Matt Strelecki

Branding & Design Consultant

Des Moines, IA

Available Now

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About

A 2016 Media Industry News (MIN) Hall of Fame member inductee and award winning creative director experienced in establishing and revitalizing brands across platforms.

A proven change agent and successful manager of large design departments and high volume pipelines with an unblemished track record of success in creative direction for magazines and books with additional skills in environmental graphics, website art direction and packaging design.

Extensive project management experience and oversight of multi-million dollar budgets with supervision of 8 full-time staff and 15-30 freelance contractors simultaneously.

In-depth experience in topics ranging from authored books, agriculture, food, decorating, crafting, children's titles, and do-it-yourself for multiple topics.

Notable clients include, Disney, Sony Pictures, Dreamworks, Mattel, Marvel and DC comics, HGTV, TLC, Discovery Channel, The Today Show, The Food Network, Better Homes & Gardens, Home Depot, Black and Decker, Miracle-Gro, Scotts, Stanley Tools, among others.
Education
- Masters of Business Administration With an Emphasis Marketing
  
  University of Phoenix
  
  2007
- Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors Graphic/Packaging Design
  
  Art Center College of Design
  
  1984 - 1986
Experience
- Creative Director
  
  Meredith Agrimedia.
  
  Mar 2009 - Present (12 years 6 months)
  
  Art Director for Successful Farming, Ageless Iron Almanac and Future Farmers of America New Horizons, Meredith Corporation. Three times redesigned Successful Farming in-house with no outside consultation.
- Creative Director
  
  Meredith Corporation
  
  Mar 2009 - Present (12 years 6 months)
  
  Duties include remotely directing field photographers, collaborating with the EIC and editors to determine story needs, assigning and managing photographers and illustrators, managing art budgets, conceptualizing all covers, writing occasional cover story headlines, and occasional illustration and photography assignments.
- Georgia Magazine Association
  
  Des Moines, IA
  
  Design basics for non-designers. Conducted on behalf of Successful Farming magazine to the American Agricultural Editors Association Midwest conference.
- Co-Art Director, Readymade
  
  Meredith Corporation. Appointed to assist
  
  in the relocation of Readymade magazine from California to Des Moines. Assisted in transitioning the magazine to local producers and created design directions for a redesign.
- Art Director
  
  Food and Holiday Center of Excellence
  
  Meredith Corporation. Appointed to newly created department specializing in Better Homes and Gardens food related magazines, book-a-zines, cookbooks and two food websites. Responsibilities include visual direction for all food related product lines, budget creation and management, design approval, interaction with internal and external clients, staff management, and overall coordination and presentation of the Better Homes and Gardens branded food related product lines.
- Art Director
  
  Atlanta Magazine
  
  Atlanta, United States
  
  Responsible for all design and art direction of the monthly magazine & complete in-house production.
- Industry presentations
  
  Meredith Corporation
  
  Des Moines, IA
  
  Jan 2001 - Jan 2021 (20 years)
  
  Multiple presentations covering topics from design to effective management for creatives.
- Art Director, BHG.com
  
  Meredith Corporation
  
  Jan 2009 - Sep 2009 (8 months)
  
  Meredith Corporation. Responsible for all art direction, user experience, information architecture and visual appeal of BHG.com, the website of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Duties include building and maintaining relationships with internal and external vendors, staff management, directing photography, aligning goals and daily tasks with the EIC to produce web layouts, widget interfaces and all related needs.
- Co-Art Director
  
  Meredith
  
  Jan 2009 - Mar 2009 (2 months)
  
  Appointed to assist in the relocation of Readymade magazine from California to Des Moines. Assisted in transitioning the magazine to local producers and created design directions for a redesign.
- Executive Director of Design
  
  Meredith Books.
  
  Sep 1996 - Jan 2008 (11 years 4 months)
  
  Responsible for visual quality of all book products. Directed a staff of 4 art directors & 4 designers, 15-30 freelance designers, had extensive face time with external and internal clients, directing prototypes, creating and managing budgets, and overseeing visual quality of all book titles. Categories included decorating, gardening, cooking, crafting, do-it-yourself home repair and a large children's line. Yearly page output increased from just under 7,000 to 36,000 from
- Executive Director, Design
  
  Meredith Corporation
  
  Sep 1996 - Jan 2008 (11 years 4 months)
  
  Notable licensors included Better Homes and Gardens Semi-Homemade, Rocco Dispiroto, Denzel Washington, TLC and Discovery Channel (Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, American Choppers, & Monster Garage, among others), HGTV, Disney, Sony Pictures (Spiderman 1 & 2), Dreamworks (Madagascar 1 & 2, Shrek and Over the Hedge), Mattel (Polly Pockets), Warner Bros. (Batman Begins, Superman Returns), Nickelodeon (Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!), Home Depot, Stanley Tools, Scotts Lawns, Miracle-Gro, Food Network, Marvel Enterprises, DC Comics, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Universal Pictures (Peter Jackson's King Kong).
Awards

193 national design nominations and wins since 2010.
Affiliations

American Agricultural Editor's Association, Society of Publication Designers, American Society of Magazine Editors
Industries
- Publishing
Skills
Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot

@strelecki, member since 2010
- Following 14
- Followers 10

Packaging Design

Packaging Design from Matt Strelecki

Packaging Design

Elan women's perfume package - Design for a bottle shape and POP display of a high end women's perfume launch.

LIfto logo

Lift line of workout drinks

Milo Mills Artisanal Flours logo

Girleez Makeup logo - This mark drives the packaging system designed for the Girleez makeup line.

Packaging Design

MIlo Mills packaging

Jhirmack Shampoo product system - Exploration of packaging for Jhirmack hair products.

Brooks Running Shoes graphic system - Complete system for Brooks Running Shoes consisting of counter card, proprietary shoebox design and brochure cover and spread.

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Packaging Design

Design Management

Comments (1)

Matt Strelecki

Lift: A concept for a new line of ready to consume work out drinks.

11 years ago

Matt Strelecki

Lift: A concept for a new line of ready to consume work out drinks.

11 years ago

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Available

Freelance, Moonlighting

Branding & Design Consultant Des Moines, IA