Jonathan Speir Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Greater Chicago Area

Greater Chicago Area

Greater Chicago Area

Greater Chicago Area

Chicago, Illinois

As Senior Art Director at Solid Digital (previously Usman Group), I lead website projects from start to completion. My involvement includes:• Initial planning stages, including discovery meetings, establishing user personas, and collaborating with client and team• Strategizing UX, creating wireframes, and designing site architecture• Providing creative direction to any junior designers and front-end developers contributing to the project, acting as point of contact for all final design decisions• Functioning as the main point of contact for the client, managing day-to-day status, presenting designs, responding to feedback, and offering solutions to potential challenges• Managing development process, ensuring project is completed on schedule and budget• Keeping a critical eye on project scope, looking for additional opportunities to complete projects efficiently and under budgetIn addition to leading successful website projects, my day-to-day activities include:• Collaborating with the team to create opportunities for additional business and revenue• Mentoring and providing creative direction to junior designers• Identifying opportunities to streamline process and efficiency during and following large projects

Greater Chicago Area

Chicago, Il

Together with my wife, Whitney, I design for and manage an award-winning design firm specializing in stationery for special events. Since 1998, we’ve worked with hundreds of clients, including engaged couples, wedding planners, small business owners, and corporate entities. Our work has been recognized in several industry books, magazines, and blogs. As founder, I wear many hats, including creative director, project manager, in-house marketer, copywriter, sales rep, bookkeeper, production artist, and janitor. Each individual project brings new challenges and exciting opportunities for pushing the boundaries.Responsibilities and accomplishments include:• Promoting our services online and in person at trade shows and networking events• Meeting with individual clients throughout a project and serving as their direct point of contact• Researching, sourcing, and selecting materials and vendors• Sourcing environmentally-friendly materials and vendors for clients with specific requests• Setting and strictly adhering to set timelines• Pre-press production for a variety of different print processes (digital, offset, letterpress, and engraving) and rigorous quality control• Reaching out to industry leaders, bloggers, and magazine editors to promote our work• Designing a variety of projects, including invitations, stationery packages, print advertisements, websites, corporate identities, promotional pieces, business cards, and more.

As a designer on the Global Creative Services team, I help support all different markets Active Network serves. Our team is where research, strategy, and creative thinking come together and marketing vision comes to life.As a Senior Graphic Designer on the team I have helped in:• Creative council and direction• Print collateral such as brochures, flyers, booklets, etc.• Advertising concepts and materials• Tradeshow and large format creative such as event booths, backdrops, signage, etc.• Print production and vendor coordination• Apparel design• Environmental design

As a Web and Interactive Designer on the Online Marketing Team, my responsibilities included:• Creating Flash and After Effects-based modules and videos for B2B sites designed to inform and convert• Leading a variety of promotional and advertorial video projects, including script writing, voice talent sourcing, directing the composition of music, and producing the final video. • Leading and collaborating site redesigns for several of Active’s markets• Split testing landing pages, forms, and high-volume sites• Leading minor and major design updates based on user results

As Graphic Designer and then Art Director for 3dB Creative, I collaborated on and designed for multiple campaigns promoting industry-leading professional audio and music brands, including Neve, Mackie, Stanton, and Native Instruments. This role combined heavy collaboration and independent thinking to find creative solutions for clients’ needs. I worked closely with clients and team members to adhere to timelines and client budgets. Projects included:• Conceptualizing campaign concepts together with clients and team• Designing corporate identities, websites, advertorial campaigns, and packaging

Designed interactive flash websites in a team environment. Worked closely with Creative Director to create fresh and exciting designs while working closely also with the development team and staying abreast of new technology. Clients included the IACA, LVI, Hornbrook Group and several premier cosmetic dentists and surgeons across the globe. Used all available technology including Flash, HTML and Action Scripting.

Worked in a small design group and designed a wide range of projects as a team, including catalogs, brochures, folders, stationery packages and packaging. Also designed projects on my own from concept to completion. Included in these projects were additional design services, such as color correction, assistance in photo shoots and press runs. I also met with and assisted clients in making decisions on paper stock, ink color and design options.

Designed a variety of work for the printed page and web. Worked in coordination with clients such as Motorola, Stant and Filtran and others to produce brochures, advertisements, training guides, illustrations and websites, including web buttons and banner ads. Designed on both Macintosh and PC platforms.