EILEEN LEEDS | Visual Design | Data Visualization | Art Direction

New York Metro Area | hello@eileenleeds.com | 646 283 9053 | www.eileenleeds.com | Also known as Eileen Fitzgerald Smith

SKILLS

Experienced Editorial & Marketing Content Designer

  • Adobe Captivate & Camtasia: Instructional design tools for online learning & digital communications.

  • Adobe Captivate Specialist: Certified by Adobe in 2019.

  • Adobe Creative Suite: Expert in InDesign | Photoshop | Illustrator | Acrobat Pro | Mac & PC

  • Content Management Systems: Significant experience in designing and operating within editorial CMS systems - CCI/Newsgate, and Atex/Hermes.

  • Data Visualization: Raw data and numbers interpreted for presentations for local, national and worldwide audiences. Trained in Tableau Public.

  • HTML and CSS: Basic coding understanding.

  • Illustration: Very strong digital and natural media styles. Editorial and diagram type subjects. Maps also a specialty.

  • Photography: Very strong photo editing, photo illustration, Videolicious production, photo retouching and digital photography skills.

  • Sketch & Marvel: Proficient in producing prototypes in these applications, among others.

  • Storyports: Trained in Newsletter production.

  • Template production: Plan, build and organize visual components for use by designers and automated production

  • Visual Design & Prototyping: From overarching design concept to content production in CMS systems & Adobe Creative Suite.

  • Written word: From story concepts to headlines and explanatory writing.


TRAINING

  • Adobe Captivate Training | Adobe Learning Conference 2018 — Indepth training led by top Adobe evangelists, yearly certification event.

  • CCI/Newsgate CMS — Trained inhouse at Hearst by CMS system experts.

  • GeneralAssemb.ly — User Experience Circuit | Data Analysis Circuit

  • www.oreilly.com — Annual subscriber (since 2008) to leading digital industry library and learning paths products.

EDUCATION

Fashion Institute of Technology — BA, Illustration & Design Quinnipiac University — Instructional Design - Masters in Education program - in process 2019School of Visual Arts & Pratt — Digital design studies

EXPERIENCE


DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER / CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYNThe Tablet, News publications and digital products.DeSales Media group - Brooklyn, NYMay 2019 - June 2020Redesign and produce 100 year old weekly newspaper for the Brooklyn Catholic diocese, including Queens county audience. Produce special sections. Build content workflows that support digital content interfaces that service readers.Convert production system to Adobe InDesign and InCopy to streamline publishing, with a goal of larger distribution of original content beyond the Brooklyn NY diocese. Train staff in new software and workflows based on standard publishing industry techniques.Interface with news director, editors, reporters, digital teams and marketing.Confer with Marketing and Instructional teams weekly.Interview potential production sources such as freelancers and printers.Modify news product workflows. Pursue workflow automation.Improve visual product quality.
SENIOR DESIGNER / HEARST CONNECTICUT MEDIA GROUP Fairfield County, CT / NYC Metro AreaJan. 2014 – Oct. 2018 Lead designer for Hearst Connecticut Media Group’s daily news and feature sections — including explanatory graphics.Redesigned multiple local Fairfield County weeklies under the direction of the editor in chief to add lively visual context to the usual local news. Repackaged standard news sections to improve reader engagement. Built templates for automated and manual use by editorial production staff.Developed workflow and production methods to expedite content design on deadline. Initiated push for Hearst CT reporters to edit datasets in Excel and Google Sheets.Boosted audience engagement for Hearst Connecticut Media digital editions utilizing social media channels and native advertising to promote content. Maintained product identity in all phases of content creation.Awards Recognition: 2014 Hearst Corporation award for my contributions to the development of the digital newspaper editions — content, design & social media outreach — resulting in a spike in digital edition page views and digital subscription activations. Social media was folded into the project to support and advertise the campaign promoting a 2014 digital edition look-back at the posters of the Gathering of the Vibes. I created the product and a team that included the social media manager and digital producers to plan and produce images and copy to invite and entice Hearst Connecticut readership to activate their digital edition access.Awards Recognition: Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (CTSPJ)>> Second Place 2017 - Circulation >40K — Page One — Trump’s Supporters>> First Place 2014 - Circulation >40K — Page One — Ruins Reborn series>> First Place 2014 - Circulation >40K — Informational Graphic — Ruins Reborn series
SENIOR NEWS & INFORMATION DESIGNER NEW YORK DAILY NEWS New York, N.Y.Mar. 2000 – Dec. 2013International & local audiencesProduced multiple complex news product presentations daily using Adobe Creative Suite and CMS applications.Developed a method for repurposing print visuals into web presentations for our newsroom graphics workflow.Brainstormed with top-editors to develop and formalize presentations of daily news stories for local and global audiences.Researched and edited written content for graphics. Wrote headlines. Supported the newsroom design department by constructing cloud computing tools to improve group communications.Sought initiatives such as SND.org (Society for News Design) membership to raise profile of NYDN Design Departments.
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER | AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICESSoutheast Region Savannah, GA, HQ | Tri-state office 1997 – 1999 ARC Blood Services, Southeast Region media go-to person at HQ in Savannah, GA. Responded directly to three-state media outlets about regional blood donation events in order to improve blood donor influx. Informed local public about regional blood supply levels during emergency events. Maintained communications with the National ARC HQ.Devised blood donor campaigns that inspired public and repeat donors to give blood. Local and nationally themed messages. Designed and managed all print and collateral item production. Oversaw all vendors.Wrote regional HQ corporate communications during a realignment of ARC Blood Service offices in three states.
FREELANCE MEDIA DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION | Variety of clients | Ongoing