Creative Director/Studio Director
DVDesign
a
Twitter
Cover Letter
Translating business needs and brand vision into high-caliber creative solutions is my expertise. Throughout my career, I have built and led dynamic design studios and delivered strong results in distinction, profitability, and productivity. Now, I’d like to put my experience to work for you.
The strengths I brin… Read More
The strengths I brin… Read More
Translating business needs and brand vision into high-caliber creative solutions is my expertise. Throughout my career, I have built and led dynamic design studios and delivered strong results in distinction, profitability, and productivity. Now, I’d like to put my experience to work for you.
The strengths I bring can be best summarized as follows:
− First-rate portfolio of design work in all core mediums including licensed packaging, catalogs, photographic, advertisements, and tradeshows.
− Deep passion for generating creative ideas, articulating vision, and moving teams and clients to embrace it.
− Seasoned ability to hire and manage production staff, creative freelancers and vendors.
− Combine strategic vision with hands-on implementation—seamlessly define long-term objectives and head core business functions while simultaneously guiding the timely design and development of all client deliverables.
− Impeccable visual sensibility, grasp of emerging design trends, and expert knowledge of all essential software.
To each organization, I have produced cutting-edge marketing and communications projects critical to long-term brand visibility, profitability, and competitive performance. Here are just a few of my notable achievements:
− Produced brochures for Honda Motor Company’s retail dealerships, and saved the client 15% in revision costs.
− Increased visual consistency and boosted productivity by introducing a library of design components and templates for a staff of 10+.
− Defined Baby Genius’s brand voice and created a style guide for all promotions and product packaging. Read Less
The strengths I bring can be best summarized as follows:
− First-rate portfolio of design work in all core mediums including licensed packaging, catalogs, photographic, advertisements, and tradeshows.
− Deep passion for generating creative ideas, articulating vision, and moving teams and clients to embrace it.
− Seasoned ability to hire and manage production staff, creative freelancers and vendors.
− Combine strategic vision with hands-on implementation—seamlessly define long-term objectives and head core business functions while simultaneously guiding the timely design and development of all client deliverables.
− Impeccable visual sensibility, grasp of emerging design trends, and expert knowledge of all essential software.
To each organization, I have produced cutting-edge marketing and communications projects critical to long-term brand visibility, profitability, and competitive performance. Here are just a few of my notable achievements:
− Produced brochures for Honda Motor Company’s retail dealerships, and saved the client 15% in revision costs.
− Increased visual consistency and boosted productivity by introducing a library of design components and templates for a staff of 10+.
− Defined Baby Genius’s brand voice and created a style guide for all promotions and product packaging. Read Less
About Me
Over 20 years of experience delivering first-class art production and marketing concepts in both in-house and studio environments. Combine impeccable design sensibility, keen business sense, and solid focus on quality and efficiency to lead freelance teams in producing brand-appropriate promotions within establish… Read More
Over 20 years of experience delivering first-class art production and marketing concepts in both in-house and studio environments. Combine impeccable design sensibility, keen business sense, and solid focus on quality and efficiency to lead freelance teams in producing brand-appropriate promotions within established deadlines and budgets. Hands-on project manager who delves into and effectively combines all granular elements of a creative campaign. Leverage depth and diversity of knowledge honed through long-term client partnerships in entertainment, consumer products, consumer electronics, sports, automotive, travel, healthcare, aerospace, and government. Fluent in Spanish. Key areas of expertise:
STUDIO/CREATIVE MANAGEMENT – WORKFLOW OPTIMIZATION – PROCESS IMPROVEMENT – QUALITY CONTROL /ASSURANCE – BUDGETING – PROJECT MANAGEMENT – COST REDUCTION – CREATIVE DIRECTION – BRANDING – GRAPHIC DESIGN – PRODUCTION – PACKAGING – ADVERTISING – WEB DESIGN – PHOTO RETOUCHING – SOCIAL MEDIA – CLIENT RELATIONS – VENDOR RELATIONS – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – MODEL & STILL LIFE PHOTO SHOOTS
EXPERIENCE:
Creative Director/Studio Director, RD Design & Advertising
Torrance, California (March 2006 – Present)
www.rddesign4u.com
Responsible for studio management, client relations and creative direction of all accounts. Recruited to conceptualize and direct one-off and timeline-based creative projects for private and public center clients. Focused global freelance design teams of 3–6 on producing packaging, advertisements, and signage in sync with each product’s brand voice and licensing standards. Define and manage scope of each project with $10K-150K average budgets. Outline and implement routing, quality control, and editing processes to streamline delivery time and ensure client satisfaction.
