Summary
Welcome, my name is Neil,
I specialize in leading strategic projects and visual communication. My portfolio centers around storytelling through professional presentations, advancing business processes and finding creative ways to drive companies and teams forward.
While I take pride in my work, I've learned that one motivated individual is no match for a motivated group. Optimal outcomes are achieved by the right team, with each member bringing their own diverse skill sets to the table. I am always ready to join such a team and, together, accomplish our shared objectives.
A little more about me: I have degrees in Graphic Design, Corporate Finance and Economics. I live in Akron with my wife and our two rescue dogs, Cinder and Swarley. In my spare time, I'm involved in a handful of local organizations, doing my part to make our community better. I enjoy traveling to new cities, meeting new people and hearing new ideas. If you want to bring out the nerd in me, ask me about typography, politics and the law or watches!
Personal Interests
- My wife & two dogs
- Promoting my city (Akron)
- Exploring new cities
- Legal & political podcasts
- Indie & 80s pop music
- Typography
Experience
Creative Manager
As creative manager, I have a role in setting marketing strategies and implementing communication plans to execute those strategies. I am also responsible for Valmark's branding including elements of our visual identity such as logos, color palletes, and typography. All major presentations, marketing pieces, and financial outputs come to my team for lay out, design, and appropriate branding. I head the Valmark Design Center which is a customization shop which allows our member firms to private brand Valmark proprietary content for a fee. Website services are also available in the Design Center.
- Created a marketing strategy and visual identity of Valmark's unique processes
- Entrusted with the overall redesign of Valmark's logo, brand guidelines, and website
- Created Valmark Design Center, an online shop housing custom marketing materials
- Founded and currently heading Valmark's in-house design team
Freelance Designer
I bring my educational background and learned skills to my work as a freelancer. Designing for businesses in other industries helps me maintain a well-rounded portfolio and bring fresh ideas to my day job in the financial world. I especially have a passion doing work for small businesses, non profits, and new entrepreneurs.
- A variety of work from ranging from business clients to non profits to political candidates
- Learned the art of time management, client relations, and self discipline
- Growth in my field through networking, attending conferences, and utilizing online resources
Graphic Designer
Design x Nine is the University of Akron's student design agency. The creative team consists of nine total juniors and seniors who are selected by faculty. As an agency, our team met with clients to hear about their needs and then offered visual solutions in the form of print, web, or a combination depending on the circumstance. I learned valuable skills in Design x Nine especially in the areas of client relations and time management.
- One of nine design students chosen by faculty based on portfolio and work ethic
- Responsible for idea development, research, concepting and project execution
- Engaged in client interaction, branding, event organization, & team meetings
Skills
Identity & Branding
My background in business definitely has an impact on my strengths as a designer. I learned early in art school that I had a knack for corporate identity and branding. I love this field so much because it is where the art world meets the business world and an amazing hybrid of the two is created. No matter the company, a strong visual identity must have a balance of personality and professionalism, freedom and structure and above all be well liked while still taken seriously.
Marketing Materials & Infographics
As a creative manager at ValMark, I've made over a hundred marketing pieces and infographics. I have years of experience working along side financial analysts with the aim of converting complex data into easy-to-understand visuals. My experience has also given me copywriting skills useful in crafting messages.
Product Photography
Photography has long been a hobby of mine. I've taken several photography courses as part of my design school curriculum and spent many hours in the studio. As a freelancer and a ValMark employee, I've photographed a variety of products for small businesses and ValMark member offices; always striving for clean, professional results that fit the overarching theme or brand.
Web Design
As a creative manager at ValMark I was entrusted with the design of both our internal and external website. This includes page layouts as well as the creation of visuals like SVG graphics, web banners, social media ads, and more. I've spent a lot of time working side by side with developers to bring creative visions to life. As a freelancer I have learned and now utilize WebFlow for my client websites.
Motion Design
I have logged significant hours in Adobe After Effects and have created several 2D animated videos. These videos usually start with a brainstorming session done with a project team. From there, I build storyboards and investigate how to achieve various animations before moving to Illustrator and After Effects. I am mostly self-trained through online courses, tutorials, forums, and creative blogs.
Education
University of Akron
I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design in the spring of 2014. I was awarded for having one of the Top Five Junior Portfolios by faculty and maintained a 3.9 GPA in related coursework. As a junior and senior I was a member of the university's creative agency, Design x Nine (dx9). The dx9 team consisted of nine of the school's most promising young designers along with two faculty mentors. I was also a member of AIGA Cleveland and AAF Akron.
University of Akron
I graduated with honors and a Bachelor's degree in Finance and another in Economics in the spring of 2008. During my time in business school I served on the board of the student Financial Management Association. My senior honors project was on the correlation between a company's return on investment (ROI) to future profitability.
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