artistprovocateurMICHAEL TAYLOR : graphic design & art direction / mike@mt4design.com / www.mt4design.com

MICHAEL TAYLOR

Graphic Design

Art Direction

mike@mt4design.com

www.mt4design.com RESUMEEducation:Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Los Angeles, CA

Major: Commercial Art, Degree-AA

30+ years experience working as a creative professional

References:Professional and personal references available upon request.

Applicable Computer Skills:Photoshop Illustrator InDesign Dreamweaver Muse After EffectsFlashPremiereFinal Cut ProiMovieKeynotePowerpointQuarkExtensive knowledge in the use of the Macintosh and PC for design, layout, illustration, editing and computer production and more.

Over the course of my 30 years as a creative professional I’ve completed work in ad agencies, design studios, marketing firms, public relations shops and in-house corporate marketing departments – either on staff or working as a freelancer. I also spent 12 years working in my own shop helping my own clients develop their brand, capture their target audience, promote their business or their event. In that time, I’ve created solutions in everything from print to video to web – in consumer and business to business spaces.I’ve acted as the creative force, seeking to drive those I collaborate with to reach beyond the typical and seek solutions that both drive the message and break through the clutter.I’ve donated my time working with non-profit 501c entities to help causes in everything from bringing food to those in severe need to giving comfort to those who have suffered the worse kind of loss to raising political aware-ness in the cause of freedom. Volunteer and community work:Docent / Adventures in Art Program for Elementary School Children Creative Director, Graphic Assets / South High Football Boosters 2010-2014

Awards:Mutiple AIA Gold Award Winner and Multiple Nominee Business Marketing Association Awards for Professional Excellence Maggie Award Finalist / Trade Journal Newsletter on Newsletter Gold Awards Direct American Marketers Association ECHO Awards

Clients worked for: Acme Couch CompanyAmerica West AirlinesAppleBank of AmericaBrock Communications

Cheryl Janis DesignsChicago TribuneCollectors PhotographyCynthia Michel PRDENSO

Home SavingsKarassLA Tofu FestivalLazar IndustriesMovinCool

Plochman’s MustardPure Strength L.A.Sanders IndustriesTeleflora Toyota

United Airlines Westin Hotels Xplor InternationalZyliss USAand many more

MICHAEL TAYLOR

Graphic Design

Art Direction

mike@mt4design.com

www.mt4design.com

Work Experience:March 2006 to present

Senior Art Director / Senior Graphic Designer DENSO, Inc. Long Beach, CA

April 1994 to March 2006Freelance Senior Graphic Designer / Senior Art Director Self-employed Torrance, CA

October 1993 to April 1994Art Director / Graphic Designer Direct American Marketers Inc. Irvine, CA

January 1992 to October 1993Art Director / Graphic Designer Creative Direct Marketing Group Torrance, CA

November 1990 to January 1992Art Director / Designer Teleflora Inc. West Los Angeles, CA

May 1988 to November 1990Assistant Art Director / Graphic Designer MPI (A subsidiary of United Airlines Corporation) Long Beach, CA

November 1987 to February 1988Junior Art Director / Graphic Designer The Griffin Agency South El Monte, CA

June 1985 to September 1987Junior Art Director / Production Artist Krupp/TaylorUSA (a Foote Cone Belding Communications Company) Marina del Rey, CA

RESUMEPersonal StrategyMy professional goal is to continue to broaden my skills and abilities as a creative individual and utilize my talent and experience to benefit my employer or client.

Areas of Responsibility in Advertising:Responsible as an art director for creative stages of an assignment from concept through completion including layout, copy writing, rendering comps, presentation, photo direction, print supervision, team supervision. Experience working independently and in AD/Copywriter teams.Responsible as a senior designer for creating dynamic graphic solutions that help target and focus a message that will engage and generate a response.Working independently, I have also been responsible for managing client relations, cost estimation, billing, scheduling, choosing vendors, etc.