• City of Carson: Orchestrated dramatic modernization of brand identity that invigorated local business development and infused brand with contemporary look and feel. Harmonized new standards across all assets and transportation signage.
• Sony Pictures: Enticed shoppers to purchase multiple home entertainment titles for price of 1 by designing packaging and promotions for Blu-ray, DVD, and movies-on-demand multi-packs.
• Honda Motor Company: Produced accessory brochures for retail dealerships on $150K annual budget. Saved client 15% revision costs and slashed completion time by hiring additional proofreading staff and raising quality standards.
• La Espanola: Create annual 28-page print catalog for direct import distributor. Slashed revisions per-page 82% and saved client 25% costs ($6.3K) by increasing communication with stakeholders and applying strict proofreading standards.
• Cartoon Network: Produced DVD/home entertainment packaging and print advertisements on project-by-project basis.
• Bandai Entertainment: Designed brand-appropriate packaging for dozens of licensed Anime entertainment products
• Archiving System: Increased visual consistency and saved time by building and adding to all-encompassing library of commonly used design components and templates.
Creative Director/Owner, DVDesign
Marina del Rey, California (1990 – Present)
Founded agency to fashion integrated creative campaigns for major clients. Balance creative direction with accountability for all client operations, including new business development, on-going account management, and supervision of 10 freelance designers. Clients include Subway, Pizza Hut, Milen (As Seen On TV), Isuzu Motors, Com Dev, Resources of Nature, Intermetro, Body Fit, and 99 Cent Store.
• Subway: Crafted array of collateral including packaging and promotions for “Kidz Way,” chain’s children’s meal.
• Pizza Hut: Directed major photo shoots for various advertisements. Hired stylists and teamed with key account stakeholders to uphold integrity of featured food products.
• Milen (As Seen on TV): Won long-term $150K annual contract with manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of Shamwow and Oxyclean. Branded, designed, and delivered all artwork for retail packaging and infomercials.
• Resources of Nature: Renovated client’s entire brand, with supporting advertising, collateral, and tradeshow elements.
• Pic N’ Save: Revitalized visual branding and merchandising for renowned closeout retail chain stores positioned for CA opening in 2012.
• COM DEV USA / COM DEV International: Defined new brand positioning, and crafted collateral, advertising, and tradeshow booths.
Vice President, Creative Services, Genius Products, Inc. / Genius Entertainment / The Weinstein Company
Solana Beach, California (February 2004 to February 2006)
Recruited to increase distribution by establishing brand standards and driving creative production for all marketing collateral, products, licensed merchandise, and website. Partnered with licensors to ensure brand integrity in visual materials. Assembled and led team of print and web designers, video producer, and copywriter in start-up environment.
• Brand Standards: Defined Baby Genius’s brand voice and authored style guide that infused clear tone and visual style across all promotions and product packaging.
• Policy Development: Elevated quality, boosted efficiency, and cut revision timelines for 100s of new DVD packages per month by coining new workflow and policies and procedures.
• Process Improvement: Boosted productivity by creating archive that enabled instant access to all design assets.
Supervisor/Creative Director, Design Services, Uniworld
Los Angeles, California (January 2002 – February 2004)
Brought on board to build photo-driven Design and Creative Services team from the ground up. Focused on boosting deliverable quality through standardized procedures and archival systems. Hired, trained, and managed 4 designers. Motivated department to efficiently turn around flawless photo edits for print, web, and email.
• Enhanced company image by raising professionalism and elevating promotional collateral to higher standard. Impeccably retouched, silhouetted, and color-corrected images.
Art Director, Litco Group Marketing
Santa Monica, California (November 1999 to January 2002)
Directed high volume of marketing and communication projects from concept through completion. Forged strong relationships with prominent clients including Dreamworks, News Corp One, E! Entertainment, Fox Channels Group, Fox Movie Channel, Fox Sports Network, Fox Interactive, Mattel, Disney, Toshiba, and Nissan.
• News Corp One: Created memorable and engaging brand experience for 500+ consumers by designing and coordinating diverse range of print media and signage for major Simpsons’ Fan Fest at House of Blues (Homerpalooza).
Senior Graphic Designer, The Disney Channel
Burbank, California (August 1999 to November 1999)
• Responsible for conception, design and production of all marketing and communication materials for The Disney Channel, Toon Disney and Soap Network.
• Coordinate and traffic all design elements for final corporate approvals.
• Involved in the creative process for all new keyart, logos and type treatments for Disney Channel’s original programs and movies.
Design Project Manager, Adventist Health Southern California
Glendale,California (August 1998 to September 1999)
• Promote five hospitals of the Southern California region through coordinated graphic design of print, advertising, website and other communication vehicles.
