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Art Director

Creative & Design

Art Director specializing in apparel and accessories in the licensing industry.

Responsible for leading the Creative Department in creating on trend, market-specific products, presentations, and marketing materials that continue to advance the company's strategic goals.  Oversee a growing team of 14 full-time designers including graphic designers, accessory designers, remote workers, and additional freelance designers to continue to elevate the Design team's reputation as the most creative design team in the licensed apparel industry.

Duties include:

• Art direction for the ever-growing team across the entire license portfolio, customer portfolio, and internal brands
• Prioritize and delegate design requests to satisfy customer expectations and deadlines
• Prioritize and delegate planned development
• Manage all designers in the Design department, including but not limited to employee performance, training, career development goals, scheduling, and additional staffing/freelance needs
• Responsible for identifying top talent, hiring and onboarding of all new employees within the Design team, and identifying areas of potential growth
• Lead and inspire team, promote positive and constructive thinking within team and department
• Assist in overseas production of apparel lines, new garments, and accessories
• Application of trend research that is in line with Mid-tier and Mass customers
• Ensure internal licensing roll-out plans are adhered to
• Work with other managers on larger scope projects
• Assist in product development line planning based on Time and Action calendars
• Create original graphic designs for over 400 brands

Responsible for leading Mid-Tier and Mass market team in creating on trend, market-specific products, presentations, and marketing materials that advanced the company's strategic goals.

Duties included:

• Prioritize and delegate design requests to satisfy customer expectations and deadlines
• Prioritize and delegate planned development
• Manage direct employees, including but not limited to employee performance, training, career development goals, scheduling, and additional staffing/freelance needs
• Lead and inspire team, promote positive and constructive thinking within team and department
• Assist in overseas production of apparel lines, new garments, and accessories
• Application of trend research that is in line with Mid-tier and Mass customers
• Ensure internal licensing roll-out plans are adhered to
• Work with other managers on larger scope projects
• Assist in product development line planning based on Time and Action calendars
• Create original graphic designs for over 300 brands

Designer Manager - Apparel & Accessories

Being a graphic designer in the licensed apparel industry means being well versed in a multitude of areas.  Duties as a graphic designer included:
• Design for Men's, Women's, Junior, Boy's, and Girl's apparel
• Package design including boxes, hangers, hangtags, display boxes, and backer cards
• Product design including plush, headwear, outerwear, keychains, wallets, and many more
• Website design and maintenance
• Advertisement design for in-store promotions and magazines
• Catalog and brochure design
• Keynote and presentation design
• Trend research
• License research
• Brand identity and development
• Head of Brand Development and co-creator of Gordos Plush

Additional skills: Understanding of HTML and web languages, previous experience with Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks, previous experience administering Square Space and Word Press websites.
In 2013, a fellow employee and I began creating Gordos Plush.  I developed the branding and identity for the line of toys and am deeply involved in product development, marketing, social outreach, and web design.  The line of toys launched at the beginning of June 2015 at www.gordosplush.com
In addition to being a designer at Ripple Junction, I was also the Network Administrator from 2011-2013.  Being the Network Administrator meant I was responsible for all IT related functions within the company including; server administration, end-user support, and everything in between.  As the company grew, I could no longer keep up with juggling two different jobs, so I relinquished the Administrator  responsibilities to focus on being a designer.  I remain a consultant for all of our IT needs.

Graphic Designer

In addition to working as a graphic designer, I was also the Network Administrator and Desktop Support Technician between 2011 and 2015.  From 2015 to 2017 I was a Network Consultant as the company cycled through various IT support solutions.

Being the Network Administrator meant I was responsible for all IT-related functions within the company including:

• Server administration
• End-user support (35-50 users)
• Printer support and installation
• Active Directory management
• And everything in between related to supporting 35-50 users

As the company grew, I could no longer keep up two separate roles at the level of quality and attention I thought they deserved.  I relinquished the administrator responsibilities to focus on my graphic design role.

Network Administrator & Consultant

Mainly a 1099 contract position, but also hired on in a temporary role when the contract expired.
Duties included:
• Provide experienced client technologies support
• Report, respond to, analyze and resolve customer information technology problems and service requests
• Ensure integrity, performance and reliability of a large variety of client computing devices
• Assist with large-scale equipment refreshes, upgrades and migration projects.
• Provide a variety of information technology services to internal units and external customers
• Acquire a general understanding of customer's information technology business requirements
• Work cooperatively, productively and professionally in a team environment
• Mentor Contracted IT Specialists and Information Technology Technicians
• Configure, install, move and modify client's computers and devices
• Comply with established security practices and procedures and promote security awareness
• Maintain knowledge database and call tracking database to enhance quality of problem resolution
• Provide assistance with network and IP phone deployments and repair as necessary
• Maintain knowledge of emerging client computing technologies.

Information Systems Specialist

Starting with an internship, I was hired on as a full-time graphic designer with the licensed entertainment apparel company Balzout, Inc. I worked at Balzout for over 3 years until I was laid off in the fall of 2007.  Duties as a graphic designer included:

• Design for Men's, Women's, Junior, Boy's, and Girl's apparel
• Package design including boxes, hangers, hangtags, display boxes, and backer cards
• Tradeshow and Convention booth graphics
• CMYK and Spot color separations
• Outputting files for screen printing and embroidery
• Website design and maintenance
• Advertisement design for in-store promotions
• Catalog and brochure design
• Keynote and presentation design
• Trend research
• License research
• Brand identity and development
• Creation and application of customer vehicle graphics

Balzout had some very large and well known clients.  Some of those clients were Viacom (Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon), Disney, various spirits companies including Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan, Guinness, Coors, and Corona.  I created hundreds of consumer products and sold hundreds of thousands of units during my time there.

Freelance Designer
I love creating.  That means I spend a lot of my free time creating artwork.  Over the years I have had some great opportunities to create art for some really cool people.  Some of those clients have been:

• Tony Hawk
• The Toadies (National Recording Artist)
• The American Dollar (National Recording Artist)
• The Dear Hunter (National Recording Artist)
• Author P. Mark Debryan

Graphic Designer / Artist

Justin McCormick is an Art Director at Ripple Junction Design Company. View their experience, skills and work history on Malakye — the professional network…

Justin McCormick

Justin McCormick

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Education history

Marshall University

Putnam County Technical Center