Bio

With a career spanning almost two decades and across industries as diverse as gaming, healthcare, and hospitality, Seán has built up a unique set of experiences and skills, making him a valuable asset to any organisation. He has designed and produced multi-channel marketing creative, built and managed websites, developed casino games, and edited and written for magazines. He has worked on campaigns for leading companies, including Callaway Golf, Wells Fargo Bank, and Claritin.

Since childhood, Seán has been creating and pursuing artistic endeavours. Before Photoshop, Seán was on his way to becoming a master of Windows Paint. He spent hours creating little 8-bit pixelated masterpieces. It was at that point that Seán first started thinking about a career in digital design and advertising.

Seán has built a reputation for creativity and productivity, often wearing several hats in lean organisations. He has worked in every area of marketing and advertising creative - from books and magazines to online banners and ads, to video and animation, and even website development. Seán has added to his quiver of skills over a career spanning 15 years.

After a few decades spent living in Austin, Texas, Seán decided it was time for a change and moved to his mother’s home country of Ireland, settling in Cork City.

In his spare time, Seán travels, taking photos and videos and writing about the places he has visited. Sean’s creativity isn’t limited to his career, as he also produces sci-fi art and stories, creating the sci-fi humour magazine Warped Realms and countless sci-fi-themed art posters.

CV/Resumé

SUMMARY

Experienced art director and designer who can own the entire process of Marketing Creative - from concept pitch to graphic design, copywriting, and interactive production. Adaptable creative with a knack for taking on complex projects and utilizing a broad skillset at lean organizations.

Special skills: brainstorming and ideation, brand building,
photo editing/retouching, and creative writing.

Personal interests: graphic art, science-fiction, film-making, archaeology, and space science.

TOOLS

Creative: Adobe Creative Suite, Blender 3D
Web: HTML, CSS, JavaScript;
CMS: WordPress, Vignette, and DemandWare
Email Marketing: ConstantContact, YesMail, and MailChimp
Web Admin tools: cPanel, WHM, and FTP

Comfortable on Mac or PC


EDUCATION

BA Anthropology with concentrations in Archaeological Studies and Art History, The University of Texas at Austin

Visual Communications, Austin Community College

Film & Video Production One, Austin FilmWorks

EXPERIENCE

Senior Graphic Designer
DigiWheel (Transigo, LTD)
Cork City
August 2023 to Present

  • Game development and production, including game graphics, UIs, animations and videos, and 3D models.

  • Designing print and digital marketing materials, including brochures, product one-sheets, social media posts, and digital display images.

  • WordPress site administration and web content development.

Marketing & Office Coordinator
AIC Plastic Pallets, LTD
Ballineen, Cork
January 2023 to August 2023

  • Designing all digital and print marketing collateral including banners, social media images, emails, and brochures.

  • Developed and deployed a new WordPress site, and developed and expanded the e-commerce platform.

  • SEO optimisation of websites and products, and management of Google ads.

Graphic Designer
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Austin, Texas
February 2021 to November 2022.

  • Designed and produced all marketing creative for all departments and 80+ staff.

  • Coordinated with the Membership Director to develop a new member onboarding IMPACT campaign and theme. Designed a new member packet including a member certificate, card, IMPACT member booklet, and a series of introductory emails.

  • Supported the association’s annual conferences by designing all collateral, as well as onsite visuals, conference brochures and guides (including the association’s 120+ page National Conference guide), and onsite photography and video.

Creative Marketing Manager
Texas Food & Fuel Association
Austin, Texas
July 2019 to November 2020

  • Creative Manager for a non-profit association, I worked as a one-person creative department; directing and producing marketing creative across all channels. I elevated the association's brand by developing consistent messaging and aesthetics; increasing member engagement and generating non-dues revenue

  • Oversaw brand messaging and creative direction of all marketing output for print, digital, social media, motion, email campaigns, and websites for the association.

  • Managed design and production of Texas Food & Fuel Magazine - the association's flagship quarterly publication including managing editing, cover design, feature writing, and ad design. Prepared and packaged mechanicals for an external printer and reviewed and approved proofs.

  • Supported the Association's Expo with multi-channel marketing creative. Launched and managed the Expo's new WordPress website. Developed Digital Solutions Guide ebook when the Expo was canceled due to the pandemic, which generated $20,000.

