Lawrence McLinden: Designer & Illustrator in Woodland Hills, CA

Worked as the sole in-house senior designer, a collection of diversified cannabis lifestyle brands including the Budtender Awards and G4 Live, an annual expo and awards show held in Las Vegas to honor Budtenders and provide lifestyle, innovation, value, and education within the cannabis industry. The 2019 show was held at the Mandalay Bay and was the first-ever cannabis related event on the Las Vegas Strip featuring. We hosted an expo and off-site event in 2021, and another full event again in 2022 with a 3-day expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center and an award show at Kaos nightclub at the Palms. We have featured musicians such as DJ Snoopadelic, Cypress Hill, Travs Barker, The Aquadolls, Jaden Hossler, DJ Spider, and OG Serg. We also host smaller pop-up events throughout the year called Budtender Sessions, which are smaller events for brands to exhibit products and meet other dispensaries, budtenders, and companies while enjoying watching live music and product sampling. Designed for Multiple Mediums: Designed and translated various graphics across many different applications for digital, print, or web. Made sure each comp had the correct color space, dimensions, specifications, correct copy, and all needed info. Designed daily and weekly graphics for scheduled e-blasts, newsletters, and multiple ongoing email campaigns. Internal Collateral: Created, maintained, and updated multiple internal pitch decks, corporate media kits, and marketing material for internal and external circulation. Social Media Graphics: Instagram 1x1, Story size, Twitter, Facebook, and email including needed marketing material for b2b collaborations, partnerships, sponsorships, and cross promotional graphics with other industry brands. Print Production: Designed multiple full-page color print ads for publications such as High Times, Sensi, Culture, Dope, Vegas Cannabis Magazine, and Caribbean Lifestyle. Handled all print advertising and marketing collateral including flyers, postcards, brochures, pamphlets, magazine ads, internal stationery, custom foil-printed tickets, posters, clothing, merchandise, expo booth graphics, event signage, step & repeats, pop-up (and large-scale) banners, and anything else that was needed for CMYK print production. Logo & Branding Identity: Along with designing the Budtender Awards logo, I have done designs for other brands including an Italian agricultural vineyard called Pentola d'Oro, boating product company HookCups, Canadian craft soda company BubbleBud, local competitive gaming company Esports District, and two family-owned culinary companies, Mychael Chang and Ula’s Spices. Experience Design: Created and managed copy decks for three different websites to facilitate team collaboration in order to work on overall messaging, content hierarchy, and structure. Worked in tandem with the web developer to create and maintain digital experiences by providing page layout mockups, assets management on the cloud and shared libraries, component design, imagery prep, and production handoff for development. Utilized Adobe XD and the creative cloud to streamline design, component construction, and team feedback for quickly editing all of our websites in a timely manner. Maintained multiple shared XD links so the team could see up-to-date design changes on all of the websites and provided comments, notes, and suggestions. Administrative Design: Created all internal administrative forms including type-heavy financial documents, banking forms, custom editable long-form PDFs, and any changes/updates to existing documents. Creative Cloud Management: Managed and maintained all digital assets within the Adobe Creative Cloud and Dropbox to facilitate easy access, organization. Collaborated and maintained shared libraries for all team members to use. This includes labeling and grouping assets so they can be found via simple search, facilitating easier work for all. Task Management: Utilized task programs such as Slack and Asana to effectively manage, track, and maintain clear communications regarding directives on assignments resulting in increased workflow and better usage of time with multiple ongoing projects.

As a freelance designer and illustrator, I took on a variety of different projects over this during this time. Some of ranged from website design development for an upcoming Drone News company, illustrated key-art poster and social graphics for indie film Harold by Lunar Fragment Productions, marketing material for the Con Safos film screening, logo redesigns for local small businesses, and a custom composition for a typographic donor wall for the Rand Corporation. For each of these projects, I worked directly with each client on development of a creative brief and agreeable deadlines for asset deliverables. Leveraging a process of targeted research, exploration, and a thorough understanding of audience and application, I worked alongside each client to help develop creative content tailored specifically to each project requirement. Graphic Design: Worked on poster key art production and movie billing for an independent film called Con Safos by Jimmy Velarde Illustration: Created custom illustration for “Harold”, an independent film by Lunar Fragment Productions. Collaborated with the director and executive producer to visualize ideas for the poster key art from sketch to final digital production. Experience Design: Worked on designs for a Drone News aggregator website. Designed the logo and helped with creating the content hierarchy, structure and aesthetic of all the pages. Worked directly with development team to ensure page-design efficacy and applicable components suitable for the content Screen Printing: Built a small at-home screen printing studio to make custom t-shirts and other prints. Along with shirts, I made posters, birthday/holiday cards, flyers, and leaflets for both personal and commissioned work.

