.
Responsible for overseeing the creative team to help develop the company's products as well as packaging, collateral communications, marketing and advertising pieces. While this was a leadership position, a Òhands-onÓ approach to day-to-day design and production functions were assumed.
Worked with management to make sure the company's needs are being met and the creative goals are on track.
Oversaw production of product in USA and in the Orient.
Traveled to the Orient and communicated daily with factories to assure deadlines were met.
Attended sourcing fairs and found factories to produce products.
Developed every aspect of ad campaigns based on marketing plan, conceptualize those ideas for management, assign projects to staff and verify the deadlines are being met.
Prepared presentations and presented to buyers.
Designed and taught countless classes demonstrating the many products both in the USA and abroad.
Managed an additional creative team of designers for project samples to use in marketing and tradeshows.
Day-to-day management of employees in office and warehouse.
Prepared displays, materials, and samples for industry tradeshows and spent countless hours behind the demo table.
As a small business owner, in addition to design and management duties, assisted wherever help was needed from driving the forklift, to shipping products to writing contracts.
When the company changed ownership, responsibilities remained the same. Due the budget issues, the ATB brand was discontinued in December 2008.
1997- Present
Freelance Art Director / Designer, jstraus design
Direct, design and assist clients with design / advertising, product and Web projects.
Designed Web pages, quizzes, desktop screens, Web promotions and online advertising for ABC Television, AOL and Radio Disney.
Designed a multitude of identity, advertising and collateral pieces for clients including General Motors, AOL, The Girl Scouts of America, Audi USA, Steelcase Inc., The United States Post Office, The United States Army, Karen Foster Design, Hidden Falls Spa and Resort, The Classic Gardener, The Humane Society, The Federated Garden Club of Michigan and The National Park Service.
Developed brand image, designed, illustrated and produced product labels for over 25 food products, The HoneyBaked Ham Company, Troy, Michigan
Designed and produced quarterly consumer newsletter, "In Good Taste", The HoneyBaked Ham Company, Troy, Michigan
Product design for several scrapbooking themes. Each theme included several paper and sticker designs, Karen Foster Design, Centerville, Utah
Product design for line of over 20 terra cotta decorative ornaments, Trisha Waldron Designs Jewelry Company, Rapid City, South Dakota
2003 - 2005
Art Director, Karen Foster Design, Centerville, Utah
www.karenfosterdesign.com
Responsible for concept, design and production of memory and paper-craft products including books, themed paper, stickers and embellishments.
Designed all company advertising and catalogs.
Responsible for directing designers, production artists, copywriters, photographers and illustrators with product development and advertising projects.
Traveled to and worked at tradeshows demo-ing and selling products.
2003 - 2004
Adjunct Professor, Graphic Design Department, Provo College, Provo, Utah
www.provocollege.com
Taught Adobe software design classes, Typography and Graphic Design classes.
Assisted, guided and counseled students with academics.
2001 - 2002
Creative Director, Builder Fusion Inc., Orem, Utah
www.builderfusion.com
eCommerce development company supplying Web application development and interactive design to a nationwide clientele focused on the building industry.
Set the creative direction for the company and lead the creative service department.
Responsible for the total creative product (site flow, design, functionality) of the BuilderFusion product, a multi-layered Web-accessed member management system that addresses a full array of an Home Builders Associations' operational needs. Within this system there are modules for Job Bidding, eMail messaging, a Website creator, an integrated accounting system for online billing, report generation and calendaring.
While this was a leadership position, a hands-on approach to day-to-day design and production functions were assumed.
2000-2001
Interactive Architect, Silverline Technologies / SeraNova, Provo, Utah
www.silverline.com
Internet professional service company supplying online strategy, Web application development and interactive design to a worldwide clientele.
Worked directly with creative director, project managers and developers to provide new and radical solutions to achieve the best possible product for clients like John Deere, Volkswagen, Audi, Hewlett Packard and Toys R Us.
Provided client consultation on design strategy, functionality, site flow, etc.
Designed and produced company Website and graphic standards guide.
1997-2000
Senior Designer, McElfish + Company, Troy, Michigan
Graphic Design company supplying strategy, traditional print design, advertising, Website development and interactive design hosting to a diverse national and international clientele.
Responsible for directing designers, production artists, copywriters, photographers and illustrators with concept, design, advertising campaigns, Website design, promotional collateral and identity design for clients including General Motors, Grace, Kennedy Incorporated, Nationwide Papers, Kmart Corporation, Standard Federal bank and Oxford Bank.
While this was a leadership position, a hands-on approach to day-to-day design and production functions were assumed.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication - School of Business - Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan
Advertising Program - Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant Michigan
Notable Awards
The Craft and Hobby AssociationÕs Innovative Product Award for Around The Block product.
Several Ace Awards for Innovative Products for Around The Block products.
Have received numerous Addy Awards and Regional Addy Awards for Excellence in Advertising Design.
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