Kris Black
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About
I started my professional career as a graphic designer in 2000 after graduating from the University of South Carolina. I expanded my knowledge, focus, and skills beyond print design to include web design and development.
I've worked for two Fortune 500 companies and help various titles throughout my career including: graphic designer, art director, freelance web designer, customer support specialist, and senior front-end web developer. I don't think one title fits the skill sets I practice and apply on a daily basis. If you ask, I'll tell you that I'm a designer, author, and cartoonist.
I've written two For Dummies books, both about Squarespace. Despite the fact that have extensive experience and real-world examples of websites I'm built using enterprise-level content management systems, I specialize and prefer building and designing websites using Squarespace as my website publishing platform of choice.
As a partner at black&hue, LLC, I help individuals, businesses, and non-profits establish engaging personal and business websites as well as supporting collateral and communication channels.
Specialties: Squarespace; HTML5; CSS3; mobile and responsive web design; user interface design; user experience; usability; Mac OS X; advanced knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud; active blogging and podcasting experience; cartooning; and comic book lettering. -
Education
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Bachelor of Arts Art Studio; Graphic DesignUniversity of South Carolina1998 - 2000
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Clemson University1997 - 1998
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Experience
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Partner, Web Designer, and Brand Advocateblack&hueSep 2012 - Present (12 years 2 months)As a partner at black&hue, I design and develop websites for small businesses, non-profits, and professionals. Projects range from creative professionals' portfolios to online shops for selling products or services to marketing driven sites to promote a business or initiative. I help clients establish a consistent brand across multiple points of communication from email newsletters to social media channels.
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Designer, Author, and CartoonistKris Black Studio, LLCSep 2012 - Present (12 years 2 months)My studio is where I create and explore art and design that moves beyond my work as a web designer and into my love for storytelling and sequential art.
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Senior Front-End Web DeveloperSCANAMay 2011 - Aug 2012 (1 year 3 months)I helped maintain SCANA’s internal and external websites for visual consistency and content updates. My work at SCANA focused on bringing a higher level of visual consistency to established websites. I was the project leader and designer for a new website section promoting SCE&G’s community responsibility and charitable giving. I developed a social media visual strategy for Facebook Pages, YouTube and social media sharing. Working closely with a content developer, I created an e-commerce section for PSNC Energy to sell natural gas products to customers. On of my final projects was contributing as the lead visual designer for a new, mobile-optimized outage map for SCE&G across multiple devices: iOS, Android, and Blackberry.
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AuthorWiley Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, IncJun 2010 - Mar 2012 (1 year 9 months)I wrote two books about the Squarespace publishing platform: Squarespace For Dummies and Squarespace 6 For Dummies.
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Squarespace Expert & Support SpecialistSquarespaceFeb 2009 - May 2011 (2 years 3 months)As a Squarespace Support Specialist, I helped answered customer inquires about using the Squarespace publishing platform to build and maintain their websites. I also created video tutorials and how-to articles for the online help manual. As a senior-level support specialist, I helped assist in on-the-job training of new employees.
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Art and Photography Director, Graphic Designer and Web DesignerSouth Carolina Department of Health and Environmental ControlSep 2000 - May 2009 (8 years 8 months)Art and Photography Director | December 2003 – May 2009
• Responsible for art direction and design of agency publications
• Conceptualized and directed photo shoots, layouts and design ideas for publications and campaigns
• Participated in press checks to insure design specifications were met for publications
• Met with clients to discuss their ideas and goals for their outreach initiative
• Responsible for yearly employee reviews and evaluations
• Animated 3D character to interact with live actors
Web Designer | June 2007 – May 2009
• Designer of the current iteration of DHEC’s external Web site
• Designed and Developed the rotating featured news on DHEC’s homepage, utilizing Adobe Flash
• Conceptualized alternate designed for external Web site
• Redesigned DHEC’s Intranet (internal Web site) for employees
• Training in Web standards design and Section 508 accessibility Federal requirements for the disabled
• Designed HTML e-mails for statewide distribution
Graphic Designer | September 2000 – May 2009
• Designed health and environmental materials and publications including books, brochures, displays, flyers, logos, and posters
• Preflight and packaged projects for print as color-separated PDF files
• Utilized CMYK and Pantone Color System for out-of-house printing -
Founding Member & Co-hostDollar BinOct 2006 - Dec 2008 (2 years 2 months)As a founding member of the Dollar Bin Comic Podcast, your ground level source for comic book opinions and reviews, I designed, developed and maintained the Dollar Bin Web site, created all graphics for Web and print, photographed events, helped coordinate videography at events and conventions, and maintained our social networking channels.
On a weekly basis I participated in recording our shows where we discussed new comic books released that week as well as sharing my opinion on topics relating to the world and industry of comics. We traveled to comic conventions interviewing comic book creators in all genres and publishing levels in the sequential art industry.
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@krisblack, member since 2007
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Following 3
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Followers 5
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