The Fancy Cryptid is the business umbrella for visual artist and storyteller, Jess Schultz. Work includes story development for indie authors, comic book artists, professional fanfiction writers (who are supported by their fans through Patreon), and tabletop and RPG game designers. Notable projects are shared below.Sartorial Geek MagazineDeveloped an illustration to accompany an article “listicle” about fantasy and sci-fi movie soundtracks from the 1980s. Artwork (done in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator) tied the visual elements together and was a huge visual aid drawing interest and attention to the article.Documentary Art - Looking for LeiaBackground: Looking For Leia is a 6 part docuseries about Star Wars. Specifically, on the impact Carrie Fisher had on women and femme-identifying Star Wars fans. It aired on SyFy Channel in 2020.Created art assets in InDesign for the 6-part documentary, Looking For Leia. Worked with the dual art director-motion designer and director to develop the illustrations in a way that would make them easiest to animate once incorporated into After Effects and then Premier Editor.Tabletop Game Worldbuilding/ArtBackground: Dungeons and Dragons is a global franchise and popular tabletop game, wherein players set up multi-week campaigns that are led by a “Dungeon Master.” Game enthusiasts will often commission artists to create artwork and visual assets to accompany their game.Created maps for Dungeon Master’s (DM’s) homebrew campaign, using DM’s rough sketches. Worked with the client to refine ideas into a workable and logical digital map. Developed an illustrated physical book or “chronicle,” for campaign that noted major changes, such as a significant backstory reveal. Utilized traditional india ink and calligraphy pen for chronicle book, which included a hand illustrated map. “Pandora” WebcomicCo-wrote webcomic script and 5 characters with a longtime collaborator over 2014-2018, for an average of 8-10 hours per week.

Shive-Hattery is an award-winning design firm with over 100 years of experience in architecture, engineering, and interior design, all culminating to create spaces that both delight and inspire those who enter them. The work below took place at the Chicago office, which has 32 staff supporting clients in medical research, B2C mobile applications, and shared spaces like public parks. EXPERIENTIAL DESIGNERAct as lead experiential designer, conceptualizing and designing for the integration of brand, physical, experiential, and space planning aspects on projects for global clients in the B2B and B2C space. Work within highly collaborative teams of 5-7 professionals, each with a specific area of expertise, including project managers, interior designers, mechanical engineers, architects, etc.Lead visual problem solver, utilizing rapid sketching to translate concepts and ideas into implementable designs and features that delight and inspire. Build out sketches and concepts into Adobe Creative Suite products and other 2D and 3D modeling software, formulating specifications to be used by general contractors, engineers, etc. Create solutions within budget constraints of $10K - $300k for own projects, under an umbrella of $100K-2M overall fees per project.Act as lead client contact for 15-20 projects each year.DESIGN APPROACHConceptualize and produce work on both a macro and micro scale, effortlessly moving from large spatial challenges to designing small and specific artifacts.Formulate new experiential spaces using color, shape, typography, saturation, size, and other artistic design elements. Final spaces and solutions inspire delight within the space habitants, without being overly designed.Design solutions that embody the brand of clients, including ethos, messaging, and visual attributes. Dive deeply into the client's brand, customer journey, staff, and history to develop spaces with high brand integrity.

EXPERIENTIAL DESIGNDesigned and developed project presentations for prospective and current clients, which included plan diagrams, elevations, and additional 2D/3D representation. Hired originally for visual digital design projects only. Saw need for experiential graphic designer within the Chicago office and went on to successfully pitch and land the creation of this role. Interfaced with subject matter professionals within the firm, building collaboration and rapport. This effort led to a more cohesive office culture, as well as improved brainstorm meetings.Sketched and digitally rendered design concepts and ideas, using rapid digital prototyping to share specific ideas and options with clients. Utilized deep knowledge of production processes (structural engineering, museum design, etc.) to determine the feasibility and timeline of projects.Explored new and emerging design methodologies to develop skills, as well as learning creative processes and approaches from established mediums to continuously improve skill set. This effort led to cross-pollination from different industries and niches, often translating a specific solution across academia and the for-profit space. CLIENT PITCHING & PROPOSALSOverhauled proposal template, developing a document that utilizes a magazine-like or editorial style. Incorporated stories and interviews, leading to an increase in successful pitches, with clients specifically attributing their selection of the firm to the proposal. Lead designer on 10-12 pitches per month.Created microsite proposals for dream clients, designing a digital ecosystem that positioned Shive-Hattery as the best design firm for their future projects. Worked closely with specific architects on these projects, collaborating on proposals that utilized the full breadth and depth of the creative team.

Heritage Magazine was a reimagining of the Grace College yearbook, sharing the stories, opinions, andaccomplishments of 1,773 students.CREATIVE DIRECTIONStepped into the role of Co-Creative Director, leading a team of ~20 student staff (writers, photographers, graphic designers, etc.) to develop a 50-page magazine that was a new interpretation of a collegiate yearbook. Fostered a space of creative collaboration, leading team members to communicate, develop, and execute on artistic concepts, including photoshoots, written articles, etc. Fostered the creativity of each team member, while also ensuring work contributed and supported the overarching design ethos of this work.EDITORIAL DESIGNDesigned layouts for final work utilizing Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, completing own projects while also mentoring junior staffers.Developed look and feel of final product, which included analyzing and selecting paper weight, finish, print type, etc.

Grace College of Art Student Activities Department supports all student clubs, events, and activities on-campus. ACTIVITIES ADVERTISINGConcepted and created promotional collateral for student leaders to use within their organizations and to share their events.