• Supervise and guide design team on all projects from conception through completion
• Advise in the planning of marketing and communication strategies and establish department budgets.
• Developed localized corporate graphic standards to complement national standards.
• Established policies and procedures to ensure the efficiency and productivity of the design team.
• Established archives and procedures for archiving.
Senior Graphic Designer, L.A. Care Health Plan
Los Angeles, California (March 1996 to August 1998)
• Responsible for conception, design and production of brand identity and all marketing and communications materials for Medi-Cal health plan serving low-income population diverse in cultural beliefs, language and literacy level.
• Oversaw pre-press, press checks, photo shoots, trafficking, print buying, and digital archiving.
Studio Manager, Powers Sound Design, Inc.
Los Angeles, California (August 1990 to March 1996)
Managed all aspects of sound design and music studio which specialized in video and film for such accounts as The Simpsons, The Critic, News Radio, The Tracy Ullman Show, Lucas Studios and Todd AO. Managed creative staff, schedules, trafficking, accounts receivable and payable, quarterly reports and studio calendar. Assisted in the post-production process, ADR and foley.
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
Expert in Macintosh OSX and PC/Microsoft platforms
Expert in QuarkXpress, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Go Live), MS Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel), File Maker Pro, iLife, and Portfolio.
Working knowledge of Project, Access, Flash, Director, Dreamweaver and Final Cut Pro
EDUCATION:
Otis College of Art & Design (1992-1995)
Major: Graphic Design & Advertising
UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) (1989 to 1991)
Major: Art History with a Specialization in Spanish
LACC (Los Angeles City College) (1987 to 1989)
Associate of Arts Degree - Education
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION:
Leadership Southern California Network (2012)
Leadership
California State University, Dominguez Hills (2009)
Project Management Series
The Book Shop (2000 - 2002)
Advertising Concepting Series – (Mike Whitlow / Saatchi & Saatchi / Deutsch)
UCLA Extension
Various Courses in Marketing, Branding, Design, Typography and Color Theory,
as well as courses in the Healthcare Management Certificate Program
Miscellaneous Seminars and Workshops (1995 to Present)
Communication, Marketing, Branding, Graphic Design, Advertising, Art History
GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS:
Leadership Southern California-Class of 2012, AIGA / American Institute of Graphic Arts, Communication Arts, American Marketing Association, ArtLA, Packaging World, Shelf Impact, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Cambridge Who’s Who Read Less
STUDIO/CREATIVE MANAGEMENT – WORKFLOW OPTIMIZATION – PROCESS IMPROVEMENT – QUALITY CONTROL /ASSURANCE – BUDGETING – PROJECT MANAGEMENT – COST REDUCTION – CREATIVE DIRECTION – BRANDING – GRAPHIC DESIGN – PRODUCTION – PACKAGING – ADVERTISING – WEB DESIGN – PHOTO RETOUCHING – SOCIAL MEDIA – CLIENT RELATIONS – VENDOR RELATIONS – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – MODEL & STILL LIFE PHOTO SHOOTS
EXPERIENCE:
Creative Director/Studio Director, RD Design & Advertising
Torrance, California (March 2006 – Present)
www.rddesign4u.com
Responsible for studio management, client relations and creative direction of all accounts. Recruited to conceptualize and direct one-off and timeline-based creative projects for private and public center clients. Focused global freelance design teams of 3–6 on producing packaging, advertisements, and signage in sync with each product’s brand voice and licensing standards. Define and manage scope of each project with $10K-150K average budgets. Outline and implement routing, quality control, and editing processes to streamline delivery time and ensure client satisfaction.
• City of Carson: Orchestrated dramatic modernization of brand identity that invigorated local business development and infused brand with contemporary look and feel. Harmonized new standards across all assets and transportation signage.
• Sony Pictures: Enticed shoppers to purchase multiple home entertainment titles for price of 1 by designing packaging and promotions for Blu-ray, DVD, and movies-on-demand multi-packs.
• Honda Motor Company: Produced accessory brochures for retail dealerships on $150K annual budget. Saved client 15% revision costs and slashed completion time by hiring additional proofreading staff and raising quality standards.
• La Espanola: Create annual 28-page print catalog for direct import distributor. Slashed revisions per-page 82% and saved client 25% costs ($6.3K) by increasing communication with stakeholders and applying strict proofreading standards.
• Cartoon Network: Produced DVD/home entertainment packaging and print advertisements on project-by-project basis.
• Bandai Entertainment: Designed brand-appropriate packaging for dozens of licensed Anime entertainment products
• Archiving System: Increased visual consistency and saved time by building and adding to all-encompassing library of commonly used design components and templates.
