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Christian Smith
Art Director / Graphic Design / Web Design / UI, UX Dev / Management
Based in San Diego, California
Voice: 619-764-8072 • Email • LinkedIn • Resume/CV

A creative design professional with a unique skill set that spans multiple disciplines for a diverse range of clients.

Summary

Highly skilled and versatile creative professional with extensive experience in graphic design, art direction, and marketing strategy.

 

A proven ability to deliver innovative and impactful solutions across diverse client projects and industries, from branding and packaging to web development and social media campaigns.

 

Seeking to leverage my expertise in a challenging design and marketing role.

Professional Experience

Art Director | JobElephant Recruitment Advertising Agency | San Diego, CA | Oct. 2016 - Present

  • Drove 300% revenue growth ($7M-$28M) through strategic sales deck design and content which secured 10+ clients annually with a 90% RFP win rate.

  • Led a design team, delivering 50+ daily web/print ads for 1000s of clients with 98% on-time and on-budget delivery.

  • Migrated 210 websites to WordPress with WCAG compliance, reducing errors by 20%, automating processes to save 15+ hours weekly, and generating a $2M+ passive budget.

  • Developed an integrated customer portal, (React/Java, WordPress, File Maker, CRM) reducing support tickets by 30%.

  • Increased candidate applications by 40% and social engagement by 25% through targeted social media campaigns and content automation.

  • Led a company rebranding initiative, resulting in a 35% increase in brand awareness.

  • Increased conversion rates by 20% through the creation of compelling marketing content and execution of digital campaigns.

  • Scaled design and production through automation, reducing turnaround time by 18%.

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Creative Services Manager | ACON Laboratories | San Diego, CA | Jun. 2014 - Oct. 2016

  • Successfully launched 10 regulated products (CPG, medical devices) with 100% FDA/USDA/EU compliance and on-time market entry.

  • Drove a 25% increase in website traffic through strategic design, coding, and art direction of the US blood glucose meter website and contributions to the international site.

  • Streamlined regulatory review, reducing packaging and labeling review time by 15% through meticulous print production and preparation.

  • Expanded market reach by 30% by developing new veterinary product marketing lines with consistent branding across all channels.

  • Increased direct-to-consumer sales by 20% by repositioning the company to include US consumer retail through strategic rebranding and website launch.

  • Improved design team productivity by 20% with effective management of on-site and freelance graphic designers.

  • Boosted project efficiency, reducing delays by 15% and improving volume tracking by 10% with implementation of a project tracking system.

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Graphic/Multimedia Designer | Mental Health Systems | San Diego, CA | Sept. 2008 - Jun. 2014

  • Rebranded a 1000-employee company across 90 behavioral health programs in 9 months, increasing brand recognition by 20%.

  • Created print marketing for 90+ programs, boosting enrollment by 15%.

  • Increased website traffic by 25%, and email open rates by 18% via Drupal/HTML Eblast campaigns.

  • Increased trade show booth traffic by 30% with new materials.

  • Reduced vendor costs by 10% through optimized management.

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Graphic Designer | Interactivate, Inc. Advertising Agency | San Diego, CA | Oct. 2006 - Sept. 2008

  • Launched 20 housing community marketing campaigns (brochures, omni channel) in 3 months, driving a 15% increase in lead generation.

  • Directed high-volume print production, including brochures, ads, logos, and signage, ensuring 99% on-time delivery.

  • Increased website traffic by 20% and sales leads via billboard and direct mail campaigns.

  • Maintained brand consistency with comprehensive style guides, reducing brand deviation errors by 25%.

  • Implemented a digital archival system (Retrospect), improving data retrieval time by 30% and managing IT vendor relations.

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Production Manager | Bulldog Drummond Advertising Agency | San Diego, CA | Feb. 2000 - Oct. 2006

  • Executed a multinational Virgin advertising campaign (400+ in-store displays, 50 monthly ads), achieving a 12% increase in in-store traffic.

  • Improved retail catalog production efficiency by 20% through workflow enhancements, ensuring 99% on-time delivery.

  • Enhanced shelf appeal for ConocoPhillips marketing materials, resulting in a 15% increase in product visibility.

  • Reduced project delays by 10% through advanced project management, ensuring consistent quality and timely deliverables.

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Contract Roles

Packaging Graphic Designer - Contract Role | Exagen, Inc. Biotech Diagnostics | San Diego, CA | May 2016  - Oct. 2016

  • Designed compliant packaging/labeling for new autoimmune CTD diagnostics (FDA), boosting product launch success by 18%.

  • Created regulatory-compliant sales/marketing materials, improving patient instruction clarity by 20%.

  • Redesigned flagship product packaging, enhancing shelf appeal by 15% while maintaining FDA compliance.

  • Increased customer engagement by 25% via compelling marketing collateral for product launches.

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Senior Graphic Designer - Contract Role | Directed Electronics, Automotive | Vista, CA | Mar. 2008  - Sept. 2009

  • Increased point-of-purchase sales by 15% through the design of impactful materials for top automotive security systems manufacturers.

  • Enhanced brand visibility at trade shows by 20% via compelling Sirius Satellite Radio packaging and collateral.

  • Delivered 100+ high-quality product/model photos, reducing asset turnaround time by 10%.

  • Improved vendor negotiation savings and streamlined project coordination between engineering and marketing teams, reducing project timeline delays.

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Graphic Designer - Contract Role | LPL Financial, Brokerage Financial Products  | Jan. 2008  - Mar. 2008

  • Rebranded marketing for the largest investment advisory firm, reaching thousands, resulting in a 15% increase in brand consistency scores.

  • Boosted project delivery efficiency by 20% through cross-functional team collaboration.

  • Ensured on-time project delivery through collaborative production schedule development with product management.

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Technology Skills

Extensive experience on both PC and Mac Platforms

Graphic Design: Graphic Design, UI/UX Development, Art Direction, Omni Channel, Web & Print Production, Packaging Design

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Software: Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Muse, etc.), Affinity Designer, Publisher & Photo, QuarkXpress, HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Google Suite (Ads, Analytics, Docs, etc.), Matomo, Figma, InVision, Miro, Prezi, Constant Contact, Canva, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint - Advanced Certified), ChatGPT, Gemini

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Content Management Systems: WordPress, Infinite WordPress Multi-Site Maintenance, Drupal

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Marketing & Social Media: Social media advertising (Facebook Ads, X Ads, LinkedIn, GoogleAds), Content Creation and Creative Writing, Branding & Rebranding, Digital Ad Campaigns Management, Presentation Decks, Digital Asset Management (DAM)

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Management: Team Leadership, Project Management, Client Relations, Budget Management & Vendor Management

Photography: Brand Photography & Product Photography, Photoshoot Management & Styling, Retouching

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Education

Anglia Ruskin University - B.A. Honors Graphic Arts

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, U.K.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A. Honors) Graphic Arts, Graduated: First (Top Honors) Major - Graphic Design, Minor - Illustration

GPA: 4.0

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Web Site Design Examples

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210 WordPress job boards - Example:

 

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