As a veteran of visual design, I have spent countless hours pushing words and images around my computer screen, all in the name of effective communication. My strong verbal and written skills have served me well in the fast-paced, deadline-oriented media environment.
Freelance
Susan Webb Design — 2006–present
Over the years I have worked as a freelance graphic designer for many clients, including Aquinas Institute of Theology, Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association (both St. Louis), Dominican Central Province (Chicago), and countless small businesses.
Marketing position
University of Wisconsin-Platteville — Platteville, Wisconsin | 2016–2018
As the graphic designer for the university’s Division of Professional Studies, my task was to tell our story with impact, strategy, and meaning. My visual designs—which include magazines, annual reports, flyers, posters, ads, charts, videos, social media images, and more—were tailored to speak to our multiple audiences with clarity and focus. My role with the Division grew to include audio and video recording and editing. I also served on the Communications and Scholarship committees.
Newspaper positions
Lee Enterprises’ Regional Design Center — Madison, Wisconsin | 2014–16
As a page designer and team leader, my time management, project management, and people skills came to the forefront. At its core it was a newspaper design position; however, the pressure of the daily production environment required quick thinking and strong communications skills. As team leader, I coordinated with editors across the country and ensured my team followed design standards and met deadlines. I also designed thousands of newspaper pages.
The Capital Times — Madison, Wisconsin | 2011–13
My part-time stint at this weekly newspaper required me to quickly step into the role of news and feature designer when needed.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch — St. Louis, Missouri | 2002–05
Sunday features and business enterprise stories require an extra layer of storytelling. In my role as senior designer, I worked with editors to determine the best way to present the stories to our readers. I also was a member of a team that redesigned the newspaper.
The Times-Picayune — New Orleans, Louisiana | 1996–2002
I started as an intern and finished my career at the paper as News Design Editor, supervising the news designers. Working as a journalist in the best news town in the country was a privilege and a treat. From Carnival celebrations in the French Quarter to war in the Middle East, termites to Y2K bugs, my role was to connect the words and images and make them come alive on the printed page.
Library
Mineral Point Public Library — 2010–2014
I honed my customer service skills in this part-time position. My responsibilities included assisting patrons and troubleshooting computer problems.
Education
Ball State University — Muncie, Indiana
Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a concentration in design
Digital expertise
Adobe Creative Cloud
Advanced user of InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat; intermediate user of Premiere and Audition
Microsoft Office 365
Website maintenance
Posting articles and uploading images
Email Marketing
MailChimp
Video creation and editing
volunteer work
Theatre of Ballet Arts
Board Member, 2017–
Secretary, 2019–
Mineral Point Music Boosters
Member, 2017–
Secretary, 2018–
Mineral Point Opera House
Communications Committee, 2018–
Write weekly email to subscribers about upcoming events
Mineral Point School District
Created an infographic explaining school revenue and expenses, 2017 (recipient of Award of Merit from Wisconsin School Public Relations Association)
High Street Beat
Blogger, 2012–15
Blog posts