Creative Director/Owner, DVDesign
Marina del Rey, California (1990 – Present)
Founded agency to fashion integrated creative campaigns for major clients. Balance creative direction with accountability for all client operations, including new business development, on-going account management, and supervision of 10 freelance designers. Clients include Subway, Pizza Hut, Milen (As Seen On TV), Isuzu Motors, Com Dev, Resources of Nature, Intermetro, Body Fit, and 99 Cent Store.
• Subway: Crafted array of collateral including packaging and promotions for “Kidz Way,” chain’s children’s meal.
• Pizza Hut: Directed major photo shoots for various advertisements. Hired stylists and teamed with key account stakeholders to uphold integrity of featured food products.
• Milen (As Seen on TV): Won long-term $150K annual contract with manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of Shamwow and Oxyclean. Branded, designed, and delivered all artwork for retail packaging and infomercials.
• Resources of Nature: Renovated client’s entire brand, with supporting advertising, collateral, and tradeshow elements.
• Pic N’ Save: Revitalized visual branding and merchandising for renowned closeout retail chain stores positioned for CA opening in 2012.
• COM DEV USA / COM DEV International: Defined new brand positioning, and crafted collateral, advertising, and tradeshow booths.
Vice President, Creative Services, Genius Products, Inc. / Genius Entertainment / The Weinstein Company
Solana Beach, California (February 2004 to February 2006)
Recruited to increase distribution by establishing brand standards and driving creative production for all marketing collateral, products, licensed merchandise, and website. Partnered with licensors to ensure brand integrity in visual materials. Assembled and led team of print and web designers, video producer, and copywriter in start-up environment.
• Brand Standards: Defined Baby Genius’s brand voice and authored style guide that infused clear tone and visual style across all promotions and product packaging.
• Policy Development: Elevated quality, boosted efficiency, and cut revision timelines for 100s of new DVD packages per month by coining new workflow and policies and procedures.
• Process Improvement: Boosted productivity by creating archive that enabled instant access to all design assets.
Supervisor/Creative Director, Design Services, Uniworld
Los Angeles, California (January 2002 – February 2004)
Brought on board to build photo-driven Design and Creative Services team from the ground up. Focused on boosting deliverable quality through standardized procedures and archival systems. Hired, trained, and managed 4 designers. Motivated department to efficiently turn around flawless photo edits for print, web, and email.
• Enhanced company image by raising professionalism and elevating promotional collateral to higher standard. Impeccably retouched, silhouetted, and color-corrected images.
Art Director, Litco Group Marketing
Santa Monica, California (November 1999 to January 2002)
Directed high volume of marketing and communication projects from concept through completion. Forged strong relationships with prominent clients including Dreamworks, News Corp One, E! Entertainment, Fox Channels Group, Fox Movie Channel, Fox Sports Network, Fox Interactive, Mattel, Disney, Toshiba, and Nissan.
• News Corp One: Created memorable and engaging brand experience for 500+ consumers by designing and coordinating diverse range of print media and signage for major Simpsons’ Fan Fest at House of Blues (Homerpalooza).
Senior Graphic Designer, The Disney Channel
Burbank, California (August 1999 to November 1999)
• Responsible for conception, design and production of all marketing and communication materials for The Disney Channel, Toon Disney and Soap Network.
• Coordinate and traffic all design elements for final corporate approvals.
• Involved in the creative process for all new keyart, logos and type treatments for Disney Channel’s original programs and movies.
Design Project Manager, Adventist Health Southern California
Glendale,California (August 1998 to September 1999)
• Promote five hospitals of the Southern California region through coordinated graphic design of print, advertising, website and other communication vehicles.
• Supervise and guide design team on all projects from conception through completion
• Advise in the planning of marketing and communication strategies and establish department budgets.
• Developed localized corporate graphic standards to complement national standards.
• Established policies and procedures to ensure the efficiency and productivity of the design team.
• Established archives and procedures for archiving.
Senior Graphic Designer, L.A. Care Health Plan
Los Angeles, California (March 1996 to August 1998)
• Responsible for conception, design and production of brand identity and all marketing and communications materials for Medi-Cal health plan serving low-income population diverse in cultural beliefs, language and literacy level.
• Oversaw pre-press, press checks, photo shoots, trafficking, print buying, and digital archiving.
Studio Manager, Powers Sound Design, Inc.
