Chris Szostek
chriszostek@mac.com
www.szostekdesign.com

My creativity, dedication, and quick learning skills will make me an asset to any team or project. I have handled projects of various sizes and styles; from corporate insurance companies to independent Chicago based bands. I am looking for a position as an in-house creative or as a long-term freelance agent.

Education
The Illinois Institute of Art
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree
Multimedia and Web Design, 2002

Northern Illinois University
One year Focus in Fine Arts
& Traditional Design

Elgin Community College
Associates Degree in
Visual Art 1999

Technical Skills
Illustrator, Photoshop, Premier, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Quark, In Design, Sound Forge, Drupal, Final Cut HD, Microsoft Office Suite.

Traditional Skills
Airbrush, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration and Sketching, Life Drawing, Oil Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Video Art, Storyboarding, Typographic Design.

Freelance Work History
Sky Cam Productions.
Revamped and cleaned up their company logo.

Real Dropzone.
Real Dropzone is a software package being developed for “drop zones” to help them streamline the process of online registrations and pre-payments as well as internal office management in the skydiving community. I created the logo and identity for the software and worked hand in hand with the developer on the graphics and layout of the website.

Negative Gain Productions.
-NGP+ or Negative Gain Productions is a Chicago area record label that I have had a long and wonderful work relationship with. My most recent project has been the layout design for the debut CD for the band “DEFCON” as well as handling their web site design, t-shirt desig and promotional materials.

Optio Design.
Optio Design is owned and run by myself and two other individuals, it is a source of freelance work in the form of web design and graphic design. I have created the logo for this collective, as well as all promotional materials.I have developed logos for a variety of companies through Optio Design, from a custom home renovation company to a travel agency.
optiodesign.com

Precious Possessions.
I was the lead for the graphics end of this company, everything from graphic design for print and web to content management of products being sold. As well I was the liaison between the company owner and the web developers based in Chicago and the Ukraine. preciousltd.com the sister site is marketeersamerica.com of which I handled the complete graphic development.

General Work History

Signs Now in South Elgin
I am the creative designer at a sign shop. We make everything from basic landscaping signs out of cut vinyl to banners, indestructible park signs, vehicle wraps and any other sign beyond neon. My designs won the 2007 contract for pole banners around South Elgin as well, I have designed signs for East Avenue Park in South Elgin that will be up for the next 20 years. Every day presents me with a new project and a new challenge.

Digital People Creative Staffing
Assignment History
Black Dot, magazine publishing services.
Pre-press, assembly, imaging, and data security.

Accomplishments
Artimation Festival 2001. Two video entries shown at the AMC 30 movie theater in Barrington, Illinois.

A word version of my resume is availible here