Senior Multimedia and Print Designer

Education: Born and schooled in Kenya, (East Africa). Completed ‘A’ Levels.

Post ‘O’ Levels: 3 year National Diploma – Fine Art Major
Natal College of Art, South Africa
Additional 2 years Graphic Design – Portsmouth College of Art, UK.

‘Clients’ - (past & present): -
Several international Ad Agencies, including – Lintas. Lindsay Smithers. Ogilvy Mather. BBDO.
Saatchi & Saatchi. JWT. Greys. Y & R. Sonnenberg. TBWA Hunt Lascaris. Murphy Leo Burnett....

Direct to companies, such as – Cadbury Schweppes. Coca-Cola. Barclays Bank. Air France. Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Pharmaceuticals. Scherag Pharmaceuticals. Ciba Geigy. Colgate. Johnson & Johnson. Clover/Danone (Dairy). Metal Box. South African Breweries. Standard Chartered Bank. Revlon. Esteé Lauder. L’Oreal. The Sun newspaper London. EDS. MST Communications London . Retec Interface . Astron/KPMG ......

Personal - (Self description):

"SENIOR DESIGNER/ARTIST - PRINT / MULTIMEDIA / ONLINE
INCLUDING: 2D & 3D CONTENT, ANIMATION”

After graduating in Fine Art, I lectured and freelanced in design and illustration in London while developing and ‘pioneering’ in digital design, where over the years I have worked successfully across the span of the visual & digital communications industry – In ‘hands-on’ and Art Direction / Design Management capacities.

I believe I am now regarded as a ‘highly experienced and versatile creative Digital and Print Designer / Manager’ with a very broad range of traditional and digital skills, that begin with client facing and briefing… and extend through the entire process of design & graphics for print media, GUI / Digital Design and interactive authoring for Multimedia and Online / Web…

I have advanced knowledge of the major ‘studio standard’ software…for stills and animation in 2D and 3D
(See my skill-set further in this CV)

Known as an exceptionally dedicated and self-motivated worker, I am described as ‘passionate’ and I strive for excellence in every aspect of my work….
Please review my media and software skills listed below…with sample work on my website.


Work history – From most recent.....

July 2006 to December 2006 – I have held three contract positions with three different companies:

I am currently completing a contract as a Digital Designer with Astron / KPMG in Watford. Although I was brought in for my multimedia skills, specifically assisting with design and production of interactive CDs and Flash animations, the other (and primary) function is the creation of branded
‘E-newsletters’, ‘E-Invitations’, Flash newsletters, Powerpoint presentations and making ‘Accessible PDF documents’. Software/skills used included – After Effects 7.0, PhotoshopCS, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Flash, Fireworks, ImageReady, Dreamweaver, HTML, Acrobat Pro

October 2006 – With Retec Interface Ltd. My function there was to cover for the digital designer, working on their Wool Worths account ‘touch-screen’ animations. Primary software used included After Effects 7.0, Photoshop, Cinema4D, Word, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere…

Three months as acting ‘Creative Director’/Senior Designer (Hands-on) for an agency named ‘Effective Marketing’ in Windsor. Required to design and produce a variety of corporate brochures, corporate Image, mailers, exhibition stand designs - from client facing, briefing, concept presentation to print-ready output.
Software used included – Quark, Illustrator CS, PhotoshopCS, Office, Cinema4D (3 D), FlashMX 2004…

MST Communications - I completed a second multimedia project for the communications agency - This project for a conference held at St Andrews in Scotland, comprised a series of ad campaigns, press releases, webcasts, ‘dummy internet’, DVD videos and an interactive CD with synchronized slides to video… I was involved in most aspects of design and production on this collective presentation, as well as being required to collate and author the final DVD and CD…(Again, this project called on all my skills and knowledge of design-fro-print , 3D modeling and animation and multimedia/web..
http://rossenrode-art.co.uk/MMedia.html
[Software used included – PhotoshopCS, IllustratorCS, DreamweaverMX, FireworksMX, FlashMX, DirectorMX, Word/Powerpoint, Acrobat Pro 7.0, Final Cut Pr0, Premiere, Cinema4D…]

February to May 2006 - A recently completed large DVD multimedia project for NATS (National Air Traffic Services), through their communications and events agency in London…
This project required my knowledge of a variety of software – including Illustrator, Photoshop, Powerpoint, Office, Acrobat, Flash, Director MX 2004, Premiere, Cinema4D, Final Cut Pro & Soundtrack…
The final product included full-screen video, voice activated slide presentations and interactive PDF documents and charts…. I authored the composite project in Macromedia Director to DVD and CD. In addition, I designed and created the artwork for the disk cover and labels.
http://rossenrode-art.co.uk/MMedia.html

March 2005 to January 2006
I was ‘contract working’ for the international company EDS - (Specifically for the ‘HMPS / EDS Offender Management’ account) –
For EDS I designed and completed a number of varied projects, including – their large-scale Intranet website; Flash newsletters; posters; mailers; brochures; 3D interactive ‘journeys’; Acrobat and online response survey forms…etc.
To view ‘cut-back’ URL, as per client request -http://www.rossenrode-art.co.uk/Repository/EDSframeset3.html
[Software used included – Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, DreamweaverMX, FlashMX, DirectorMX, Word/Powerpoint/Excel, Acrobat Pro 7.0, Final Cut Pr0, Premiere, Combustion, Cinema4D…]

Feb to April of 2005,
I spent a brief three months as a senior designer and illustrator for Watermark Publishing. Producing greeting cards, gift wrapping, soft toy and packaging / visualizing in 2 & 3D…My role was varied and I should mention included my being requested to instruct and train the studio staff in the use of newer graphic software as well as identifying and instructing on more viable and efficient studio/creative output, methods and procedure.

