Melissa Dowell Email & Phone Number

Self-started company for stainless steel barbecue skewers housewares line. Designed, prototyped & coordinated with overseas factories to produce skewers and packaging. Received 200% over target goal through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Created all initial identity, as well as accompanying merchandise and first-run packaging. Managed a team of designers, writers and shipping assistants for retail development and fulfillment. Began sales online in own store and grew to obtain wholesales accounts with multiple e-commerce/retail stores.

New York, Ny, Us

New York, New York, Us

Seattle, Wa, Us

Awarded Master of Science for Human-Centered Design & Engineering. Focused on Accessibility and Sustainability in design.

Irving, Texas, Us

Irving, Texas, Us

• Lead UX designer for web and mobile applications, creating low-fidelity wireframes and clickable prototypes.• Work directly with engineers, developers and stakeholders, for both client and in-house projects.• Own project responsibility, including enterprise software (web/mobile applications), focusing on integrating AI/machine learning, predictive maintenance, IoT devices and sensors, and C2M data visualization platform.

Satellite Beach, Florida, Us

Self employed design agency. Provides promotional branding, front-end website design, Wordpress/Expression Engine development, HTML/CSS/Javascript freelance work for companies such as MakerBot, Myriad Supply, Bullish Conference, Binder Conference, Glass Houses Press, Nerve.com, N plus 1, RPM Group, Techno Source USA, Technical Pro.

• Managed a small team consisting of a developer, designer and QA tech to create a new multi-user site on ExpressionEngine CMS for Dr. Sketchy’s, under a strict deadline.• Served as architect for the new site build, importing 100+ blog entries and photos into albums, building front-end coding and carrying out eventual on-boarding of users.• Oversaw and upgraded company’s website, while hiring and managing local contractors and employees.• Acted as Director (NYC branch) for four years, leading a small team in executing public and private events; served additionally as PR and sponsorship liaison with brands and museums.

Brooklyn, Ny, Us

• Designed production artwork, packaging, and technical drawings; worked across all product lines, including baby and children's products under HipsterKid, novelty toys, and cosmetic goods under Unicorn Snot.• Researched new product opportunities, trend analyses, and original concepts, to expand product lines; took lead on presenting updates regularly to CEO and product department.• Crafted prototypes for new product development by conducting user testing with prototypes, analyzing and presenting feedback, using survey results and focus groups.• Communicated with overseas factories on new product prototypes and production samples; researched and sourced new factories, and visited established factories in China and Taiwan; attended Hong Kong Expo and Canton Fair to meet with factory reps.• Owned responsibility for all product testing with third-party laboratories, ensuring new and existing products complied with US and international standards.• Served as leader for conveying key production timeline milestones for all aspects of development and testing, while maintaining deliverable dates.

Silkscreen production services, website design, color separation and digital print production, bookkeeping and invoicing, studio scheduling and monitoring. Taught basic and intermediate silkscreen classes for textile printing, 2-colour paper printing, creating and printing with handmade pigments and inks, as well as hands-on one-on-one workshops.

Assistant who covered day-to-day scheduling, in charge of keeping all projects on schedule. Project managed two successful Kickstarters from the initial planning to execution of the project to fulfilling all backer pledges. Light design work creating and maintaining portfolios, updating the website. Built e-commerce store on Wordpress with Shipstation backend for in-house fulfillment of all product sales. Responsible for interns, hiring and managing contractors and training freelancers and artist assistants in a variety of fields. Wrote press releases, created e-books, performed minor editing, ran a bi-monthly mailing list, updated the website with all blog posts. Bookkeeping and financial management, working with the accountant.

Master Of Science - Ms, Human Centered Design & Engineering

Ui/Ux Design

Bachelor Of Fine Arts (Bfa), Illustration