Ryan Ostertag

Responsible for all creative executions for over 150 product types across home & toy categories for over 20 of the world’s biggest popular culture licenses, such as Disney, Lucasfilm, Mattel, Sanrio, Marvel, Harry Potter, etc.
Manage a team of Senior Designers, Packaging Designers & Production Designers on overall visual look & feel of entire product line, from concept stages, licensor approvals & overseas factory communication. Responsible for assigning projects, managing workload, directing and reviewing art, and providing feedback in a fast-paced environment.
Report directly to the President of the company, and work directly with executive team to identify creative opportunities, communicate creative with licensors, and determine solutions for retail opportunities.
Created all assets for company rebrand from Underground Toys to seven20, from corporate identity to trade show signage, and provide art direction on all catalog updates, sales tools and retailer pitch decks.
Established and implemented a project management system (Teamwork Projects) to document & maintain effective processes and workflow within creative department, sourcing and sales, providing maximum visibility on key dates and deadlines.
Lead various creative meetings to prioritize individual designers workload, share information with creative team on retail opportunities & sales needs, and news & updates based on licensor feedback. Meets with members of the creative team individually on a monthly basis to provide professional feedback & promote professional growth opportunities.

Create industry-leading marketing materials for the TaylorMade, adidas Golf, Ashworth and Adams Golf brands, including POS signage, print and digital advertising, packaging & hangtags, identity & branding projects, large-format graphics, etc.
Lead designer at adidas Golf & Ashworth Golf which consisted of creating seasonal catalogs, lookbooks, point-of-sale signage, seeding kits, retail signage and web banners. Created multiple sub-brand logos and apparel & footwear tech icons.
Responsible for the direction and execution of on-location photoshoots with PGA TOUR professional athletes and models, from casting selection, photography direction and pre and post-production. Oversaw dozens of in-studio product specific photoshoots for catalog standard imagery, as well as complex lifestyle product shoots.
Design lead on numerous branding projects, such as the Majors logos, internal activations, myRoundPro, Tour Preferred, and TaylorMade’s “#1 bug” logo identity system.

Direct all creative executions for all event division properties, including our flagship Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, from printed collateral to signage, apparel, retail merchandise, promotional products, advertising and branding.
Researched, implemented and maintained a project management system (Basecamp) and restructured design department which enabled design team to increase our workload by 400% over a 1-year span.
Created over 75 identities, from corporate branding to numerous running event logos, as well as put together detailed logoslick packages for internal design team and external vendors.
Reported directly to VP of Marketing and played a pivotal role in key marketing and advertising initiatives, social media strategies, and promotional events, such as the R’n’R Tour Pass, The Half Marathon Grand Prix, and National Running Day.
Managed a team of 5 print designers, provided global creative direction for digital team, and created a workflow strategy that allowed the event team to borrow the designers from Competitor, Triathlete, and Triathlon magazine when the event division workflow was at it’s heaviest.

Researched trends & printing techniques from alternative industries and created apparel designs for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, from men’s & women’s cotton tee’s to fully sublimated custom technical apparel and accessories.
Responsible for selecting vendors for both overseas & domestic production of apparel & accessories, attended press checks at local printers and reviewed/revised electronic proofs.
Created a line plan template for R’n’R Series merchandise and transitioned outsourcing of design work, with my role shifting into overseeing the art direction of the line.

Led Product Development team of a $35 million dollar licensed sports & entertainment company which produced sporting goods and collectible products for clients such as NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, Disney, Warner Bros. and Marvel.
Oversaw entire development process from initial brainstorming, technical design, pricing, material selection, tooling and logoslick packages for internal design team and external vendors.
Worked closely with procurement team on overseas factory selection and production schedules as well as safety testing and overall quality standards.
Implemented a new planogram process to help clients see what our products would look like on their shelves, while product was still in concept phase.

Lead Designer for product development team that produced many collectible products, such as the “Stadium Chair” for Avon, which generated $500k in revenue in 2006.
Responsible for creating all technical spec sheets for new and existing products and packaging, as well as setting up design templates for the design and production teams.
Worked on a wide array of sporting goods products and packaging in a fast-paced, team environment.
Effectively handled production responsibilities including film output for domestic printing, while creating new product ideas for the marketing team.