Rey Nowlin
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About
Catalogs, brochures, books, and flyer design, layout and production. My passion.
Have you ever worked on a direct mail or catalog and thought you were working on the latest puzzle?
Well, I have found myself in that situation more times than I can count. Using deductive and logical reasoning with over 20 years of experience in catalog production and direct marketing design, I have created the most successful designs by collaborating with team members and business partners to enhance the customer experience and drive profitable growth for targeted segments. Goals include continued learning of complex content management systems and design techniques to develop design and production efficiencies that benefit the business.
Some have called me a production design workhorse. Focused and resolute on massaging and completing catalog spreads until satisfied that the design is correct, proofed, and attention to detail is complete. Call me old fashioned, but I am accustomed to working until the job is complete and ready for the printer. I possess a combination of design strength and production proficiency. A self-starter and a team leader that actively helps and refines processes to achieve, maintain and surpass goals.
The catalogs I have enjoyed designing and producing are: Boise Cascade Office Products, Boise Express, Associated Stationers, Reliable Office Supplies, Hammacher Schlemmer, John M. Smyth Homemakers, Sears Kitchens and Toys, Switchcraft Electronics, Alsto's, Mac Tools, Lillian Vernon and specialty catalogs at Grainger. -
Education
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N/A Communication DesignAmerican Academy of Art1986 - 1989While working at Boise Cascade Office Products, I attended the American Academy of Art for four years beginning in 1985. My goal was to attain an additional degree in Communication Design.
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AAS Commercial ArtCollege of DuPage1978 - 1982I began my studies at College of DuPage in the fall of 1978. My initial goal was to attain an AAS degree in Business and Marketing and transfer to a four year school. In the winter of 1980 I decided to switch my major to Commercial Art. I am glad that I did. At the time, the program was not computer based. Most of my instruction was involved with marker renderings, product development, package design, and production design. I graduated in June 1982.
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Experience
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Graphic DesignerRDN Catalog Design and MarketingJan 2011 - Present (13 years 10 months)• Lupus Chronicles – Daily marketing input, design and concept development for website and blog. Blog successfully launched with over 100 responses in first week.
• Current Catalog Brands – Provided design and layout of a monthly B2C catalogs.
• Sandia Advertising – Designed a 400-page B2B catalog using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Brought into the agency because of my catalog expertise to help the agency return to the original production schedule and to avoid missing the client’s print dates. The catalog was finished on time within the original production schedule. Attended client production meetings as a design liaison between the client and the studio. After the catalog was printed, the client sent an email indicating that the new catalog was very creative and would be very successful.
• EZ Truck Store – Hired online to provide redesign of 130 page trucking supply catalog based in California. The process involved redesigning color bar format, and color schemes as well as relaying out catalog to include over 250 new products. Redesign and production completed within estimated time frame. Client very satisfied with results.
• BeUtilityFree – Redesigned Technical manual for use by online customers. Converted from Word to InDesign.
• Incredible Supplements – New York based Nutritional Supplement catalog. Redesigned 16 page brochure from Publisher format to InDesign format, improving old design for new customer base. -
Senior Production DesignerGraingerLake Forest, ILSep 2014 - Dec 2014 (3 months)Daily design, layout and production utilizing InDesign for in-house specialty catalog and Marketing programs for the web and print. A contract position running until the end of 2014. Hired based on previous catalog design and layout expertise.
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Designer / Art DirectorCurrent / Lillian Vernon Catalog BandsSep 2006 - Dec 2010 (4 years 3 months)• Conceptual layout and design of monthly B2C catalogs and covers utilizing Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress and the Comosoft Lago CMS.
• Photo art directed in-house photography studio tabletop product and model shots. Developed and executed daily photo shoot schedules with detailed styling notes — resulting in minimal questions and re-shoots.
• Managed catalog deadlines on schedule and worked closely with Creative Supervisor, Copy Editors, and Production Artists with timely delivery of overlapping monthly catalog projects. This was crucial to maintain design flexibility and a smoother production workflow.
• Upon corporate move from White Plains, New York to Virginia Beach, Virginia, my responsibility was to continue to design and layout all catalogs while at the same time learning the new Comosoft Lago content management system. -
DesignerBlack Dot GroupJul 2005 - Mar 2006 (8 months)• Designed and laid out B2C catalogs and marketing pieces. Brought on at first in a freelance role. Soon was hired directly based on my successful redesign of Cleveland, Ohio based Alsto’s retail catalogs which led to a complete redesign of the 600-plus page B2B Mac Tools catalog.
• The B2B Mac Tools catalog originally was on a six-month time frame to complete. Two months into the project, the production schedule was cut back by the client to meet an earlier print deadline. My suggestion was to bring in additional team members on a second shift to help finish the catalog successfully one week ahead of schedule. -
Senior Production DesignerHammacher SchlemmerMay 2003 - May 2005 (2 years)• Executed B2C catalog production design with QuarkXpress, utilizing Catalog Magician content management system. Laid out all images and copy blocks on spreads prior to art director finalizing. My role included proofing all materials before passing project onto printer.
• Designed a process for tracking and organizing digital and traditional media from multiple vendors. This eliminated unnecessary procedures allowing for greater use of time management skills for both art directors and merchandise team members. -
Contract Production DesignerThe Graphic ShopJul 2002 - May 2003 (10 months)• Organized, designed and laid out 500-plus page B2B Switchcraft Electronics catalog. Design studio needed my skills as an experienced production designer equipped to handle short production schedules and large volume catalogs.
• Attended weekly production meetings at the Switchcraft Electronics headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.
• Production design for several multi-paged catalogs, books, brochures, white papers, newsletters. Designed additional marketing materials for Bosch Power Tools. -
DesignerBN Creative AdvertisingApr 2000 - Jul 2002 (2 years 3 months)• Implemented design and layout for several monthly B2C catalogs, utilizing QuarkXpress and Adobe Photoshop.
• Organized and laid out catalogs, broadsides and brochures for Boise Express, Sears, Reliable Home Office, John M. Smyth Homemakers, and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra.
• Initiated production meetings with client at their offices, which led to a smoother design and production schedule. This allowed for a decrease in design errors and an increase in production workflow.
• Developed identities, and design procedures for several advertising and marketing programs. -
Production Artist, Graphic Designer, Art DirectorVarious1984 - 2000 (16 years)Additional positions – Various design and production roles. Positions with a major office products retailer and several smaller firms utilizing my skills and expertise as a Production Artist, Graphic Designer and Art Director.
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Awards
Nominee for 1988 Citizen of the Year
in Carol Stream, Illinois.
Founding member of the Carol Stream Jaycees 1983.
President of the Carol Stream Jaycees 1988. -
Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@reynowlin, member since 2010