What I Offer
I have been given many titles, as listed below, but what I do for my clients and customers is a blending of all of them. I offer all my talents and services to accomplish what is needed for the project, assignment, task willingly. I look ahead constantly to predict what will be needed, and how to get it done, before the need escalates. Leveraging a brand and extending it into facilities or properties is only a small part of experiential design. Blending the clients culture, personality, anticipating all customer touch points and the brand promise throughout all physical or printed forms defines a experiential brand evangelist the role I pursue.
Professional Experience
MBH Architects, Alameda, Environmental Graphic Design Manager / May 2022 - February 2023 (Furloughed)
Management of a small internal team of graphic designers and architects, working specifically in the EGD arena, for specific brand/client. Oversaw the following; individual workloads, project budgets, project management, client presentations, all awhile being a mentor to the team to educate them on the various EGD challenges and opportunities that each project presents. Secondly to promote and develop the EGD design services offerings for existing and external clients.
AdArt, San Francisco, Sr. Art Director / November 2016 - Present
Day to day my responsibilities shift from creative support for the Sales division in concept development, RFP images, 2D Layouts, 3D models, interactive/motion graphics for digital signage applications, for Architectural, Custom, and Digital signage needs. My secondary role is one of holistic marketing review and development for the entire company covering seven offices.
E2K Events X Entertainment., Mountain View, Freelance Environmental Designer / May 2017 – July 2017
OZY FEST 2017, Central Park, NY, NY Event Date 7/22/17
Worked remotely to aid the internal team to help develop the attendee journey through the venue space, and produce pre-event structure renderings, and produce production templates for all signage/structures to be fabricated. The client had an in-house designer developing the event identity and would be responsible to applying it to the proposed signage program.
E2K Events X Entertainment., Mountain View, Freelance Environmental Designer / July 2016 – August 2016
As the Environmental Graphic Designer, I was asked to recommend all possible branding/signage opportunities and produce pre-event signage renderings for a wayfinding program for a multi day event to be held in a local hotel. The client had an in-house designer developing the event identity and would be responsible to applying it to the proposed signage program.
FreemanXP, Dallas Office, Freelance Environmental Director / July 2016
Worked remotely to assist project team to develop signage, and environmental pre-event visualization 3D renderings including custom registration counters, registration area, exhibition entrance, and the clients own pavilion space.
MKTG INC. SF, Freelance Environmental Designer / May 2016 – June 2016
Brought in by MKTG, inc., To assist internal design team with Environmental Design. The client has postponed the program until early 2017. The event is a multi-city, 2 day program that will hit Madrid, Berlin, London with possible stops in Rome and Paris.
My primary role was working with the in-house designer to concept on possible branding, signage opportunities and creating some pre-event visualization renderings for the client presentations.
MKTG INC. SF, Freelance Environmental Designer / Jan 2016 – Mar 2016
Joined the MKTG Inc team again to provide Environmental Design for the first partner/developer event for Shopify (E-commerce retail platform). My primary responsibilities were the physical space layout (placement of the main stage, lounge, and all breakout sessions. During the design exploration, I was able to present and sell to the client several custom fabrication furniture elements. The two day event was held at Fort Mason’s Herbst Pavilion (Pier 2) in San Francisco on March 22-23, 2016.
MKTG INC. SF, Freelance Art Director / July 2015 – Nov. 2015
Brought in as the Art Director to lead creative development for the first customer facing event for Dropbox, at the historic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium November 5th, 2015. Working with the MKTG team, we applied the Dropbox brand through all customer touch points, from credentials, signage, venue dressing, and printed collateral.
Oracle Corporation / Jan 2001 – Apr. 2015
14 years in various design, art direction, photography, and design management positions with increasing leadership responsibility.
Oracle, Senior Brand Photographer / Jan 2014 – Apr. 2015
Oracle’s sole in-house special assignment professional photographer supporting senior executive activities, event coverage, hardware product photography (in-studio and on location), executive portraits, advertising, and Oracle Sports Marketing Sponsorship programs (which include Americas Cup Defender Challenge, Oracle Team USA; AT&T Ballpark, San Francisco Giants; Oracle Arena, Golden State Warriors; and Team Oracle, Sean D. Tucker stunt aerobatic biplane) from 2005–2014.
Collaborated with internal digital production teams to enhance and curate photo collections to be distributed through internal networks for global marketing applications.
Build on long-term executive relationships to gain access and fulfill special assignments at the highest level, including being screened by the Secret Service for assignments with former President Bill Clinton.
Oracle, Photography Director / Jan 2010 – Dec. 2013
Responsible for day-to-day supervision and management of all original photography requests, department processes, dedicated photo studio management, project management, and on-site and remote resources, for global projects.
Position was an 85/15 split as department management and in-house photographer.
Established in-house photography department, which increased process efficiency and delivery of hardware product images resulting in shorter project schedules and smaller photography budgets across relevant teams: Senior Executives, Product Marketing, Project Management, HUCD (Human User Centered Design) Department, and internal clients.
Key stakeholder in developing company-wide internal online asset management tool that stores over 100K+ digital assets.
Managed relationships, negotiated project budgets, and schedules with internal clients and external professional photography resources.
Managed and produced 225+ hardware product photo shoots.
Oracle, Associate Photography Director / Oct. 2008 – Dec. 2009
Worked with outside professional photography vendors, established processes, and streamlined project schedules to reduce unnecessary product photography spending, reducing budgets and project time lines.
Oracle, Associate Design Director, Environmental Signage Programs / Oct. 2005 – Dec. 2008
Project managed the internal creative process for multi-tiered Oracle events with internal clients, and oversaw external vendors in final production of event exhibition spaces globally.
Surveyed international installations and planned efficient use of tradeshow booth space for Oracle signage and branding opportunities.
Worked with external production service vendors to develop a new product demonstration kiosk unit to reduce floor footprint using less materials, with a larger back panel for prominent signage readability and branding exposure.
Oracle, Senior Designer / Jan 2001 – Sept. 2005
Provided graphic design in the following project arenas: branding, collateral, editorial design (for internal Oracle Magazines) logo development, web design, and environmental signage projects.
Began providing professional photography for internal marketing applications.
Eve.com, Associate Creative Director, (acquired MyHome.com) June 2000 - Nov. 2000
MyHome.com, Creative Director / Aug. 1999 – June 2000
Pasadena, CA / San Francisco CA
Launched e-commerce site for home furnishings, with 10k+ products in compressed nine months of development time frame.
Teaching Experience
Instructor, San Francisco State University, Spring 1998 – Summer 2009
Taught and developed class curriculum ranging from an introduction to typography to print, web, mobile, and brand-based content and collateral.
Skills
Professional Photographer (areas of focus: studio product photography, sports photography, visit www.rsellersphotography.com), Proficient in: Adobe Creative Cloud applications (Illustrator, Photoshop, In-Design), Adobe Lightroom, PhaseOne CaptureOne, Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Strata 3D CX (for 3D product rendering).
Additional Hand Skills
Woodworking, resin casting, thermoforming, vacuum forming plastics, fabrication of product prototype models.
Outside Interests
Playing ultimate frisbee with my wife and sons, sketching new product or App. ideas, taking the dogs on long hikes in the Oakland hills.
Education
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA.
BFA Degree in Graphics & Packaging with Honors 1995
References
Available upon request.