Hillary Van Austen-Nolan
Van Austen Creative
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Summary of Qualifications

An accomplished designer and art director with a broad range of creative skills including design and development, illustration, animation, and photography. Experienced in the creation and development of merchandising/sales and marketing materials, product development, project and people management. Skilled on Mac and PC platforms in Photoshop, Quark, Illustrator, Freehand, Flash, Word, and Acrobat. Knowledge of Dreamweaver, ImageReady, Fireworks, HTML, Excel and FileMaker. 

VAN AUSTEN CREATIVE, SAN LEANDRO, CA   2002 - Present

Designer/Art Director

• Manage a full-service design, illustration, and multimedia communication company.

• Deliver innovative, effective, and visually stunning products of the highest quality to my clients and vendors.

• Produce award-winning advertising for my clients (Addy Awards 2003).

MDC VACUUM PRODUCTS CORPORATION, Hayward, CA 2001 – 2002

Senior Graphic Designer

• Develop full color product catalogs for print and web. Duties include design and layout, creating/revising technical drawings, photo manipulation, and managing product photography. Collaborate with marketing director and web programmer to develop, compile, and update content for web site and intranet.
  
  
• Design, layout, and prepare for output a variety of marketing and product support items including: corporate newsletters, departmental/corporate presentations, CD-ROM catalogs, magazine ads, direct mailers, trade show graphics, technical bulletins, instructional manuals, and product graphics.

WINTERLAND PRODUCTIONS, San Leandro, CA 1999 - 2000

Senior Graphic Designer

• Collaborated with art director and merchandisers to concept and design apparel and product graphics for entertainment licenses and inhouse lines. Researched marketplace trends, generated project estimates and developed multiple projects and product lines within constraints of time and budget.



• Designed and created a variety of marketing materials and product presentations for print, interactive CD-ROMs and interactive PDF presentations. Spearheaded the company's first database driven catalog.



• Assumed responsibility as art director in their absence. Trained artists in methods, techniques, and digital file organization methods.

WILD BRYDE JEWELRY, El Sobrante, CA 1996 - 1999

Lead Designer/Art Director

• Managed three areas: marketing materials, custom, and product development. Collaborated with marketing and manufacturing to plan, organize and execute projects. Supervised in-house staff of two designers and a production artist; art-directed production and assembly; coordinated the activities of outside artists and vendors.



• Responsible for the planning and implementation of art department goals and projects. Successfully planned and produced six programs to meet the year’s goals. Each program included a new jewelry line of approximately sixty-plus new designs, wholesale and retail catalogs, price list, ad-slick, full color retail poster, magazine and newspaper advertising, product packaging and P.O.P displays. Produced the company’s first full-color catalog.



• Designed product and marketing materials from initial concept-and-design phase to completion. Worked directly with clients on their custom projects.
 

DAVIS LIQUID CRYSTAL, INC., San Leandro, CA 1992 - 1996

Art Director/Designer

• Managed the creative and product development departments. Collaborated with marketing and manufacturing to plan, organize and execute projects. Supervised one full-time employee and a number of outside artists and vendors.



• Responsible for the production of marketing materials, product packaging, new products and the product development program. Managed multiple projects from concept and design through development for production. 

DAKIN, INC., San Francisco, CA 1990 - 1991

Special Projects Designer

• Designed and constructed high-end prototype toys and gifts for overseas manufacturing, including large, plush stuffed animals, collector dolls, and toys, mobiles and musicals for the BabyThings™ line.



• Responsible for product development/evaluation, subcontractor supervision, material acquisition, pattern development and cost analysis.



• Produced in excess of 20 costume prototypes for the Ginny doll series for overseas manufacturers.



• Worked on licensed products including prototypes of Walt Disney collectors’ edition of Beauty and the Beast, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.’s Garfield®, and Famous Amos’ plush Cookie dolls. 
  

FREELANCE & CONTRACT DESIGN

• BOSTONREED.COM: Designer, creator and art director for web graphics and printed materials including corporate identity package, catalog illustration, advertisments, tradeshow graphics.



• SAFEWAY ADVERTISING and PRODUCTION DIVISION: Designed ads, posters, brochures, various collateral, and created product illustrations. Assisted art director and senior designers on special assignments.



• DIRECT IMAGES: Assisted Art Director in interactive CD-ROM layouts as "Quark Specialist" putting finishing touches on navigational and informational graphics and text. Managed prepress CD-ROM construction for Acrobat conversion.



• EASON COMMUNICATIONS: Created concepts, designed and illustrated advertising and marketing materials (newsletters, brochures, catalogs, mailers, advertisements and tradeshow materials). Orchestrated projects, collaborated with clients, marketing and vendors from concept to finish.



• AIRLINERS MAGAZINE: Conceived layout designs and created spreads, graphics and logos.



• FISHER PRICE TOY COMPANY: Developed prototype toy design and constructed the model.



• SAN FRANCISCO MUSIC BOX COMPANY: Designed and developed animated music boxes and water globes for overseas manufacturing.



• TUPPERWARE--CHILDRENS DIVISION: Designed and created three-dimensional prototype models for a line of children’s light-switch plates.
  
  
• LORIMAR TELEPICTURES: Designed, constructed and animated stop-motion working models, props, and sets for the internationally-syndicated GUMBY television series (2-year project).



• WILL VINTON PRODUCTIONS: Assisted in animation, designed and built clay models and props used in a nationally-televised NIKE commercial and Will Vinton’s Festival of Claymation.

BA, Visual Design, minor in Architectural Studies -- University of Oregon

Wax and design classes -- The Revere Academy