Resume & BioLogosGraphicsWeb SitesE-mail MarketingIllustrationsJewelry Designs

OBJECTIVE:
To obtain Graphic Design or Web Design freelance or contract work, in order to help cultivate and improve a company's identity and image, thus increasing revenues and achieving corporate goals.

CAREER SUMMARY:
Highly skilled and talented graphic artist and web designer. Specializing in corporate identities, print ads, marketing pieces and web site design. Extensive working knowledge and understanding in marketing, branding, image improvement and ad campaign development.

Design accomplishments vary from Jewelry to Identities to Web Sites to Women's Apparel, with an impressive portfolio. Passionate about design, expressing creativity and increasing my knowledge of the marketing industry. Design talents are uniquely matched by marketing skills and knowledge including business plans and marketing plans - a rare and extremely valuable combination.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Graphic Design, Web Design & Marketing Consultant

Freelance Graphic Artist specializing in logo design, promotional materials and web design. Responsible for designing logo-identities, print materials, advertisements and web sites for a variety of comapnies. Interact with clients to get an understanding of their company vision and mission. Consistently represent and improve clients' corporate image. Success is proven through continued referred business and repeat business.

Client List Includes:

Marketing Manager & Graphic Design | 2003-2005
We Care Transportation, Inc. | Buffalo, NY

Hired as Marketing Coordinator, but quickly promoted to Marketing Manager & Graphic Designer. Responsible for budget, planning and implementation of all marketing aspects of this multi-faceted company, including; Medical wheelchair transportation services for individuals and large contracts; School bus transportation for school districts, charter schools, county contracts and charter services; Luxury motorcoach transportation and tour services for conventions, senior citizen groups, educational groups, sports teams, and charters; Limousine transportation services for corporate, wedding and leisure markets.

  • Designed all promotional materials including logo-identities, web sites, annual 64 page catalog of services, brochures and custom tour flyers
  • Executed target market research, database management, ROI analysis and competitive analysis
  • Launched new brands, developed new lines of service and implemented online bookings
  • Prepared proposals and Powerpoint presentations for multi-million dollar contracts
  • Strong communication skills allowed for graphic communication of the executive team's vision of the company
  • Strong design skills and branding knowledge allowed development of a more professional, more positive and consistent corporate identity
  • Proved successful by increasing catalog advertising sales by 125% over 3 years and increasing travel show sales by 200%.

 

President & CEO | 1999-2003
U-Wear Incorporated | Buffalo, NY

Founded this startup company from brainstorm concept to reality. Company concentrated on the design and marketing of women's undergarments with related online sales of custom embroidered sportswear.

  • Designed three women's under garment apparel lines, executed all market research and filed two patents
  • Hired suitable manufacturer, fashion designer/pattern maker and patent lawyer
  • Authored business and marketing plans and secured investment and small business financing
  • Responsible for all decisions pertaining to materials, fabrics, prototypes and first-run production
  • Designed logo, font, corporate identity, marketing materials and website

 

Jeweler, Designer, and Sales Associate | 1995-1998
Robertson & Bach Jewelers | West Seneca, NY

  • Jewelry designer and craftsman responsible for custom jewelry designs developed with the customer's input
  • Worked on all aspects of the manufacturing process including wax carving, polishing, finishing, stone setting, and assembly
  • Executed repairs, sizing and maintenance
  • Managed shop work flow to ensure quality and timely delivery to customers
  • Assisted in sales efforts during the busy Holiday seasons

 

EDUCATION:

BA in Graphic Design & Jewelry Design | May, 1999
Buffalo State College | Buffalo, NY

  • 3.5 GPA within design department.
  • Completed concentrations in both graphic and jewelry design.
  • Studied in Australia for two semesters at the University of Central Queensland at Rockhampton.

 

COMPUTER SKILLS:

COMPUTER SKILLS:

Experience

Level

Years

AUTHORING TOOLS

� QuarkXPress

� Advanced

� 10


� Adobe Illustrator

� Advanced

� 10


� Adobe Photoshop

� Advanced

� 10


� Adobe PageMill

� Advanced

� 10


� Adobe Acrobat

� Advanced

� 6

BUSINESS

� Business & Marketing Plans

� Advanced

� 8

CREATIVE ACTIVITY

� Graphic Design

� Advanced

� 10


� Illustration

� Advanced

� 8


� Logo Design

� Advanced

� 10


� Typography

� Advanced

� 10


� Web Design

� Advanced

� 8


� Color Theory

� Advanced

� 10

HARDWARE

� Macintosh

� Advanced

� 12


� PC

� Advanced

� 12

OFFICE SOFTWARE

� Microsoft Office

� Advanced

� 8

DEVELOPMENT

� HTML

� Advanced

� 8


� Java

� Intermediate

� 6


� FLASH animation

� Beginner

� 2

 

• REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST •

 

BIOGRAPHY:
My design career began after spending a year as an exchange student in Australia at the University of Central Queensland at Rockhampton. Upon my return I earned a degree in Jewelry Design and Gold & Silver Smithing from Buffalo State College. I worked as a jeweler for two years before returning to Buffalo State to earn my degree in Graphic Design.

During my final semester I designed women's undergarments that I believed were marketable. I registered a DBA, requested an SBA mentor, refined the clothing designs, filed patents and conducted market research. Over the course of a year, I expanded on my clothing designs and secured industry professionals to work with including a patent lawyer, a foundations manufacturer and a fashion designer. After completing the business plan, which the director of the Buffalo SBA referred to as the best he had ever read, I began searching for an investor.

I contacted a local entrepreneur who agreed to meet with me for 10 minutes. Within a week following our 70 minute meeting, I moved into office space in his downtown building, began pursuing a small business loan to add to his investment and registered U-Wear Inc. as an S-Corp.

I later learned, it was not cost effective to manufacture and market these lines as a small business and that I would have found success if I had simply licensed the designs to existing companies with solid distribution channels and mass production capabilities.

With this knowledge I have pitched other inventions to Fisher Price, and now have an open invitation to return with ideas as an independent inventor.

Since the dissolution of U-Wear, I have worked as a marketing manager and graphic designer for We Care Transportation. Accomplishments include a more professional corporate identity design, an annual 64 page catalog, a 300 page web site, promotional brochures and logo designs for brand extensions. I also work as a Design and Marketing Consultant to a variety of companies.

After We Care files bankruptcy and was sold off in pieces, Olympic Management Systems hired me on a consultant basis due to a great reduction in services and reduced need for marketing materials.

 

© 1999-2008 Gina Maria Fontana-Siepierski