Areas of Experience:• conceptualization and creation of advertising campaigns in both the

consumer and business-to-business spaces• development of direct mail / direct response campaigns• development of point-of-sale & collateral materials such as brochures,

posters, banners, counter cards, end cap displays and packaging• logo / corporate identity design and brand development• design / creation of large trade show booth graphics/other materials• general corporate communications• video direction, filming, production and editing• design of t-shirt / apparel graphics – silk screened, direct digital, other• newsletter / magazine art direction – design, layout, and production• web content design / illustration, site production

top row, logos from left to right:

Fast Forward Green - a rewards venture for the green shopper PychoArrow - a musical management company Z Survival Gear - a gear shop for the post apocalyptic zombie enthusiast Spiral Web - web hosting company 12th Floor Surf - custom shape shop for the serious surfer

bottom row, logos from left to right:

Western Paving - completed while freelancing for design firm VelociTags - completed for client of Cynthia Michel PR CareAVan - completed while freelancing for design firm AidsWalk Los Angeles - completed for working for Teleflora Paramount Farming Co. - completed for working for Teleflora

second row, logos from left to right:

Freshman Class - trading cards with a higher purpose Acme Brand Couch Co. - furniture made with Lucky Brand jeans Ping2Find - a smart app way to find your stuff Genesis - serious shop for the comic minded Imaged Photography - photography studio

Cheryl Janis Designs / Over the years, Cheryl and I have collaborated on numerous projects in both the web and print spaces. Design and create a new brand and identity for Cheryl Janis Designs, an interior design firm with a focus on creating spaces for physicians who wish to provide their patients a soothing and healing experience when they visit their doctor.Cheryl wanted to retain her existing logo symbol but expand her mark to include the stylized look of a signature – which would convey the type of personal attention she offers to her clients.

Art is Power / Design and create fun and playful shirt designs for everything I feel compelled to speak out about.

I’ve been playing with t-shirt designs since I got out of college. Actually, my efforts at getting my art seen and making a profit at it began with a relationship with CrazyShirts back in the 1980s and its continued on. Working on projects like this provides a great outlet to be creative and take risks I might not take with clients or other corporate work.

The featured work here is a series I did after the recent attacks in Texas and France which I saw as a direct assault on the liberty and freedom too often taken for granted in our First Amendment. The series is called, “Art is Power”.

art is powerartiste provocateur

paint something controversial

Cheryl Janis Designs / Over the years, Cheryl and I have collaborated on numerous projects in both the web and print spaces.

Recently, I was tasked to design and create a new brand identity for her new venture. Cheryl wanted to retain her existing logo symbol but expand her mark to include the stylized look of a signature – which would convey the type of personal attention she offers to her clients.

Also included is some of the earlier work I created with Cheryl to show how her mark evolved as her business focus changed.

Sell SheetCheryl’s new business card.

Stationery & Business Card

Website features a slideshow with an emphasis on the textures

and colors of nature.

Fast Forward Green / When Cheryl Janis teamed up with Cynthia Michels, a public relations guru and “marketing mystic”, they began their collaboration on the venture Fast Forward Green and tasked me with the creation of their brand identity and business card.

The venture is envisioned to be a clearinghouse for environmentally friendly products and services that includes an affinity program that generates savings and rewards for its users. At this time, the project remains under development.

Planet Pink n’ Green Blog / When Cheryl began her blog, Planet Pink n’ Green she generously asked me to help and it was a great and fulfilling opportunity. We collaborated on the overall look and feel including color palette, icons, header, footer, etc., looking to key on the textures that make this earth such an amazing and beautiful place.

Over the course of its life, her blog became extremely successful and developed a great following.

Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire / Design and create an identity for Dead Patriot Films as well as create elements utilized in fundraising efforts for the independent production of the documentary film Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire. The fundraising efforts were overwhelmingly successful, leading to the production and wide release of the documentary in to theaters nation wide. The documentary, which is now available on demand, has now garnered several prestigious awards.

Originally envisioned to be a documentary focusing on California law and the political climate of the state, the final production became a sweeping look at the issue of the 2nd Amendment from the birth of the nation until present day.

Official Swag

Original, Official Project T-shirt

Web Graphics Kickstarter Flyer / Graphics

I’m in a major motion picture.

Check out my credit on IMDB!

Michael Taylor: Creative / Design and create fun and playful shirt designs .

I admit it, I’m a “Z Head”. From the moment I first watched George Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead up until the modern classic The Walking Dead (and just about anything in between), I’ve been a fan of the mystery that is the undead. The brain eating horde that shuffles along - but never too slow that it wont catch you when you trip - gives me a chance to create work in celebration of it.

I put up my own storefront at zgear.spreadshirt.com and sometimes I even sell some of it. What I’m really after is the creative freedom it allows me.

A shop for the post apocalyptic zombie enthusiast

Icutthecakeatparties!©2015 mt4design.com

Icutthecakeatparties!©2015 mt4design.com

Ad Campaign: It’s DENSO, Relax / Conceptualize and produce an advertising campaign targeted to technicians which transcends the typical and places an emphasis on DENSO’s “First Time Fit®” ease and worry free installation.The ads became a featured focus and inspiration for DENSO’s trade show booth at AAPEX in Las Vegas as well as other marketing materials. Eventually, the ads went on to receive various industry awards.Art Directors: Michael Taylor / Renette HeasletCopywriter: Michael TaylorPhotographer: Steve Pollock / Pollock Studios

Ad campaign: It started with a spark… / Conceptualize an advertising campaign that centers on the installer’s experience and brand loyalty to DENSO products.

