Jesse Hernandez

Illustrate and design various projects for both generic and licensed branded products for the company’s Spencer’s Gifts and Spirit Halloween divisions within Product Development.
• Illustrate and design various generic and licensed seasonal and non-seasonal products for Spirit Halloween and Spencer’s Gifts divisions such as home and outdoor decor, apparel, drinkware, collectibles, giftware, and various pop culture goods and accessories.
• Illustrate and design seasonal and non-seasonal repeat prints for apparel and home goods. • Assist with various costume and packaging revisions.
• Assist packaging divisions with photo retouching and silhouetting revisions.

Assist in communicating company’s online and retail brands and products through responsive seasonal and non-seasonal email marketing design.
• Analysis and research of current online email marketing campaigns and strategies to help inform and guide direction of company’s email design direction and increase customer traffic and sales.
• Create fresh seasonal and non-seasonal HTML and Bronto-based email designs to engage current and new customer base, applying animated gifs and elegant static content.

Illustrate and design various projects ranging from 3D coloring books, activity and sticker books to wooden puzzles, magnets, and stickers.
• Interface with Creative and Art Director to ensure line art quality and color integrity for all final books and products that will be launched at major retail toy and craft stores.

Create illustrative and functional sticker designs, 3-dimensional paper products and stamps for paper arts division. Manage in-house photography and retouching of all creative projects.
• Appointed lead designer on Wall Art and Stickofy programs that got top placement at key accounts such as Walmart and Target.
• Manage all stages of product design from trending research and POS-based data through to pre-production sampling.
• Communicate with overseas vendors and compliance managers to ensure design integrity and quality of all product.
• Lead photographer and retoucher for all in-house creative projects from styling through digital asset management for use in company’s marketing materials and online presences.

Implemented and executed all technical drawings for newly created rainwear division and headed up in-house photo studio which cut company photography outsourcing overhead by almost 50%.
• Created technical line drawings of all rainwear silhouettes to be used in company packaging and marketing materials.
• Produced trend-driven designs for mass licensed and non-licensed children’s rainwear and apparel accessories.
• Managed a cost-effective in-house photography studio resulting in cost and time-efficient product photography for entire company.

Assembled and supervised a successful 5-person character art department for 6 years that aligned seamlessly with entire company’s project needs and yielded 90% licensor-approved designs. Managed a newly established boys‘ licensed art division which generated 5 seasons’ worth of successful POS-based increased sales.
• Oversaw 5 character artists with a 90% licensor-approved on-model consistency and accuracy • Senior Designer and illustrator for newly-created Boys’ Licensing division with proven product
placement in major retailers such as Macy’s, Target and Walmart.
• Conducted and led annual team trend research field trips to better identify upcoming trends
and provide competitive programs more effectively.
• Implemented and assisted in setup of entire Mac-centric art division which resulted in reduced
outsourcing and printing costs.
• Designed, executed and helped transport all trade show booth decor and garment mock-ups
for annual Magic Sportswear trade show in Vegas.
• Produced all company’s signage, art displays and print ads for major garment trade publications
Earnshaw’s, Children’s Business and License!
• Created in-house logos and branding for various award-winning product lines.

Managed a successful POS-driven art department of 10 artists and designers for 5 years and oversaw all design projects from ideation and concept to final production. Implemented and supervised all IT troubleshooting of Mac-centric production operations for company’s domestic off-site printing facilities
• Supervised team of 10 artists and led all character-driven projects through completion based on market needs with increased placement and sales in major mid-tier and mass retailers • Key liaison between licensors and marketing and sales teams which yielded more competitive
projects and increased company’s market share and brand awareness
• Traveled extensively to various overseas screenprinters to oversee company’s quality control
and printing protocols
• Art directed all company’s print ads for trade publications Earnshaw’s, Children’s Business and
License!
• Assisted head of IT operations with Mac troubleshooting for 5 years at company’s 2 major
domestic 4-color printing facilities
• Headed annual Magic Sportswear trade shows in Vegas providing booth displays, signage
and garment mock-ups