Chris
Michalik
Art Director • Graphic Designer • Photographer
About:
Versatile, strategic, and reliable.
I'm an art director and graphic designer with experience in art direction, branding & identity, logos, digital design, websites, social media, print, packaging, out-of-home, UX & UI, video/motion design, and photography. Where I shine is tying those all together into comprehensive brands, campaigns, and design systems.
My background is in agencies, in-house, and freelance. And I've worked on projects for an array of industries—sports, real estate, technology, healthcare, finance, travel & tourism, luxury, retail, lifestyle, and non-profit.
I enjoy the entire creative process—from sketching out ideas to polishing concepts to reviewing final products for accuracy. I thrive on collecting and interpreting data and goals to incorporate into effective design solutions. Being dedicated to my craft, I always strive to expand my skillset and stay up-to-date with evolving technology and trends.
Skills:
Design
Art Direction • Branding • Logo Design • Digital Design • Web Design • Print Design • Social Media • Out-of-Home • Packaging • UX & UI • Motion Design • Layout • Typography • Color Theory
Software
Adobe Photoshop • Adobe Illustrator • Adobe InDesign • Adobe Lightroom • Adobe Premiere Pro • Adobe After Effects • Adobe XD • Adobe Acrobat • Figma • Sketch
Complimentary
Event Photography • Product Photography • Sports Photography • Photo Retouching • Videography • Video Editing • Pre-Press • HTML • CSS • Project Management
History:
Freelance Art Director
The Legacy Theory
09/2020 - Present
Remote
Freelance Designer
Chris Michalik Design
05/2010 - Present
Remote
Art Director
The Spot On Agency
04/2020 - 09/2020
Remote
Graphic Designer
CEA Marketing
09/2016 - 12/2019
Clearwater, FL
Graphic Designer
BioBag Americas
09/2012 - 09/2016
Dunedin, FL
Design Coordinator
Tech Data
07/2007 - 04/2010
Clearwater, FL
Graphic Design Intern
Visit Tampa Bay
02/2007 - 05/2007
Tampa, FL
Education:
Bachelor of Arts
Florida State University
2002 - 2006 | Tallahassee, FL
Major in Marketing/Advertising
Experience:
Design:
- Developed brand assets for clients—logos, color palettes, icons, photography, and brand guidelines
- Designed digital content—banner ads, social media, landing pages, interactive flyers, and emails
- Designed websites incorporating wireframes, design systems, UX, UI, responsive design, and usability
- Designed print deliverables—business cards, letterhead, brochures, flyers, signage, t-shirts, coupons, and out-of-home advertising
- Created videos and motion graphics for social media and event displays
- Designed packaging for the full line of retail products and print plates for the products themselves
- Established templates for recurring projects with up-to-date specs
- Prepared art files for print shops
- Built out presentation decks and mockups for client presentations
- Collaborated with designers, art directors, creative directors, copywriters, and developers
Art Direction & Management:
- Determined data-driven creative and art direction and presented the concepts to clients
- Audited existing client brand guidelines and made recommendations for improvement
- Managed a team of designers, along with collaboration among developers and copywriters
- Directed a team of photographers and social media creators and made shot lists and content plans
- Provided direction, feedback, and guidance to designers, production artists, and interns
- Communicated with clients to pitch concepts, provide recommendations, and interpret feedback
- Established scopes of work, timelines, and estimates for new client projects
- Reviewed work before completion for quality control and adherence to creative concepts
- Reviewed resumes and samples for freelancers and new hires and made hiring recommendations
Photography:
- Photographed events and for print and digital use
- Photographed retail products, including setting up lighting, styling the set, and creating shot lists
- Edited and retouched photos, including on-the-fly at events for immediate use on social media
- Developed brand-specific Lightroom presets for consistency in final products across multiple photographers and events.