JOSHUA BLAKER
107 Wyckoff Street #3 Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.875.5631   josh@improvarts.com   www.joshuablaker.com

Professional Experience

Boys Graphic Designer: Old Navy - New York, NY - Fall 2004 - Present
• Art directing and creating graphics for the boys active, swim, graphic tee, denim and outerwear divisions
• Managing a team of 3-4 freelance graphic designers in the creation of 200+ graphics per season
• Designing seasonal labeling, hang-tag and packaging designs
• Writing clever, trendy, humorous, edgy yet mass market copy for boys graphic tees
• Providing extensive Mac tech support to the entire Old Navy graphics department
• Shopping for and analysis of seasonal trends in graphics style, color and technique
• Researching, advising, purchasing, testing and training for cutting-edge hardware and software packages
• Partnering closely with West Coast marketing team to develop innovative POP displays, mailers, and gift cards
• Coordinating color standardization efforts between the graphics, cad, color and it departments
• Providing "Help Desk" support for product designers and freelancers sketching flats in Adobe Illustrator

Instructor: Parsons School of Design - New York, NY - Summer 2001 - Present
• Developing & teaching two, 30 hr Adobe graphics courses per semester
• Instructing Continuing Education students at beginning, intermediate & advanced levels
• Current classes: Fashion graphics with Adobe Illustrator CS & Adobe Photoshop CS

Graphics Trainer - New York, NY - Summer 2001 - Present
• Analyzing and reporting on the efficiency and productivity of corporate design departments in the fashion, advertising and media industries
• Training teams of graphics professionals in the use of Adobe software and upgrades
• Advising art directors on methods for increasing productivity and improving workflow
• Clients include: Old Navy, Adjmi Apparel Group, Tracy Locke, Teach For America, Coleman Brandworx, McCormack Inc, NYC Law Department, Paradox Smoke,
NY Interactive Media, The Bronx Defenders, Planned Parenthood

Freelance Illustrator: - Fall 1995 - Present
• Creating graphics, illustrations, logos, catalogs, story boards, flyers & displays
• Clients include: Old Navy, The Gap, Banana Republic, Target, Smitten, Mammoth Toys, McCormack Inc, Free Range Arts, I.A.E. Inc., The Bronx Defenders, Antenna Group, DeFacto Dance, Roberto Bezjon, Alloy.com, Highway 61 Prod., Chick Magnet, Like Minds, Film Time Inc.

Model Maker: Toybiz, Inc. - New York, NY - Fall 1996 - Spring 2000
• Inventing & constructing mechanical solutions to design problems
• Designing & building electronic and mechanical displays for the Toybiz showroom
• Programming & cutting CNC parts & vacuum forms
• Supervising a team of 2 model makers

Computer Skills - Mac & Windows

Adobe Certified Expert In Adobe Photoshop 7.0 & Adobe Illustrator 10
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