Resumé

Sharan Knutson
slknutson@comcast.net

Work Experience

SHARAN KNUTSON DESIGN, Eden Prairie, MN (2010-present)
Freelance Soft Toy Designer
* Using hand and computer skills, create designs that meet client's vision, and requirements for production feasibility, cost effectiveness and timely delivery.
* Generate accurate, detailed art and product specifications that facilitate sample development and reduce the need for extensive revisions.
* Review and critique samples with client input; providing clear, detailed revisions to Asian factories.
* Developed designs for client's customers, including Target, Harry & David, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, The Popcorn Factory, McDonalds, Helzberg Jewelers and Cabella's.

PRINCESS SOFT TOYS/ANIMAL FAIR, Minneapolis, MN (2000-2010, when company closed)
Head Designer
PRINCESS SOFT TOYS - Gift Division
* Created soft toys, puppets and dolls for core and seasonal plush lines, and for special accounts, from concept art to finished product.
* Communicated daily with Asian factories to ensure projects were moving through the system in a timely and effective manner, critiquing and revising as required during the process.
* Performed on-going review and trouble-shooting of production, to ensure fidelity to customer approved samples.
* Designed custom plush for major accounts, including Borders, Macy's, The Popcorn Factory, 1-800-Flowers, Hallmark and FAO Schwarz, resulting in several million dollars in sales.
* Created four award-winning designs based on children's book characters, each featuring a puppet and book packaged in a tote bag. Worked with the illustrators to capture their characters as three-dimensional plush puppets.

ANIMAL FAIR - Premium/Special Markets Division
* Developed custom plush and soft toy designs based on customer's ideas or art, with special emphasis on budget and delivery requirements.
* Coordinated with sales and customer service to make certain all customer's requirements were understood and addressed.
* Created art and specifications for Asian factories, including fabrics, trims and PMS colors.
* Communicated daily with Asian factories to ensure projects were moving through the system in a timely and effective manner, critiquing and revising as required during the process.
* Created plush toy and backpack version of Pamper's Blue Koala design, resulting in orders for 350,000 pieces for a consumer offer, introducing their new diaper grip.

PLAY-BY-PLAY TOYS AND NOVELTIES, San Antonio, TX (1996-2000)
Head Designer
* Created colorful, high visibility plush and soft toy concepts, and developed prototypes for Amusement Division, meeting price and size requirements.
* Adapted licensed Looney Tunes characters to incorporate interactive modules, expanding the designs to include themed clothing treatments.
* Created several plush and soft toy versions of Garfield and Odie, working with licensor and vendors to faithfully re-create their character.

ACE NOVELTY, Bellevue, WA (1993-1996)
Head designer
* Developed plush and soft toy concepts and prototypes for Amusement and Special Markets/Premium Divisions.
* Created prototypes of Looney Tunes characters, working with sample department, licensors and vendors to capture the look of each design in multiple sizes.
* Developed concepts and created prototypes of non-licensed, on-trend designs with a strong focus on color and character, around which highly successful arcade games were built.

ANIMAL FAIR, Edina, MN (1972-1993)
Senior Designer
Created plush and soft toys, puppets and dolls for company's three divisions:
ANIMAL FAIR - Special Markets/Premium Division (1972-1993)
CAROUSEL by GUY - Gift Division (1982-1990, when division closed)
ANIMAL FAIR - Mass Market Division (1972-1988, when division closed)

Projects by Sharan Knutson