  • Developed and managed affiliated brands and programs, with the Business Development Manager, to create additional revenue centers.


Graphic Designer/Art Director
Pen & Tell Us (now Big Thirst Marketing)
Austin, Texas
August 2016 to July 2019

  • Designer for a group of restaurants/bars/taverns, as well as wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Brought a consistent brand message to a chain of 15 stores through print and digital marketing creative.

  • Led conceptual design and marketing creative for several food and beverage clients: in-store and online promotions, posters, menus, videos display ads, and social media graphics.

  • Produced new product branding, packaging, and merchandise design for Little Woodrow's, Ski Shores, Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse and Brewery, Fast Eddie’s Billiards, Wedding Oak Winery, and Artisanal Imports.


Freelance Designer/Art Director
Various Companies
Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington
January 2006 to August 2016.

  • Creative & Web Marketing Manager - Nomad Bar (now Knomad Bar) (2013-2016): managed and produced creative and web services for Nomad Bar including print ads, event posters, website updates, and social media creative. Producing events for Nomad, managing venue rentals, and events calendar.

  • Marketing Designer - AGM Commercial Realty (2012-2013): designed and produced brochures, sales prospectuses, data-driven property listings, and website updates for a boutique real estate firm.

  • Web Producer - Apple Computer (2006): produced interactive content for the Apple Learning Interchange and administered streaming QuickTime events.


Marketing Designer
BedandBreakfast.com
Austin, Texas
April 2011 to July 2012

  • Worked with the Marketing Director to revitalize the brand and re-focus the visual identity to generate interest. Instead of images of inns, the new creative focused on faces and the activities enjoyed at a B&B or inn,

  • Revitalized marketing creative re-focused branding across all channels: online, print, and social; leading to increased open and click-through rates.​​​​​​​

  • Designed and produced digital and print marketing materials including online banners, affiliate ads, landing pages, and emails.

Interactive Producer
Callaway Golf Interactive
Austin, Texas
April 2007 to October 2010

  • Designed and produced online marketing in support of Callaway’s e-commerce site: onsite banners, affiliate ads, media-rich product demos and ads, emails, and landing pages.

  • Co-developed batching system which sped up the new product image creation and developed creative department wiki.

  • Responsible for the production and launch of new products: site image production, online marketing, and content production through the site’s CMS.

Creative Process

Skull Temple of Beta Gema Pulp Cover Art

roles: art direction, graphic design, photo editing

software/tools: Photoshop, Illustrator

The Inspiration:

Sci-fi covers I remembered from my youth, Castle Grayskull, and archaeological ruins.

The Process:

The main structure is composed of three different Mesoamerican pyramid images plus the skull. I picked the three pyramids for their unique qualities and also to give the overall structure the feeling of extreme age; as successive structures were built one on top of another. This is actually quite common, as sites are considered holy or magical for thousands of years and built on by successive cultures. I studied archaeology and like to incorporate that into art.

Originally, when I cut the tree branches out of the top of the tower's image; I planned to 'fix' the area by cloning and airbrushing the existing wall, making it look complete. However, once I saw the hole created by the deleted branches; I decided that it would add more interest to the ruins to make it appear crumbled with the internal structure showing.

I took the finished artwork and used it for one of my Pulp Cover Poster series.

Inspiration

Process

Final Poster

The Skull Temple of Beta Gema Poster

LX52 Hovermobile Ad Art

roles: art direction, graphic design, photo editing

software/tools: Photoshop, Illustrator

The Inspiration:
The landspeeder from Star Wars and vintage car ads.

The Process:
It took several stock images to create the final poster. The hovercraft is based on a vintage Buick. The passengers, landscape, and sky elements were all composed of separate images. The background terrain is Vasquez Rocks, famous as a filming location for many movies and TV shows including Star Trek. The fight between Kirk and the Gorn was filmed there, and including the rocks was another little nod to classic sci-fi.


I took an image of classic car and Photoshopped it into a retro-futuristic hovercraft, inspired by Luke Skywalker's landspeeder. I then took the finished craft and placed it in a vintage-style auto ad.

Inspiration

Process

Final Poster