Experience

2022 — 2023, NICOLEHOLLIS

Being half of a two-person graphics department, I managed my time amongst multiple disciplines at an elite interior design studio. My taking ownership of the Instagram grew the follower base by 33% in my first year, from 86K to 123K overall. The luxury brand was developed and maintained across all internal documents, public presentations and various media in print, digital, web and video. I edited their largest project’s video (currently on their homepage), unreleased projects and animated reels. I conducted internal photoshoots and helped style interiors. I responded to press features by designing social media assets in a timely manner and curated portfolios for prospective clients.

2014 — present, MYYTH

Founded an independent multi-disciplinary studio practice. Observing trends in modern art, I mastered ceramics to uncover exciting new forms of sculpture. I developed works which caught the attention of established art-world denizens. I remain committed to artful expression that lifts the human spirit and opens the mind.

2015 — present, Freelance Designer

Created websites and brands for small businesses; Taking them from initial concept, to delivery of final assets on budget and on time.

2015 — 2022, The Potters’ Studio

I oversaw the operation of a ceramics studio with over 260 members and students. Trained staff and members on equipment including firing both manual and computer controlled gas and electric kilns. I maintained and repaired those kilns and other equipment including a one-ton hydraulic lift. I championed the studio’s commitment to ecological sustainability by establishing their clay recycling program by designing and proposing a pugmill/filter-press system. Oversaw Hazardous Chemical Health & Safety standards of the glaze chemicals lab and entire studio, while annually reporting to municipal authorities. Built studio improvements with limited assistance such as wedging tables, storage furniture, maximized floor-plan, and designed indoor electric kiln ventilation systems. Re-designed website, setup holiday online store and coordinated classes and billing.

2012 — 2014, Brandlogic (now Tenet Partners)

As a designer, I managed my time amongst multiple projects in a fast paced organization. I adhered to strict file organization and brand guidelines on every job. My tasks ranged from complex typographic layouts, to original creative initiatives such as print/video ads, infographic illustration and brand identity concepts. Collaborating with the team, we’d routinely meet the high standards and provide guidance to prestigious brands like IBM, NYU, Institute of Culinary Arts, Smithsonian Institute etc.

International Festival of Arts and Ideas; Marketing Coordinator; Summer 2012

As marketing coordinator, I created collateral to promote the festival for thousands of people. Designed print and web ads. In my spare time I used Linux to develop a custom font of icons and symbols for their maps and signage.

2011 — 2012, Elements Design

Junior position in a boutique agency creating concepts for brand identities, producing annual reports, website wireframes, e-mail marketing and packaging.

2010, co:lab

Interned at a leading Hartford community/nonprofit focused strategy & design firm.

Instagram Marketing

Social media campaign planning

With a vast image library at my disposal, I would plan the Instagram marketing Feed on a monthly basis. This is how I would propose the Feed to the Principal and then caption and execute all the posts.

Systematized PR

I designed a system to unify all the various press about the firm in the brand’s look and feel. This elevated the firm’s achievements on Instagram.

Photography

I am skilled and equipped to generate functional product photography. All the photography in the MYYTH portfolio was done in-house. Particularly interesting are the Gums as they are life-size. Their tiny scale required a macro lens, and careful studio conditions to capture their impeccable craft.

Below are material palettes I composed into visually pleasing mood-boards. I took the exposures and developed them in Lightroom for @nicolehollissf.

Video

I designed and produced this video as a surprise for NICOLEHOLLIS to celebrate the firm’s twentieth anniversary.

Please enjoy in full-screen with good audio.
(It’s worth the six minutes.)

Reels

Click on the images to view on Instagram.

This animated reel publicly celebrates the NICOLEHOLLIS’ 20 year anniversary.

This is a fun personal video one of the charring process for a birch table that I crafted for my friend. (explicit lyrics) MYYTH furniture

Branding

Creating a successful brand is uncovering the personality and truths of an existing entity, and marrying it with a vision of their future. Here’s a few brands which I developed.

This client provides small rural medical centers with supportive services such as equipment rental, staffing sourcing and scheduling, server and data management among other sorts of logistical solutions. This exemplifies a branding process from the client’s brief to brainstorming, sketches, studies and designing a brand’s look and feel.

I designed for IBM as a Jr. Designer while at Brandlogic, selecting photography, laying out type in their brand templates and creating original info-graphics and illustrations to visually explain advanced concepts in the articles.

Hector’s Everything Brand Process

This freelance project is a complete branding process. I was approached with a product and some understanding of it’s market. I designed and delivered a visually outstanding fertilizer brand that emphasizes its simplicity and effectiveness.

Brand Pitch Presentation

Hector loved it and felt I understood his clientele. I executed the idea presented using Matisse’s cut paper technique. I was able to quickly prototype aquatic plant shapes and scan them into vector format. Using the latest Illustrator gradient tools, I quickly gave the flat shapes depth and vibrancy. The packaging stands head and shoulders apart from its competitors. Shop keepers enthusiastically display it at their checkouts!

Photography

I managed photo/video shoots of Hector and his thriving aquariums for his online presence.

Proposed Potters’ Studio brand

This re-brand intends to take a hobbyist pottery community to the next level. While its members enjoy forming with clay, the studio provides a clean and organized space for a large community to enjoy this pass-time safely. The real value of the business is identified as the structure and platform for amateur potters to create. The studio is kept clean, clay and glazes formulated, maintained, and kilns stacked and fired by staff.

Accomplishments

A private collector commissioned me to create a planter for their king ficus in the expressionist style of the father of American clay revolution, Peter Voulkos.