DENSO was the first company to introduce a spark plug which featured Iridium on it’s tip. However, DENSO has grown its product line to include a multitude of products.

Thus, the first ad teases the spark plug but pays off the entire product line in the spread. The other ads featured testimonials with the actual automotive technicians who shared their experience with DENSO products. The technicians were shot on location in the facilities where they worked.

Art Director: Michael TaylorCopywriter: Michael TaylorPhotographer: Steve Pollock / Pollock Studios

DENSO Direct Self-Mailer: Something hot is brewing / Conceptualize the overall design and layout and write headlines for a direct self mailer that introduces a new partnership between DENSO and Advance Auto Parts. Each piece went out with a 3 pack of Starbucks Via instant coffee.

Art Director: Renette Heaslet Designer: Michael TaylorCopywriter: Michael TaylorPhotographer: Various

Cheryl Janis Designs / Over the years, Cheryl and I have collabo-rated on numerous projects in both the web and print spaces. Design and create a new brand and identity for Cheryl Janis Designs, an interior design firm with a focus on creating spaces for physicians who wish to provide their patients a soothing and healing experience when they visit their doctor.Cheryl wanted to retain her existing logo symbol but expand her mark to include the stylized look of a signature – which would convey the type of personal attention she offers to her clients.

DENSO ADC: Product Videos / Shoot, edit and produce videos in-house for the DENSO automated data capture division. The video featured above is the first video in a series. The second video is now available and all principal shooting is completed.Software: Final Cut Pro, After Effects, Keynote, Photoshop.Equipment: Apple Mac Pro, Canon T3i, Canon 70d, Canon Vixia HF200, sound equipment by audio technica and Rode, green screen by Westcott, a lazy susan from Ikea and a lot of lights.

DENSO is the inventor of the

QR code

Click the video screen above to visit YouTube and watch the video or scan the QR code below.

Ad campaign: Built with DENSO / Collaborate with an outside vendor providing creative direction regarding overall concept. This is one of those occasions where it became necessary to take over the project and finalize it, providing graphic design and finished illustration.This ad is presently running in all DENSO product catalogs through the 2015 fiscal year.Art Director/Designer: Michael TaylorIllustrations: Michael Taylor

Cheryl Janis Designs / Over the years, Cheryl and I have collabo-rated on numerous projects in both the web and print spaces. Design and create a new brand and identity for Cheryl Janis Designs, an interior design firm with a focus on creating spaces for physicians who wish to provide their patients a soothing and healing experience when they visit their doctor.Cheryl wanted to retain her existing logo symbol but expand her mark to include the stylized look of a signature – which would convey the type of personal attention she offers to her clients.

DENSO Wiper Blade Promotional Display / Conceptualize and design a promotional display targeted at consumers in the retail space.

The design perimenters included ease of set up and overall cost and effectiveness of production, shipping, etc.

DENSO TT Packaging / Conceptualize and design packaging for new generation spark plugs targeted at consumers in the retail space.

Client: Jabula FoundationAgency: Michael Taylor / CreativeArt Direction/Design: Michael TaylorCopywriting: Michael Taylor Project: Sanders Industries advertising campaign

Client: Hahn MoldingsAgency: Michael Taylor / Creative Art Direction/Design: Michael TaylorCopywriting: Michael TaylorProject: Logo Design, Ad creative, Postcard creative

Cheryl Janis Designs / Over the years, Cheryl and I have collabo-rated on numerous projects in both the web and print spaces. Design and create a new brand and identity for Cheryl Janis Designs, an interior design firm with a focus on creating spaces for physicians who wish to provide their patients a soothing and healing experience when they visit their doctor.Cheryl wanted to retain her existing logo symbol but expand her mark to include the stylized look of a signature – which would convey the type of personal attention she offers to her clients.

Client: Jabula FoundationAgency: Michael Taylor / Creative Art Direction/Design: Michael TaylorProject: Fundraiser InvitationGratis

Client: Jabula FoundationAgency: Michael Taylor / Creative

Art Direction/Design: Michael TaylorCopywriting: Michael Taylor Project: Fundraiser Invitation

Gratis

To review my entire portfolioplease visit my website at

www.mt4design.com