Claudia Bergsdorf Email and Phone Number

I work at RMIT 3 days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) and teach packaging as well as branding and illustration. I do not teach between mid November and early February and am open to full contract work during this period.

When I am not designing or teaching I write reviews for some of Melbourne's best events.

Creative direction, including concept development, brand strategy, copy writing and illustration

Member of a design team specialising in FMCG and branding and working on some high profile client projects. The role encompassed independent design concept generation and production as well as collaborative idea generation. I was also in charge of mentoring junior designers which I particularly enjoyed.

Member of head-office marketing team, Design and illustration for all national San Churro stores (interior signage, packaging, campaign, web, print and print management)

Over the last 12 years of professional experience I have gained an excellent understanding of the complex world that is graphic design and art direction. I am skilled in account management and work directly with clients and suppliers. I am frequently a part of large teams – this allows me to enjoy great brainstorming sessions and to benefit from the creative insight my co-workers have to offer. I have a very good understanding of graphic computer programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. In addition I have experience in printing processes, file preparation and print management, working with both local and international suppliers. Due to my illustration skills and a good understanding of the digital media I am experienced in creating strong analogue imagery and using it in a digital context. Creative processes and research are an integral part of my work, which is why I chose to complete a masters degree in visual communication design. This also greatly benefited my creative copy-writing skills.Through my tutoring work and various client briefings and presentations I have developed excellent public speaking skills. Privately I am a passionate dancer and cyclist. It is my strong belief that only a happy and balanced lifestyle can ensure excellence at work and a positive outlook when the pressure is high and deadlines loom.

During this period I was tutoring 2nd year design students on the subject of visual communication and idea development. This paper was project driven and deepened the students' understanding of the design process. My personal contribution to this paper was an additional focus on written and oral communication and the inclusion of a rationale writing work sheet into the course material.

I had an office space at Malarky Brand and Media and still occasionally work with them when suitable projects come up. So far we have co-operated on websites such as Kiwicar, NZ Bio and T-shirt designs for Big Air gym sports.

During my time at Moxie I worked with clients such as The Metservice of New Zealand, Career Services and Greater Wellington Transport. I worked on annual reports, ad campaigns and many other forms of media. One of the big advantages of working for Moxie was that I gained a good understanding of account management. I was able to develop a variety of skills, specifically Mac operation, illustration and layout work.