Graphic Design

As a graphic designer, I create the artwork for a project, then combine it with type and other artwork as needed to create a marketing solution or to convey an overall message. My strengths include:

• Ability to be creative and technical, as is shown in the infographic below from the FiberPlex Connectivity Product Guide:

Another example is this image that was part of a Patton proposal for the US Coast Guard:

• Extremely detail-oriented, as shown in the image below that was created as part of a Patton marketing presentation on video/teleconferencing (click on the image to see the individual layers gathered from stock photos and other sources that filled what had been an empty conference room when I started):

Another example is this image that was part of an urgent project at Hughes Network Systems that had to be completed in one week. By using detailed illustrations that I created from scratch, the amount of explanatory text was reduced to a minimum, hence the deadline was met after one day rather than the expected week.

• Flexible and able to work in a fast-paced, demanding environment while simultaneously contributing to multiple projects, each with aggressive development schedules. For example, I once worked for weeks on a high priority project in a noisy cafeteria at Hughes Network Systems (the only place where there was an available Macintosh computer at the time) writing the SkyRider Installation Guide. I still managed to do exceptional work, as I later won an award from the Society for Technical Communication for the manual.

At TRW, I was the only person cleared to work on a highly classified project that had a brutally short deadline, hence I had to write my manuals while providing material to other writers who didn't have clearances so they could complete their manuals. And we had the added challenge that major demolition and construction was taking place in the adjoining rooms.

The final example occurred at Patton in 2015 when we lost our technical writer, and because of an economic downturn, were unable to hire a replacement. At that time I took over her job responsibilities (along with those of the two graphics artists we'd never replaced) on top of managing the department. After a year of this, I had created the following:
• 38 datasheets
• 17 white papers, catalogs, product guides, etc.
• 25 manuals
• 3 PowerPoint templates
• 110 product labels and overlays
• Graphics support for 16 trade shows
• 19 web page mockups
• 12 advertisements
• 5 product photo shoots
• 18 product mockups

No deadline was missed, and quality was as good or better than before.