Holle’s Resume

I understand strategy, art, communication, and business—and I always approach every project as an opportunity. With exceptional collaborative and interpersonal skills, I am ruthless in pursuing excellence and growing as a designer.

Holle’s Resume

Lead Graphic Designer – Brunswick Corporation – Mettawa, IL

January 2020 – Present

Graphic designer for new internal creative agency, saving the Brunswick boat brand’s nearly half-million dollars in six months (customarily spent at outside agencies). Designing for high-end luxury Sea Ray as well as Bayliner (both domestic and international). Logo re-design for two boat brands (Heyday and LOWE), Lund Boats new sister product launch (Revo, Summer 2021). Lastly, Brunswick’s Business Acceleration e-commerce site, Boateka.com  – entire branding package and design. Multiple online/digital marketing campaigns; Sea Ray Sundancer new 2021 model launch concept/art direction for video; 2021 Bayliner catalog design.

Creative Director / Owner – Holle Inc. – Oak Park, IL

December 2001 – December 2019

Created strategic communication solutions for a wide variety of businesses and organizations. Exercised extensive knowledge in marketing and business communication bringing over eighty returning clients through the doors in eighteen years. All graphic design goals and design objectives were executed successfully and always on time. Managed an average of $100k in annual revenue functioning as owner/creative director.

Senior Designer – Giant Step (acquired by Leo Burnett, Publicis) – Chicago, IL

March 2000 – December 2001

Interactive designer, and award-winner, for the Vidal Sassoon website, developed while with Giant Step (a pioneer in the digital agency space during the dot-com era). Also worked alongside Tim Irvine redesigning Pella Windows and Jenn-Air Home Appliance’s websites.

Senior Designer – Pivot Design – Chicago, IL

January 1998 – March 2000

Developed branding materials, created logos, brand identity, and overall business collateral for various businesses. Art directed photo-shoots with Tom Mayday for (California construction barricade, and Maya Romanoff wallpaper book). Met with then President, Henry S. Bienen, of Northwestern University for Alumni Magazine redesign, as well as Notre Dames’ MBA department for the admin catalog. Also functioned as designer for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital annual report (Pivot’s first, for then Children’s Memorial).

Designer – Liska and Associates – Chicago, IL

January 1995 – January 1998

Designed and developed various Spiegel concept catalogs – ‘Elements’ went to press and the concept composite paved the wave for art direction on all photo shoots. Logo concepts and designs were created for Marwen Foundation, Learning Curve Toys, and Reptile Artist Agent. Designed the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival poster for Facets Multimedia, involving renowned photographer William Wegman’s photography.

Awards

• Awarded Excellence in Design, Concordia University

• British Design & Art Direction

• American Corporate Identity

• Creativity International Awards

• Chicago Award Annual

• CASE Awards

Expert Proficiency in the Adobe Suite

• InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat DC,

• Basic Microsoft Word and PowerPoint skills

• Experience with Wrike – project management tool

• High-level experience with WordPress content management

• Social media marketing proficiency (Google ads display, Facebook, etc)

Soft Skills

• High-standards for excellence and precision

• Spearheading difficult conversations diplomatically

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic

• Fostering long-term relationships

Accolades

“Holle is a fabulous designer – clean, consistent, always adding value. She is patient with multiple go-arounds and quick! She has a sense of humor, is warm, and seems to actually like her clients personally (or is very, very good at faking it!) She is quick to understand our key communication points and works to amplify them by clever editing and/or highlighting graphically.”

“Quick delivery of multiple solutions to select from,  good iterative process, and affordable!”

“Holle is creative and has an excellent sense of style. Holle is responsive and customer-oriented. She gets it. Holle is execution-oriented and gets things done in a timely manner.”

“Prompt. Friendly. Great at hearing and translating the client’s vision!”

“Fabulously talented designer! Holle understands her client’s needs. She is super fast and responsive. Great at both concepts and execution!”

“Incredibly talented, responsive, strategic, smart, professional, would recommend or hire her for any job any time and know it will be awesome.”

“When working with Holle, you feel that you have 100% of her attention – that she is really focused on the project at hand regardless of how many other projects she is simultaneously working on. She anticipates your needs before you do. Her commitment to the community around her makes it seem like her business shares her life philosophy – she really is trying to make the world a better place through good design. Holle=Integrity.”

“Holle is not only extremely talented as a Designer (note the capital D) but an effective mentor to junior staff. Holle provides a thoughtful, strategic perspective for brand-driven work while generating concepts and forms that look and feel fresh and inventive.”

“Holle is simply the best. She’s an amazing designer and a joy to work with. She was my first Creative Director and probably influenced me the most in my 10+ of designing. The only bad thing about working with Holle is when it ends. No one else measures up.”

“It is so important that our graphic work represents our business in the best and most beautiful way possible, and we have not been disappointed with Holle Inc.! I get kudos for my business cards every time I hand them out. Thank you!”

“Holle is able to translate complex topics into design. She is flexible, attentive, and responsive.”

Notable Work

The Nueva School: Established a brand strategy for The Nueva School in California. Projects included quarterly journals, annual reports, environmental exhibits, conference materials, galas, and special events. Notable was their 50th-anniversary campaign raising over one million dollars for the school.

Main Street Advisors: Conceptualized e-commerce site with marketing materials for small banks. Brochures, market reviews, and ppt presentations included. Site programmed by Orbit Media, Chicago. MSAMarketingTools.com became a new revenue stream for Main Street.

Right At School: Branding for a start-up before- and after-school organization that is now nationally recognized. Logo, brand style guide, collateral, website, environment graphics, banners, and signage. Named to Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies (for the third consecutive year).

Frank Lloyd Wright Trust: Three website designs including Teaching by Design, Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan, and Travel Wright. Teaching by Design involved the launch of a new logo and overall brand development.