Rob Blaze - B.A. Art Studio, UCSB
1927 Ridgegate Lane, Suite F
Simi Valley, CA 93065
(805) 813-0166
robblaze@gmail.com

TITLE: CREATIVE DIRECTOR – ART DIRECTOR - GRAPHIC DESIGNER – WEB DESIGNER

PORTFOLIO: http://www.blazepro.com/portfolio/
FLASH RESUME: http://www.blazepro.com/flashresume/

Creative producer of branding and advertising, including Internet (Web design) and marketing collateral solutions (print and other media). My goal is to create award-winning corporate branding and marketing, including all-media collateral for top Fortune 1000 companies. I have been successful doing this for Martin Worldwide, Key Information Systems and IBM, as well as for countless smaller businesses.

KEYWORDS: Artistic, Inventive, Original, Imaginative, Inspired, Passionate, Resourceful, Ingenious, Innovative, Productive, Efficient, Problem Solver, Renaissance man

DESCRIPTION: Work with managers and sales department to establish needs, plan, develop policies & procedures, direct, build and maintain all aspects of branding and marketing art and creative, including original design and re-design. Logos, Web sites, landing pages, PDF’s, direct mail, email, press kits, brochures, business cards, manuals, badges, signs, photos, discs, Trade Show Booths etc.

Expertise in both traditional and new media, including Web, Photo & Photo Retouching, Audio and Video, Podcasts, Streaming Media, Flash, etc.

Hands-On, passionate, creative team leader, supervisor, collaborator, trained &
credentialed art teacher with proven ability to train, inspire, motivate, and lead
successful teams to develop outstanding art solutions.

Produce, advocate, and cultivate client pleasing, award winning, self-selling, desirable work that accomplishes the organization's aesthetic objectives, on-time and on-budget.

SKILLS: Mac & PC "guru-level" user (I prefer the Mac platform for most design work). Expert knowledge of the following design tools: Adobe CS3, Photoshop (Adobe Certified), Illustrator, DreamWeaver, Flash, FireWorks, ImageReady, SiteGrinder. Also a power-user of all Microsoft Office products (including Project), QuickTime, Final Cut, Premiere, DVD Studio, ProTools, Logic, WebSphere Studio (IBM Certified), Marketing Plan Pro, Broadc@stHTML, ACT!, Goldmine, and many more.

I am a self-starter and work well with a team or independently; excellent organizational & strategic planning skills; capable of providing significant hands-on tactical execution. Very strong verbal and written skills. Flexibility and adaptability to changing conditions and requirements.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Martin Worldwide , Westlake Village, CA (2007)
Senior Graphic & Web Designer, Creative Executive
Graphic & Web Design (to current standards CSS, Web 2.0, XHTML) for a group of eight companies, including design and implementation of CMS platforms like WordPress Blogs and LiveSite. Graphic Design of company Web sites, collateral, logos, posters, business cards, direct mail letters and postcards, etc. Worked with USWeb and adapted sites for better SEO. Implemented the Google Website Optimizer to split-test Web pages.

FIX Studios, Glendale, CA (2002 - 2006)
Retouching Artist & Studio Manager
High-end digital retouching for national magazines, including Maxim, Stuff, Playboy,
Complex, Radar, and others. Major contributor to FIX Studios' portfolio. Creation of
company identities and branding, including logos & websites. Management, production, and consultation on graphic design projects of all sorts, including print & web design (and re-design), advertisement design (marketing & promo), branding & identity establishment, and portfolio assembly.

Key Information Systems, Woodland Hills, CA (2000 - 2002)
Creative Director / Marketing Executive
Developed corporate 'Key' brand and visual standards (see www.keyisit.com).
Produced marketing (Strategic Development, Technical Articles, Internal Communications, Company & Product Positioning) including Web and Print. Worked with top executives at Key, IBM, and other companies to develop and execute end-to-end marketing campaigns and strategies. Increased & generated new business revenue (through Strategic & Creative Development, Research, Media Planning & Management); marketing efforts contributed to phenomenal company growth from $20M in 2000 to $40M in 2001 (rec'd IBM Beacon Award for co.). Directed all art for corp. events (Trade Shows, Technology Forums, Customer
Events, etc.).

eVox Productions, Rancho Dominguez, CA (1998 - 2000)
Creative/Art Director, Digital Imaging Factory Supervisor
Creation of VR photography for Boo.com and the automotive industry. Liaison working with high-end Art Directors from the auto advertising sector. Directed Web Development, including editorial, photo editorial, and branding. Applied industrial "assembly line" paradigm to high-end image production.

Liberty Hill I.S.D. (1996- 1998)
High School Art Teacher (Texas Lifetime Teaching Credential):
Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Jewelry, and Photography teacher. Full-time, fully credentialed art teacher for Art, Ceramics, Jewelry Making, and Yearbook/Photo classes. Member of the National Art Education Association (NAEA), a non-profit organization promoting art education through professional development, service, advancement of knowledge, and leadership.


REFERENCES: http://www.blazepro.com/testimonials/

RECENT WEB DESIGN PROJECTS:

http://www.centurylist.com/
http://www.datagenusa.com/
http://www.martinworldwide.net/