ArtCenter College of Design

Creative Director, Art Director, Designer

Culminate is a collaborative, experimental, creative, design/print/build agency specializing in the retail environment. As Creative Director I collaborate with our in-house design team on all projects, concepting, experimenting, print testing, and finessing design details. I work directly with clients to ensure a strong creative partnership. Our largest client is Nike retail stores within the US.

I spearheaded the re-branding process and transformed City Color into Culminate. Working with the owners, we established our mission, vision, and brand values. I designed all related business materials such as website, presentation decks, business cards, forms, and branded gifts. I concepted, art directed, and co-wrote 4 videos for the website and social media.

Culminate

Creative Director

Alongside my position at Culminate I have my own consultancy focusing on branding, communication, and retail design. I work with clients large and small to tell their best story.

Clients include:

—OTA TOFU: Redesigned logo and packaging design for retail and wholesale products.

—MAUPIN LIBRARY: Donor wall design.

—OREGON SPICE COMPANY: Sales brochure, quarterly digital newsletters, ads.

—  OVARIAN CANCER ALLIANCE OF OREGON AND SW WASHINGTON:  Created their first comprehensive awareness campaign. The concept featured 6 women at various stages of treatment, photographed as superheroes. They became outspoken advocates for awareness and the campaign. 

—  BOLD COFFEE: Coffee cart design and signage.

—  STELLAR CREATIVE: Art director for Nike “Defend” photo shoot, POS, and design of visual center.

—  S.CLARE INC: Brand identity, story telling workshop animated presentation.

—  VANCOUVER FOOD CO-OP: Brand identity, building facade, in-store communication.

—  BENNETT'S JEWELRY: Logo, signage and window display graphics. 

—  YUME CONFECTIONS: Brand identity, packaging, POP display.

—  CITRUS CREATIVE: OSU retail graphics, Nike Team catalog photo direction, Nike/Major League Baseball POS.

—  KWC COACHING: Sponsor kit for Olympic team, facade color and graphics, advertising.

—  MOCA LOS ANGELES: Book design for artist Felix Gonzalez-Torrez.

Pamela Racs, Strategic Graphic Design

Clients include:
AT HOME:  Project included design of the store environment, signage, and packaging system for a newly re-branded home décor superstore. Worked with the client to convert 60+ existing and 20 new stores to the new concept. I was involved in all stages of the project, including meetings with the CEO, leading the 2Hemispheres design team, hands on design, prototyping, creating an install directive, and supervising installations. The stores underwent an amazing transformation.

OAKLEY:  Art Directed a golf POS package which included directing a Florida photo shoot with Ian Poulter and Betriz Recari.

TAYLORMADE GOLF:  Upscale and modern wayfinding and pricing system for Vegas concept shop opening.

2Hemispheres

Art Director

Collaborated with the Sr. Store Design Manager to create a series of 9 Nike retail brand identity and usage guidelines. The “playbooks” began with the history of the brand at retail and grew ever more detailed as they progressed into specifics for each retail channel. Worked on campus within the global DTC group.

Nike

During my seven years at adidas International, I advanced from Senior Designer to Retail Design Manager, to Creative Manager for the Portland global design team. We were responsible for corporate identity, global retail campaigns, store opening graphic installations in Europe, as well as extensive art direction of athlete and concept photography. 

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
— Managed creative team of 8-12 art directors, designers, writers
— Led team after a large and disruptive layoff. Reorganized our work flow to maintain the same amount of productivity with fewer staff.
—  Led international retail research tours in Berlin, Munich, London, and LA.
—  Collaborated with communication managers to develop a successful new briefing process which created a design/marketing partnership.
—  Design representative for an international retail task force charged with building retail and merchandising consistency between global regions. Worked with brand managers from Latin America, Europe, Japan and the United States. 

DESIGN/ART DIRECTION
—  Designed and art directed creative team to open four large European concept stores. Elements included graphics, signage, product and history installations, headers, maps, shoe shelves, windows, and support campaigns. 
—  Designed many brand, technology, and product campaigns for US key accounts.
—  Worked as part of a team to revise the corporate identity of the company. Created branding presentations for the board, corporate ID manual, intranet site, stationery, and rolling out the new identity worldwide. 
—  Art direction: photographed product, models and world class athletes such as Kobe, Zidane, Del Piero, and Haile Gebresalise. Photographic styles included in-studio action, portrait, location shoots in United States and Europe, and lenticular imagery. Illustration styles included technical, sport action, product, and interactive.

adidas

Creative Manager

Fast-paced, cutting edge, experimental, and team-oriented environment. Designed and produced all files through pre-press and press check (hi-res image manipulation, color correction, typography, trapping, experimental two color techniques).

Projects included: 
– Amnesty International: Say Magazine, Nigeria/Kenya Action Campaign
– Raygun Magazine
– Avia International: catalogs, brochures, posters, logos and POS materials
– Robbie McClaran Photography: advertising promotion
– Plazm Magazine
– Johnson & Wolverton: visual identity and stationery system
– Art direction: lifestyle, sport, product, and technical photography