Martha Plank

About Martha Plank

My flawless design skill and ability to manage resources were evident early on—when I organized my box of 120 crayons in blended order at the tender age of three. I love design and believe a job worth doing is worth doing well. If you appreciate my work, let’s collaborate. I’m a creative with grit who resonates with Gerhard Richter’s belief that, “Art is the highest form of hope.” Well, “good design”—but you get the point.

Experience

1. Art Director Designer Licensing

   Compelling Design

   Mar 2010 — Present · Cleveland, OH, US

   Collaborated with clients to create innovative ideas and designs for digital, print, and retail consumer products.• Skilled communicator with a talent for teaming with stakeholders to deliver client projects on time and within budget.• I create transformative designs for digital, print, and manufactured products using established design principles, such as trend-forward color, visual hierarchy, typography, and layout.• Concept through completion of soft and hard goods and home decor products for private, brand-labeled, online, and customer-facing retailers.• By conducting research and introducing innovative product design and packaging concepts, I have successfully revitalized product lines for national companies—resulting in 200% more retail placement and increased online traffic.• With a talent for creative problem-solving, I am an experienced trend researcher who balances innovation with real-world limitations.• Developed licensing programs, style guides, and branding for top-tier evergreen and emerging properties.• Designed “whole store” seasonal color palettes and design themes, original illustrations, surface design, and print and pattern for national retailers.• Assisted a private-label grocer client in increasing their previously underperforming seasonal categories by an impressive 325%• Launched effective advertising campaigns to promote brands, products, and services by researching and analyzing current industry trends.• My collaborative communication style, creative problem-solving, and adaptability have allowed me to establish and sustain long-term business relationships with key clients.• Clients include Container Store, Denik, LAFD, Smokey Bear [U. S. Forest Service], DecoPac, Faber-Castell, Joann, Hobby Lobby, FabFitFun, The Sleepy Sloth, Masterpiece Puzzle, The Barton Group.

Education

• Kent State University

  Bachelor's degree, Visual Communications/Graphic Design

Skills

• Catalogs
• Concept Design
• Creative Direction
• Publishing
• Graphic Design
• Branding & Identity
• Layout
• Corporate Branding
• Flash
• Books
• Digital Photography
• Animation
• Motion Graphics
• Photoshop
• Editorial
• Web Design
• Illustrator
• Adobe Acrobat
• Digital Illustration
• Image Manipulation
• Storyboarding
• Illustration
• Quarkxpress
• Brochures
• Packaging
• User Experience
• Flash Animation
• Concept Development
• Pagemaker
• Posters
• Mac
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Logo Design
• Character Animation
• Sketching
• Typography
• Art Direction
• User Interface Design
• Visual Communication
• Indesign