May 2001 – March 2005,
I worked with News International - (The Sun Newspaper) - in London - My primary role there was, to introduce and 'assist' the Graphics Department, specifically in the new area, (for them), in creating 3D graphics…. Although the role emphasis was on creating and producing information graphics, artwork & illustrations for the daily newspaper editions, the position also included designing and creating a variety of support graphics - for outdoor hoardings, magazines, mailers, promotional items, (such as CD cover artwork), as well as graphics for their web site.
[Primary software included – Photoshop, Illustrator, Poser, Cinema4D, Quark, Freehand, Flash, Bryce]

Before that, I was based in South Africa –
I was joint owner/director and partner in a specialised multimedia design company we named – AnimMate. Based near Johannesburg, we established this company to fill a ‘niche’ market providing a ‘truly’ multimedia design service to advertising and ‘interactive’ agencies; design companies; ‘blue-chip’ corporations and own clients – The company not only provided a ‘through-the-line’ design service, but extended to designing exhibition stands, creating ‘sales presentations’ and training aids – in video, CD, DVD, packaging and print…
As Creative Director of the company, my other functions naturally included client facing, presentation, briefing and project management… in addition to employing and training our creative staff.
(see URL: http://www.animmate.com/ … The ‘lads’ are still going strong out there, although I see they have now focused completely on 3D, TV and film effects!)
[Our ‘flagship software’ there was Alias Maya… in addition to the ‘usual studio standard’ applications…]

1982 – South Africa – Art Director / Senior Designer – medical agency named ‘Graphic Advertising Services’. In addition to client facing, briefing and hands-on, the position also required concept & visualising to briefing and art directing the studio graphic artists. The studio design and output was ATL and BTL… and included sales and ‘detail-aids’, media advertising and broad-range pharmaceutical packaging and Point of Sale…

1978 - South Africa – Senior Package Designer / Artworker / Illustrator -
Company – Metal Box South Africa.
Position held for four years. Although the focus was naturally on ‘tinplate’ and alloy packaging, we also designed for corrugated card, glass and ‘flexible’… In addition to packaging design and finished artwork, this position required my participation in client liaison and presentation, Preparing demographics and assisting the market research department with target identity and marketing and strategy. Other functions included – Exhibition Stand design & construction, TV Commercial storyboarding and art direction, (for Metal Box).

SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE: (‘Competent’ to Expert, on listed software below)

On PC / NT / Windows: -
Photoshop CS; Freehand 10; Quark; Illustrator CS; InDesignCS; Aura; Adobe AfterEffects; Director 7/8/MX; Adobe Premiere6.0; (Adobe/Macromedia suites), Corel Painter; SketchUp; Visio; Acrobat 7 Pro; Fireworks; Dreamweaver; Flash ImageReady; Powerpoint; Alias Wavefront Maya; and Cinema 4D… (++)

On Apple Mac platform: - (OS 9; OSX ‘Tiger’)
Painter 9.0; Photoshop CS; Freehand 9/10; Illustrator 9/10/CS; Quark; InDesign; Acrobat; Flash 4/5/MX; Adobe CS Suite, Macromedia MX Suite, (Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks); Premiere; Final Cut Pro; Combustion; Adobe After Effects; Lightwave; Maya; Cinema4D R8; BodyPaint....( & several lesser known apps... such as - Poser, Toon Boom, Bryce)

Skills: My skills are varied yet comprehensive:

(i) - ‘DIGITAL’ SKILLS: - On both MAC and PC
My digital skills virtually encompass the spectrum of the visual and communication industry...

Graphic Design / Illustration / Packaging / Publishing / Print / Prepress
From concept design to final output – and from ‘through-the-line’, advertorial, print, packaging, copywriting, to corporate Image, information graphics, exhibition, POS and 3D…

Multimedia/Online – Still and motion graphics and design, for a range of output, including – Web, CD/DVD, Director or Powerpoint presentation, Webcast, Special Effects, architectural ‘fly-throughs’,
3D modeling++
I have an above average knowledge of Java, Actionscript, HTML, CSS, DHTML…

(ii) - ‘TRADITIONAL’ SKILLS: -
Most ‘Fine Art’ mediums, including - Oils. Acrylics. Gauche. Pen/Ink. Airbrush. Markers. Pastel. Pencil...

I work from, concept linear, renderings, story boards, final art, to mixed media and (high-end) illustration, for such diverse production needs as - greeting cards; medical, industrial, and retail packaging, newspapers... etc., etc. {However, much of the aforementioned has translated to ‘digital creation’ now}.


1977 – Returned to South Africa from London:- ‘Art Directed’ a small design studio in Durban, (Natal).... In reality, I was everything from, cleaner/coffee-maker, to art director and accounts manager!

After completing college in the UK, I was employed as the Designer / Visualiser / artworker - (for 1.5 years), by a company based in Dorking, (south of London). The company, named Assagai Designs, manufactured exclusive custom-designed furniture.

I have held five Fine Art exhibitions over the years, in England and South Africa -

Hobbies and interests:

Photography, theatre, music, people & cultures, travel & several sports, (& pretty much most things of an ‘exploratory’

Online & Interactive CD portfolio available... or PDF samples on request.