A little about me…
My wife, daughter, and I traded upper-midwestern winters for the Kansas City area in 2015, and we haven't looked back. I bring over 20 years of graphic design experience across digital, print, and video production — working with marketing and advertising agencies to serve clients both local and national, across a wide range of industries. My focus has always been the same: design that actually connects with the people it's meant to reach.
resume
Work Experience
Senior Production Artist and Designer
VML – Kansas City, MO | 2016 – Present
Design and production of print and digital assets for a high-profile global client, including static and animated digital banners, thumbnails, social media graphics, email templates, brochures, periodical ads, in-store signage, and event collateral for retail partners. Manages end-to-end workflows across packaging, advertising, and branded materials with expertise in prepress, color management, and file prep for offset and digital printing, with integrated AI-assisted problem-solving.
Senior Art Director
KAT Communications – Bismarck, ND | 2011 – 2014
Provided art direction, graphic design and production art for print, digital and video projects. Supervised prepress
production, color management, and press checks for marketing collateral. Managed print vendor relationships.
Senior Graphic Designer
McQuillen Creative Group – Aberdeen, SD | 2007 – 2009
Provided graphic design, art direction and creative direction for a variety of print projects, interactive projects, promotional videos and commercials, storyboards and illustrations.
Graphic Designer
Paulsen Marketing – Sioux Falls, SD | 2003 – 2007
Designed visual assets and production art for print and interactive projects, including periodical advertising, trade show graphics, and broadcast storyboards and illustrations.
Interactive Production Artist
Lawrence and Schiller Advertising – Sioux Falls, SD | 2001 – 2003
Design and initial programming of web sites, advertising banners and multimedia presentations for both local and national clients. Designed and assisted in building of static, dynamic and animated web sites and multimedia presentations.
Education
Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Drawing/Painting/Printmaking.
Professional Recognition
Silver Addy Award, North Dakota Advertising Federation, March, 2014. Received for creative and art direction for TV spot.
Gold Addy Award, South Dakota Advertising Federation, February, 2004. Received for design and illustration of music CD and website.
Proficiencies
Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier and After Effects, AI integration for creative problem-solving, and extensive experience with offset and digital printing processes and color management.
ACCOLADES
“Mark's standout quality is his steadiness. He is dependable and reliable, ensuring even the most mundane tasks are completed thoroughly. Mark is also the guardian of knowledge when it comes to critical assets like BTFs, banners, and thumbnails. His expertise in these areas is a tremendous asset, making him our go-to resource for accurate and effective implementation. Furthermore, Mark possesses a remarkable knack for information retrieval, acting as a true "super sleuth". He has an uncanny ability to track down elusive information, whether it's a specific photo or an important email that others might have long forgotten or deleted. This skill has saved countless hours and averted potential issues on numerous occasions.
Beyond his technical prowess, Mark is a caring team member with a delightful sense of humor. He consistently makes those around him laugh. He is always willing to lend a hand, offering support and assistance whenever needed, which truly exemplifies his collaborative spirit.” - Lisa Rickards, Senior Designer, Teammate at VML
“Mark was always thinking. ‘Is this right for the client?’ ‘How can we make this better?’ ‘What if we did this...?’ I always appreciated
the way Mark thought as an Art Director, because it meant we were going to get some awesome work--and it would be right on target! - Mark Smither - VP Strategic Director at Paulsen Marketing
“What I love about Mark's work is that he goes away and comes back with some awesome stuff right away. His talents helped me mature to the point that as a company leader, and creative director, I could trust he and my team to deliver outstanding results without my ‘tinkering.’ He's creative and produces beautiful work.“ - Troy McQuillen - Owner of McQuillen Creative Group