During this time, I worked as one of two internal designers at an award-winning digital branding & marketing agency specializing in creative marketing experiences and emotional engagement. Worked with multiple top-tier brands within the technology, healthcare, financial, life-style, and Non-Profit industries. Duties included working alongside the project manager and art director on a variety of different creative campaigns, smaller internal project-based briefs, logo design, website design systems and content layout, internal portfolio management, corporate pitch deck design, packaging, and assets for social media marketing. Sourced photography from Getty Images, and other royalty-free sites and experience designing within, and updating, complex brand guidelines from brands such as Graphisoft, Edwards LifeSciences, Agilent Technologies, National Charity League, and the Cancer Support Community. Experience Design: Created page layouts for a private consulting firm focusing on assisting clients in accelerated revenue growth through integration of sales and marketing, and layouts for Edwards LifeSciences New Heart Valve. Branding Identity: Helped develop visual brand identities and assets for private consulting firm MarketingPoint, along with logo designs for a mobile app called SeatWaiter specializing in large scale stadium food-to-seat delivery systems. Also worked on logo and website design for an E-Juice company called Island Vape-n-Vibes. Also helped design online marketing assets, web content, digital banners, and e-fliers for the National Charity League. Also helped develop logo design ideas and visual concepts for CAPNA Fabrication, a cannabis-based extraction company. Print Design: Designed stationery collateral, standing banners, and corporate presentations for the Cancer Support Community Internal Client Projects: Assisted with digital banner design, corporate presentations, and design assets for paid social media marketing for By Design, a digital video series for Graphisoft. Also updated layout content of complementary medical inserts, patient brochures, and interpretation manuals for Agilent Technologies, an American public research, development and manufacturing company In-House Duties: Worked with Art Director and Creative Director to update, organize and manage multiple internal design portfolios (online and print), and managed project files and digital assets within the server

As a graphic designer and Illustrator for the Impact Design Hub, I worked with local non-profit organizations and their communities to build brand identity and awareness through targeted design strategies and engaging audiences through social media and web. Met with organization leaders to discuss design needs and worked in small teams to coordinate, assess, and implement client design needs through identity/logo rebranding, social media campaigns, redesigning their website, corporate presentations, and print/digital marketing material. Non-Profit Work: Worked with non-profits such as North Valley Caring Service (NVCS), MEND Poverty, Topanga Police Activities Youth Program, Council for Child Abuse Prevention, Los Angeles Police Department Community Relationship Division, International Child Advocacy Network (YES I Can), Los Angeles Fire Department, San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, Enrich LA, and Women’s National Book Association. Also helped with designing presentation slides for MEND Poverty’s corporate pitch deck. Brand Identity: Worked with a small design team to update logo, social media presence, photography, marketing collateral, website updates, and video content for North Valley Caring Services. Worked directly with motion graphics designer and Illustrated content and assets for a short video animatic for NVCS. Photographed and recorded community holiday events for a promotional/outreach video. Met with program directors and administrators to determine what was needed for the brand and developed creative identity assets accordingly.

As the Community Engagement Service Scholar, I worked directly with the Professor/Creative Director and University Graduate Advisor to design, coordinate, and administer the 2016 CESL Student Introductory Manual for the community engagement course, time sheets, and other relevant course material for students. Also helped with daily duties, tasks, and other needed administrative design work related to the course, and relevant to the students. Administrative Design: Worked directly with University Graduate Advisor to set up and manage access to S4 online student database where student/NPO activities were tracked and cataloged. Student Assistant: Helped students access and fill out pre/post evaluation forms and log correct hours for current projects. Designed, managed, and implemented student timesheets for multiple community engagement courses. Also helped students with filling out pre/post course evaluation forms and logging hours on the S4 database. Handled all administrative design needs and assisted the creative director with daily tasks.

