Craig Caron Email & Phone Number

London, Gb

I am currently the Design Lead for a SaaS product in the shipping/freight forwarding industry. This project involves transitioning the client's existing, in-house proprietary software into a user-friendly subscription app.My role is to provide guidance on all aspects of visual design, including the creation, application, and enhancement of UI/UX designs throughout the project.In my capacity as a UI/UX Consultant, I:• Create visually appealing and easy-to-use user interfaces to ensure final product is intuitive and beneficial to end-users.• Develop hi-fi interactive prototypes and lo-fi wireframes to convey design concepts and test interaction designs.• Establish a design system (typography, colour schemes, UI components) so that product vision and design strategy are adhered to as the product evolves.• Gather feedback from stakeholders and users.• Collaborate with Engineers to render design vision onto the existing product.• Plan and put into effect a product roadmap to revamp the existing app for the SaaS market.• Ensure UI designs comply with accessibility standards to make app usable for all users.• Conduct QA design reviews to verify that the final product matches the design vision and is free of UI-related bugs.• Translate real-world customer support queries into new app features and UX improvements.• Regularly consult with our trial enterprise customers to gather feedback and gain valuable customer insights while the app is still in development.• Monitor user behaviour and new feature adoption using Pendo, a product-analytics app.• Research competitors to clarify the USP for the finished app in the marketplace.• Write customer-facing documentation for the app. (This includes bridging the gap between the domain languages of the Business and Engineering halves of the business — and, where possible, utilising that domain language within the app itself.)

London, United Kingdom

I have managed creative projects such as branding, websites, advertising, print publications and epubs for clients ranging from starts-up to long-established names in the Entertainment, Legal and Financial sectors including:• Eficode• Volvo Canada• Nissan and Infiniti Canada• The West Egg Group of Companies (Gatsby Valet, Carraway)• Spafax London• SBG Growth• South Asian Bar Association of Ontario• INTECH Risk Management• Marani Law• ARTsies Inc.• Phable• Mundy Marketing Group• Moving EDGEucation• Unobstructed View (formerly VSC).

London, England, United Kingdom

As a senior member of the leadership team of this tech start-up, I am responsible for the company’s creative content, event portfolio and community vision.CONTENT CREATION & DESIGN:• Graphic design of all advertising, event materials, social media content, and company branding.• Video editing of recorded talks and event sizzle reels.• Front-end web design of conference websites.• Collaborate with C-level staff to develop investor materials.• Own, write, and edit all copy for company website, products, and corporate communications.• Write user stories and develop UX mock-ups for new platform features.COMMUNITY BUILDING:• Develop the engagement and growth strategy for community of 110,000 members.• Mobilise a team of global Community Managers, responsible for expanding community into new areas.• Advocate for our members as the “voice” of the end user internally to management and technical teams. EVENT PROGRAMMING & PARTNERSHIPS:• Oversee the curation and logistics of all in-person and online events for EU territory.• Develop relationships with Subject Matter Experts and Key Opinion Leaders. • Chair program committees to determine conference topics, speakers, and sessions.• Forge relationships with commercial partners in the pursuit of new business opportunities.• Devise new content streams to seed future audiences.KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:• Rebranded the company after acquisition by new owners.• YouTube growth: Increased average monthly New Viewers by 546%; and Returning Viewers by 271%.• Hired and coached a high-performing brand and marketing team.• Developed content strategy for social media, modelled on company’s brand pillars.• Managed, segmented, and tagged email mailing list of 110,000 contacts.• Transitioned organisation to HubSpot CRM Marketing Hub.• Increased representation of female speakers to 42% of all speakers in 2022 (from 8% in 2020).• Organised 6 content partnerships with third-party event organisers across 2021 and 2022.

Art Direction (Freelance)

An ongoing partnership with filmmaker Lina Rodriguez and producer Brad Deane on films produced under their Rayon Vert banner, including "Senoritas" (2013), "Mañana a esta hora" (2016), "Ante mis mojos" (2018), "Aquí y allá" (2019), "Mis dos voces" (2022) and "So Much Tenderness" (2022)Work includes:▪ Graphic Design for domestic and international marketing materials;▪ Motion design for film titles, credits and trailers.

Toronto

Since mid-2018, I've happily been working with this rapidly growing Toronto-based group. The West Egg Group is comprised of a portfolio of companies in the events, hospitality, parking, and technology sectors (Gatsby Valet, Carraway, S.T.A.C.S, and R.E.D. Staffing).I have been providing freelance design for the company's increased branding and marketing needs, including email communications, client-facing proposals, internal training materials, and Carraway Safety’s hugely successful re-launch of the City of Toronto's Crossing Guard programme

London, United Kingdom

• Branding (design and strategy) of 14 annual conferences, including Europe’s largest Android conference.• Sole designer handling the company’s digital design, print, and investor materials.• Managed B2B and B2C email marketing campaigns to targeted segments of 100,000+ customer base.KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:• Worked with CEO to modernise the 15-year-old brand without sacrificing existing brand recognition.• Built a Brand Microsite which provided access to assets (logos, fonts, swatches), enabling all staff to utilise the brand as a tool.• Developed the company’s first-ever Editorial Guidelines.• mplemented daily 'abandoned cart' email campaigns with a 31% conversion rate.

Toronto, Canada Area

Writer of the column FilmArt for tiff.net, which looks at how advertising, posters, lobby cards and other ephemera complement and enrich the filmgoing experience.

Tiff Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West

• Set the design agenda for TIFF, acting as brand guardian and lead designer.• Conceptualised, pitched and delivered advertising and creative campaigns, from concept through to delivery.• Ensured design consistency across channels including web, outdoor, motion design, social and direct mail.• Led and mentored a productive group of 10+ designers and editors within a deadline-driven environment.• Cultivated strong relationships between creative team and internal stakeholders.• Commissioned agencies, illustrators, and photographers, including on-set art direction.• Directed production of all marketing materials and publications including catalogues, magazines, brochures, and annual reports.• Developed mobile-friendly / tablet-friendly digital publications.• Liaised with suppliers and printers.KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:• Founded TIFF’s creative services department, then expanded it into a robust in-house agency.• 48% cost reduction of seasonal magazine via redesign, new vendor, and revamped production process.• Revitalised TIFF brand though ideation sessions with C-level team to define company values, and then created new brand guidelines.

Toronto, Ontario & Kitchener, Ontario

I handled the design and production needs for two repertory cinemas as well as a restaurant attached to one of the theatres.At the cinemas I streamlined print production processes for the management teams to mitigate the pressures caused by tight timing between film booking and press deadlines.Also created the branding, menus and site dressing for the launch of the Mercury Cafe which functions as a standalone restaurant and offers in-cinema service for the Apollo Cinema.