Nicole Kowalchuk
Freelance Designer - Digital & Print · red penny design
Calgary, AB
In My Own Words
A multidisciplinary designer and with no limits to what she is willing to design. Constantly looking to improve her skills as a designer through courses, experimentation and a relentless desire to succeed. A passionate designer, who challenges herself in all aspects of life. Her design and illustration skills often come together in many works.
Nicole has been the Art Director of her own company since 2007. She has a solid industry reputation for providing her clients with an excellent product, which is delivered on time and on budget. An innovative visual designer, she offers a unique combination of refinement, resourcefulness and visual sensibility. There are no limits on what she can design.
Work Experience
Freelance Designer - Digital & Print
red penny design2007 – Present
red penny design offers solid, sophisticated and successful design solutions. Approaches each project with creative flair. Clients: Oil & Gas Calgary, Canadian Rocky Mountain Ski Industry, Insurance, Home Builders, Clothing Brands Responsibilities include: • Developing concepts and communicating ideas • Balancing strategic development with client business objectives • Creative lead on a number of integrated online and traditional marketing campaigns • Ensure designs are aligned with creative briefs and marketing strategy • Provide quality assurance on all creative deliverables • Ensure projects are sufficiently resourced, and delivered on time and on budget • Establish and nurture good client working relationships • Create new business development activities - social media media buys
Visual Designer
Ball Retail Marketing2021 – 2021
Ball Retail is a strategic marketing and branding agency. • Provided creative approaches as well as attention to detail and quality under challenging deadlines - social media campaigns, franchise opening packages - brand & identity • Worked independently and on a team under the direction of the Brands and Strategy Director/ owner - video editing in Premiere and After Effects and asset creation such as vector animations • Designed campaign collateral including digital for mobile, print and video for social media and broadcast platforms - Advanced Photoshop skills, UX experience • Able to meet and exceed project deadlines and commitments - Zoom, VPN, DropBox, package projects for vendors
Visual Designer
ClearMotive Marketing Group2014 – 2016
A member of 3 on Honda’s 2016 site relaunch - Honda Canada’s ATV & Side-by-side, responsive as well as conforming to (WCAG) 2.0 AA accessibility. I was responsible for the responsive and mobile concept creation and roll-out production - concepts based on desktop wireframes by Art Director. Created impactful imagery for many campaigns for Honda Motorcycles, ATV, Side-by-side, Marine and Power Equipment products.
UI Front-End Designer
Intoria Internet Architects2013 – 2014
Created several high-level brand UI concepts and CSS styling for client sites and worked with the Intoria UX team.
Freelance Designer - Digital & Print
Harkus Communications Inc.2013 – 2014
Concept development, designer for various Calgary-based businesses. I created and implemented strategic brands for various purposes based on client needs.
Graphic Designer - Digital & Print
MacLaren McCann2012 – 2013
Effectively communicated many projects with art directors, other designers and writers to execute collateral for various accounts - Bayer CropScience, MARK’S, SAIT, Imperial Oil, General Motors etc. Worked cross-departmentally in order to transform studio needs into tangible design executions.
Education
Communication Design, Graphic Design
George Brown College1998 – 2000
Communication Design, Graphic Design
Art Fundamentals Certificate, Illustration, Design & Sculpture
Sheridan College1997 – 1998
Art Fundamentals Certificate, Illustration, Design & Sculpture