A student-run creative agency which worked extensively with on-campus and off-campus clients. As a designer and Illustrator, I worked on a variety of projects within the print and digital mediums. This included brand identity campaigns, visual signage systems, illustrative murals, print design, logos, poster illustration, stationery, marketing collateral, mobile app design, website development, and integrated visual marketing for other campus-related events and institutions. Clients included small startup businesses, Comic-Con Palm Springs, The Annenberg Space for Photography, ImPowered Learning, and on-campus University organizations. As project manager, I met and corresponded with clients to understand project requirements and worked with the design team and other web developers, designers, animators, and illustrators to ensure all facets of client objectives were met ahead of schedule.Also worked with offsite printers, vendors, print templates, file production, and the final print process. Corresponded directly with art directors and clients to ensure understanding of objectives and provide clients with updates and receive feedback. Based on our specific disciplines, we worked in small teams along with a project manager to handle a variety of projects from concept to final deliverable. Working closely with the client to envision and plan the project’s needs and outcome, we collaborated as a team to provide visual solutions via a thorough understanding of each project through research, process, and execution. Print Production: Designed an 18-page tabletop flip menu for the University Pub Sports Grill, an on-campus restaurant affiliated with the University Student Union; worked with professional photographer and restaurant staff for product photoshoot and item selection for menu update. Used Adobe InDesign to create pages for the menu and prepare for print production. Logos: Worked on logo design concepts and basic marketing material for Carbon Public Relations, a small consulting business specializing in helping other small startups. Design & Illustration: Designed custom poster concepts for CSUN’s Annual Provost Colloquium lecture “Surrendering Information Through the Looking Glass: Trust Transparency, and Protection”. Also worked on custom Snapchat Geo-filters which were submitted on behalf of the Annenberg Space for Photography. Submitted logo design concepts for Stan Lee’s 2016 Comic Con Palm Springs convention event. Developed Rorschach-based design concepts for The Freudian Sip, a College University coffee chain. The designs were to be used for signage, interior artwork, pattern designs, and business marketing/print collateral throughout the business. Brand Identity: Worked on logo concepts, stationery design, standing banners, a mobile app landing page, and brochure for ImPowered Learning, a business specializing in developing software designed to help students with learning retention. Also developed logo concept and accompanying flier for “Chris Kizomba”, a small business and dance instructor centered around the Angolan style of dance known as Kizomba. University Collateral: Worked with CSUN’s The University Corporation and University Student Union on campus event marketing, signage, promotional posters/flyers, and other small to medium scale design assets.

As the assistant designer, I was tasked with working on a variety of in-house designs, as well as campus-wide branding and student outreach initiatives. Worked with University branding/style guides, and large format printers for promotional banners and oversized print jobs. Managed and created various assets to use for digital signage across campus departments. Branded Content: Worked on a wide variety of University branded material including In-house collateral, student marketing/ outreach material, E-fliers, digital campus advertisements, administrative/admittance packets for incoming students, flers, posters, scholastic book fair flyers/marketing material, and direct mailers for student intake. Updated CSUN’s Mobile Transit e-flier content, and digital advertisement uploaded around campus displays. Also utilized CSUN's branding guide to edit and implement changes to new and existing design material throughout the University. Team Collaboration: Worked directly with Senior Designer and Office Director to ensure creative objectives were met early and deliverables sent out accordingly. Took project directives from the senior designer and effectively translated them into designs fitting the parameters of the creative brief. Print Production: Used large-scale printers and corresponding digital formats for specialty banners and custom print jobs for in-house and campus-wide usage. Adhered to a specific production method including CMYK formatting, PDF preparation, and tiling graphics with oversized print jobs.

While working as a clerk, some of my main library duties included managing and maintaining library material and working the front circulation desk. Occasionally helped with setup and breakdown of library events, special guest speakers, group meetings, and volunteer events. Also maintained organization of collection, and general cleanliness of library. Familiar with cash registers and handling money for account fees, new cards, print jobs, Friends of the Calabasas Library, used books, and library merchandise. Worked with a small team of other clerks, managers, librarians, and city staff. Customer Service: Worked mostly at the front circulation desk where I was tasked with managing patron accounts utilizing the library’s online system for materials and accounts. Helped patrons check materials in and out, answered phones, and worked the register for damaged books fines and late fees. Also called patrons to inform them of pending holds placed on items. Account Management: Used the library’s online account management system to create new library cards, lookup material, help patrons manage and check their accounts, and information data input. Also filed hard-copy records after issuing library cards and inputting the data into the system. Inventory Maintenance: Primary daily duties were general upkeep and management of library materials including checking book drops and checking them in, making sure material was damage-free before scanning back into the system, re-shelving multiple times a day, and making sure it was in accordance with the dewey decimal classification system. Also kept stock of circulation desk materials and supplies before orders were placed.

As a Page at CBS Television City I worked in various parts of the studio including on-set during shows such as The Price is Right, Dancing with the Stars, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Young & The Restless, Real Time with Bill Maher, Deal or No Deal, The Tyra Banks Show, Biggest Loser, Rockstar INXS, and American Idol. Also assumed more administrative office roles when not working on live show tapings. Customer Service: Assisted with audience coordination before, during, and after show tapings, answering questions, showing patrons where to go during their visit, helping out on-set with whatever was needed from the audience coordinators, and general assistance around the sets and corresponding studios. Also tasked with working the front-lot ticket window on Fairfax boulevard distributing vouchers for a chance to be in one of the live tapings. Had patrons fill-out forms with basic information and escorted the line of people into the lot when it was time for the audience to come on-set. Worked closely with each show’s audience coordinators to assist with ushering audience members in and out of the studio stage area. Also helped with checking and verifying guest tickets, seating location, and helping backstage when necessary. Duties also included prepping the stage area prior to audience arrival and helping clean up after everyone left. Accounting: Occasionally tasked with working in the accounting department window distributing employee checks and documentation. Human Resources: Also worked around the HR department as an office runner, answering phones, internal data entry, filing ticket records, mail sorting/dispersal, and assisting with whatever was needed at that time from the office manager and director.