Are we asking the right questions?
“What software do you know?” isn’t as useful as – “What software will I need to know in six months?”
“What job titles have you had?” isn’t as telling as – “What projects have you played an active role in?”
What I’ve learned in over 20 years of professional experience is that nothing stands still. New ideas flourish, old tech gets replaced but clarity is more important than ever in our ten-second attention span world. (Recent studies peg average attention spans at 8.25 seconds. And falling.)
The question that matters is – “What are we going to get done today?”
I’m ready for that question.
You can check out videos, illustration samples and additional links at my portfolio site: markfearing portfolio
I designed the logo for eCitydeals and oversaw the creation of the website design and data integration for auctions as well art directing all collateral, sales sheets and merch.
Start with the basics.
Logos, websites, sales sheets, business cards, white papers, marketing collateral (Remember mouse pads?) Taking a brand and making sure it communicates across format, platform and materials – that’s the core job. I’ve had a hand in the online presence of over 50 brands as well as directing the creation of marketing collateral in most every form including: posters for trade shows and outdoor, white papers, B2B materials, business cards, flyers and magazine/newspaper ads. I don’t know how many designers are comfortable in print anymore but I split my time 50-50 between interactive and print focused work.
Video, online games, touch games.
For Transamerica I worked with Creative Director John Hull to create dozens (tens of dozens?) of green screen videos in support of their sales team. The videos featured various stakeholders and sales leads explaining aspects of 401K and retirement options. This work included extensive compositing, motion design and animating original art assets (Adobe After Effects).
Wheel of Fortune was just one of the online games I was art director for, as well as marketing sites for countless other gameshows. Zombie Escape was a never released hybrid digital/touch based game that I created the art and design for.
I designed numerous sales and educational videos for Transamerica including compositing and Muti-format exports. I acted as art director and later creative director for the JEOPARDY! online games including creating the logos and supporting websites. I was the designer of the original Wheel of Fortune online game and art directed the marketing focused website for the relaunch of Card Sharks. I designed the original Math.com logo and website and did the art direction and illustration for a series of tablet based interactive games.
Election The Trivia Game (available on iOS) was an opportunity to art direct the entire app as well as creating over 200 illustrations while designing the UX/UI. Book Reports is an original animated show I created for Dreamworks Online. Various styles of illustration for different projects.
Media is everywhere.
In this media saturated age where does design/art end and engineering/data driven decision making begin? One bridge between these disciplines can be the narrative that underlies your communications. As an illustrator I concentrate on telling stories with images. In the books I write and illustrate, the apps I design and art direct, and my character design the goal remains the same: to communicate using whatever methods, styles and platforms are available in the most appropriate and engaging manner.
Layout, photo clean-up – multiple newspaper ads for the Jolie-Pitt foundation.
I created a book trailer campaign for Holiday House to support the launch of Welcome to Feral. They feature a mix of footage I shot around Portland and motion graphics. They were exported from After Effects with a score created in GarageBand. There are 6 available on my YouTube Channel.
Welcome to Feral book trailer.
2 examples from over 22 online ads for the Reelz channel.
Book Reports is a series of animated shorts for young viewers I created for Dreamworks Online. I wrote, designed, directed and managed production including directing voice records and hiring/directing the composer. They are still available on YouTube with over a combined half million views.
Episode of Book Reports.
Social media (Instagram) for the second graphic novel in the Welcome to Feral series from Holiday House. The campaign includes a mix of reels, stories and graphic posts with crossover to Facebook and Threads. I created the campaign and did all the production. The focus is on under 30 second, music enhanced experiences that showcase the narrative aspects of graphic novels while featuring the art and characters from the books ending, of course, with a compelling call to action: FIND IT - GRAB IT - GET IT which directly appeals to young readers as they drive the purchasing decisions on middle grade books.
Contact me for additional information: mark (at) markfearing.com