Contact Matt:
Phone: 206.384.5583
Email: mattk@halfacreday.com

Download resume: PDF • Word Document

SUMMARY

A versatile and innovative graphics professional with 20 years experience in graphic design, including 15 years in website design, UX/UI and front-end development. Strengths include excellent visual, verbal and written communication skills, the ability to take initiative and lead a team, and extensive knowledge of website architecture and standards. A superlative, client-facing creator of visual concepts with a passion for creative problem-solving.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ILIUM ASSOCIATES

Bellevue, WA
2002 - present

Senior Web Designer

Led the company's web endeavors from a limited, secondary service to a consistently reliable revenue source, increasing company website-based profits by more than 1000%.

    • Created top-quality websites from concept to completion with a wide array of style and function, ranging from corporate, governmental, and residential sites to educational and design house sites.
    • Designed and maintained the website for LADOT’s Transit Services Division, including implementation of an e-commerce solution that nets the client over $2 million annually.
    • Worked directly with clients to achieve optimum results.
    • Provided a broad array of web-related services including information architecture, usability testing, accessibility, e-commerce and search engine optimization.
    • Continually juggled these many diverse projects with precision and dexterity, completing all tasks on time, under budget and in a style appropriate for the client.
    • Applied a wide variety of problem solving skills, quickly becoming the point person for such critical office operations as network and email administration, computer maintenance and repair, telecommunications, and project management.
    • Composed, arranged and produced music beds, jingles and audio logos for radio and television advertising spots.

RIGHT MIND MEDIA, LLC

Seattle, WA
2002 - Present

Principal, Web Designer

Designed websites, icons and browser-based employee training consoles for such clients as Target, Costco and Onyx Software.

SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT

Bellevue, WA
1997 - 2002

Lead Web Designer
2000 - 2002

Directed and designed look-and-feel, architecture and user interface of a constantly growing and changing family of content-rich web environments.

  • Led a design team in the planning and implementation of website architecture, navigational structure and look-and-feel.
  • Conducted usability tests using paper prototypes and wire-frames, thereby identifying usability problems earlier in the process and reducing the team's design time by 200% - 300%.
  • Continually re-tooled all websites for changing objectives, shifting demographics, and better usability, resulting in a steady increase of monthly page views from approximately 1 million to approximately 3 million.
  • Worked with front- and back-end development teams using template-driven content-management systems (both Vignette StoryServer and a proprietary CMS) to dynamically provide vast amounts of content to site visitors.
  • Created email marketing promotions and Macromedia Flash presentations, increasing product awareness to over a half-million list members.

Web Designer
1997 - 2000

Designed and built promotional websites.

  • Designed look-and-feel for a family of content-driven websites built around the promotion of the company's products, helping to increase online sales by 50%.
  • Collaborated with design lead in planning and implementing website architecture and navigational structure.
  • At the request of company management, conducted web design workshops for the division's print graphic artists, inspiring them to explore the web as a design medium.

EDUCATION

  • B.A., Graphic Design, Central Washington University, Cum Laude

COMPUTER SKILLS

  • Photoshop
  • HTML/XHTML
  • CSS
  • AJAX/Javascript frameworks
  • Wordpress development
  • Flash
  • Illustrator
  • Dreamweaver
  • Web standards
  • SEO
  • E-commerce design and implementation
  • Animation

SPECIAL SKILLS

  • A quick study with the drive to continually hone design skills while broadening knowledge of the web and the tools used to build it.
  • Strong team leadership capabilities with a desire to achieve – and to help others achieve – excellence.
  • Background in journalism with superlative writing and communication skills. Equally comfortable interfacing with clients, engineers and peers.
  • Passion for creating fine art including drawing, painting and sculpture.
  • A positive attitude, compassionate understanding and smart sense of humor, contributing to both a healthy work environment and excellent client relations.
  • Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter of over 25 years.

AWARDS

  • APTA Awards, Best Transit Site (in 2006 and in 2008)
  • Trapeze Award Finalist, Seattle AIGA
  • Farrell Merit Scholarship Award for Art
  • Glass Dictionary Club Scholarship
  • Talent Leadership Scholarship Award
  • First Place, Newspaper Logotype Design, Illinois Community College Journalism Association
  • #1 Indie Rock song, OurStage.com May 2009
  • Finalist, ModMusic Records Indie Band Search Songwriting Contest
  • #6 All-Time Best Indie Rock Song, "Policemen and Planes," on Garageband.com.

Download resume: PDF • Word Document