Resumé

Senior Art Director/Associate Creative Director


PROFESSIONAL FREELANCE HISTORY
As a freelancer I have worked within, and for, agencies, design studios and marketing firms. I’ve established a solid reputation for reliability, great creative, skilled execution and making my team/client look good. I've had the fortune to developed a diverse and varied portfolio of work.

AGENCY EXPERIENCE:

I'm a "firefighter." Being needed when there aren't enough "hands" and the deadline is tight is what I relish. I get a kick out of hands-on execution and love a challenge. Able to come in on a project at any phase and get up to speed quickly with little direction, I'm known for skilled and quick execution, saving time and money.

Concentration on sales promotions, point-of-sale, promotional logos, mailers, free-standing inserts, recipe booklets, premiums, packaging, marketing/sales kits, sell sheets, brochures, packaging, environmental graphics, and print collateral

Art directed photoshoots, illustrators, designers, programmers, print production and mentored junior talent

Agencies: 141 Worldwide, Draftfcb, Launch Creative, Wunderman,
The Food Group, Upshot, DiMeo & Company, Schawk

Brands: Jim Beam, Kraft Foods, Kellogg's, Proctor & Gamble, National Milk Board/Milk PEP, Keebler, Schwan's Food Service, Contadina Pastas & Sauces, Chicago Tribune, SC Johnson, Schwepps, Motorola

DESIGN STUDIO/MARKETING FIRMS EXPERIENCE:

I'm a self-motivated designer able to grasp the project, objectives and client. Sometimes teaming with a writer I've concepted, then executed layouts and produced print-ready files. I've written or edited copy when needed.

Managed jobs from start through completion, concept through printing.

Hired and directed talent: writers, photographers, illustrators, retouchers
and printers

Guided the creative in making cost-saving recommendations and decisions with knowledge of paper, binding and printing processes

Developed brochures, invitations, marketing kits, catalogs, trade show graphics, advertising and inserts, front-end web design, advertising, mailers and print collateral


Design & Marketing Firms: Design Source, Grayslake IL, Dobbe Marketig & PR, Crystal Lake, IL, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Chicago, IL

Accounts worked on: Rust-Oleum, Jessup Manufacturing, Heritage Farms, Dixon Companies, US Robotics and many small start-up companies

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Well-versed in Adobe CS4 InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat
and Quark Xpress 8.0, Microsoft Office


PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Art Director/Designer
Foote, Cone & Belding/Impact Chicago, Illinois
March 1993-November 1996

Working within a team of account executives and creatives, I was teamed with a writer to concept and create sales promotions and support material. Art directed and coordinated junior art directors, illustrators, photographers, keyliners and freelancers. Additionally, I was responsible for estimating and tracking costs directly related to pre-press production.

Accounts: Nutrasweet, Nestle Ice cream, Stouffers Lean Cuisine and French Bread Pizza

Projects by Cynthia Cook

Integrated Branding
1 File

Milk Promotional Campaign
3 Files

Point of Sale
3 Files

Brochures
6 Files

Print Collateral
5 Files

Web Design
3 Files

Packaging
5 Files