Los Angeles, California (August 1990 to March 1996)
Managed all aspects of sound design and music studio which specialized in video and film for such accounts as The Simpsons, The Critic, News Radio, The Tracy Ullman Show, Lucas Studios and Todd AO. Managed creative staff, schedules, trafficking, accounts receivable and payable, quarterly reports and studio calendar. Assisted in the post-production process, ADR and foley.
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
Expert in Macintosh OSX and PC/Microsoft platforms
Expert in QuarkXpress, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Go Live), MS Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel), File Maker Pro, iLife, and Portfolio.
Working knowledge of Project, Access, Flash, Director, Dreamweaver and Final Cut Pro
EDUCATION:
Otis College of Art & Design (1992-1995)
Major: Graphic Design & Advertising
UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) (1989 to 1991)
Major: Art History with a Specialization in Spanish
LACC (Los Angeles City College) (1987 to 1989)
Associate of Arts Degree - Education
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION:
Leadership Southern California Network (2012)
Leadership
California State University, Dominguez Hills (2009)
Project Management Series
The Book Shop (2000 - 2002)
Advertising Concepting Series – (Mike Whitlow / Saatchi & Saatchi / Deutsch)
UCLA Extension
Various Courses in Marketing, Branding, Design, Typography and Color Theory,
as well as courses in the Healthcare Management Certificate Program
Miscellaneous Seminars and Workshops (1995 to Present)
Communication, Marketing, Branding, Graphic Design, Advertising, Art History
GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS:
Leadership Southern California-Class of 2012, AIGA / American Institute of Graphic Arts, Communication Arts, American Marketing Association, ArtLA, Packaging World, Shelf Impact, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Cambridge Who’s Who Read Less
Recommendations For Darlene
VP Creative Services
Genius Products, Inc./Genius Entertainment/The Weinstein Co.
“Three words - best, boss, ever. Caring and compassionate but with equal parts professional and task-oriented, Darlene ran one of the best teams I've ever had the honor of being on, the Creative Team at Genius Products. I highly re… Read More
Genius Products, Inc./Genius Entertainment/The Weinstein Co.
“Three words - best, boss, ever. Caring and compassionate but with equal parts professional and task-oriented, Darlene ran one of the best teams I've ever had the honor of being on, the Creative Team at Genius Products. I highly re… Read More
VP Creative Services
Genius Products, Inc./Genius Entertainment/The Weinstein Co.
“Three words - best, boss, ever. Caring and compassionate but with equal parts professional and task-oriented, Darlene ran one of the best teams I've ever had the honor of being on, the Creative Team at Genius Products. I highly recommend her for any managerial role in the creative space, or any team that needs to be organised and inspired.
I can't say enough good things about Darlene. Her record says it all and I wish her all the success in the world.” June 30, 2010
1st Nathaniel Flick, Web Manager, Genius Products
reported to Darlene at Genius Products, Inc./Genius Entertainment/The Weinstein Co.
_____________
Graphic Designer
L.A. Care Health Plan
“I both managed and collaborated with Darlene during her time at L.A. Care. She was a consummate professional, both in her demeanor and her ability to meet the needs (and demands) of her internal clients. She displayed a remarkable gift for creativity no matter what the project, and displayed that rare trait of being a team player.” July 13, 2010
1st Keith Malone, Director of Communications, L.A. Care Health Plan
managed Darlene at L.A. Care Health Plan Read Less
Genius Products, Inc./Genius Entertainment/The Weinstein Co.
“Three words - best, boss, ever. Caring and compassionate but with equal parts professional and task-oriented, Darlene ran one of the best teams I've ever had the honor of being on, the Creative Team at Genius Products. I highly recommend her for any managerial role in the creative space, or any team that needs to be organised and inspired.
I can't say enough good things about Darlene. Her record says it all and I wish her all the success in the world.” June 30, 2010
1st Nathaniel Flick, Web Manager, Genius Products
reported to Darlene at Genius Products, Inc./Genius Entertainment/The Weinstein Co.
_____________
Graphic Designer
L.A. Care Health Plan
“I both managed and collaborated with Darlene during her time at L.A. Care. She was a consummate professional, both in her demeanor and her ability to meet the needs (and demands) of her internal clients. She displayed a remarkable gift for creativity no matter what the project, and displayed that rare trait of being a team player.” July 13, 2010
1st Keith Malone, Director of Communications, L.A. Care Health Plan
managed Darlene at L.A. Care Health Plan Read Less
Work ExperienceView all →
- Creative Director/Studio Manager
RD Design & Advertising - - VP Creative Services
Genius Products, Inc. / Genius Entertainment / The Weinstein Company - - Supervisor/Creative Director, Design Services
Uniworld - - Art Director
Litco Group Marketing -
FProjects I Appreciated
EProfile URLs
