Hi There - I'm Stefanie

If you're looking for an experienced digital designer to not only execute stunning work, but also provide you with feedback, insights, and assistance in all things design - I'd love to hear from you! I’ve brought & continue to bring companies success by being an integral part of the team - challenging the norms of what composition & moving image can be in 2019 and beyond.

I'm a branding specialist, illustrator, video editor, motion graphics artist, Photoshop wizard, and UI/UX designer always looking for opportunities in Chicago, IL. Currently, I'm freelancing for WTTW Chicago/PBS using both still & motion skills in a highly collaborative production environment.
 
Prior to that I was the Creative Manager at Prevail Health, a small but nimble startup looking to make mental health assistance affordable & convenient for everyone. Even earlier, I cut my teeth as the Designer-turned-Creative-Lead at Mediafly, Inc., a local software company. I’m always ready for new adventures so please feel free to reach out!

Have a look at my full portfolio and if you're as excited about the possibility of us collaborating as I am, I'd love to hear from you! Let's grab coffee and discuss how we can work together to tackle challenges, come up with innovative solutions, and take your finished products to the next level.

How To Contact:

stefanie@stefaniecollection.com | 847.571.3281
@Stefanie.Collection on Instagram
LinkedIn Profile Page | Résumé
No recruiting companies or other solicitors, please.

Achievements:

WTTW/Chicago PBS | Freelance graphic designer | 2015 - Present
  • Invited back to freelance at WTTW/Chicago PBS at a steady number of days/week. Responsibilities include on-air still and animated graphics for nightly news hour Chicago Tonight, pledge drives, and other PBS programming. My last run is continuing into 2019 and I am still in very good standing with WTTW. I am “on call” anytime they need further freelance, 2015 - Present.
  • Created many animations for the national PBS documentary series “The 10 That Changed America: Season 2”, Fall 2017-Spring 2018.
  • Freelanced motion & graphic design for the WTTW documentaries “Street Smarts: Architect David M. Schwarz”, “The Power of Simplicity: Architect Scott Merrill”, and "Architects Marc & Nada Breitman" about recipients of the annual Richard H. Driehaus Prize given out by the University of Notre Dame, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, & Spring 2018 respectively.
  • Provided additional freelance graphic & motion design for the national PBS documentary series “The 10 That Changed America: Season 1”, Winter 2015.
Prevail Health | Creative Manager | 2017
  • Hired as the Creative Manager at Prevail Health after a very lengthy & competitive interview & hiring process. Hired to be in charge of everything design such as our apps, corporate site, marketing/biz dev materials, UI/UX, general branding and much more, January 2017.
  • Worked closely with the Prevail Health CEO & business development team to improve the company’s corporate site, PrevailHealth.com. Their custom Wordpress theme had fallen into disrepair & desperately needed fixes, especially responsively. Fixed up the buggy theme using a combination of HTML, CSS, and PHP - with a bit of Javascript as well. While I was at it, I also updated all of the outdated (and in some places incorrectly sized) corporate site illustrations to new custom images, Spring 2017.
  • Collaborated with & created all of the new UI designs for the Prevail Health development team on a schedule of 2-week sprints, 2017.
Mediafly, Inc. | Creative Lead | 2013 - 2014
  • Promoted from Designer to Creative Lead at Mediafly for excellence in managing the brand and continued growth in all aspects of design, January 2013.
  • Participated in a complete visual rebranding of Mediafly, Spring 2014.
  • Instrumental in website strategy and launch (Mediafly.com's WordPress transition, Fall 2011, Mediafly.com's transition to a new custom child theme, May 2013, and assistance in launching the revamped Mediafly.com, May 2014).
  • Knowledge of creating a new product from MVP stage to launch & beyond with Mediafly's SalesKit™ self-serve offering, Fall 2013.
  • Assisted in managing Mediafly’s creative interns in both 2011 and 2014.
Mediafly, Inc. | Designer | 2010 - 2012
Columbia College Chicago | BA, Interactive Arts & Media - Digital Media Technology | 2006 - 2010
  • Graduated with honors from Columbia College Chicago in May, 2010 with a BA degree in Interactive Arts & Media, Digital Media Technology.
  • Obtained & kept the Columbia College Chicago Presidential Scholarship with a 3.964 GPA.
  • Made the Columbia College Chicago Dean's List all four years.
  • Exhibited a video installation at Chicago's Hyde Park Art Center in 2009 (Blue, 2009)
  • Summer/winter job was working at the Apple Store Old Orchard as a Mac Specialist. Highlights include working the first iPhone launch, 2006-2008.
  • First graphic design job was volunteering design work at the Glenview Public Library in spring of 2006.

Skills:

Areas of Expertise
Software Proficiencies
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Sketch App
  • HTML/CSS
  • WordPress Themes
  • Google Earth Pro
  • Red Giant Trapcode Suite
  • Final Cut Pro ver. 7 and below
  • InVision
  • HootSuite
  • Email on Acid (for email blast creation & testing)
  • Litmus (for web/email blast creation & testing)
  • Weebly Themes
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
General
  • Mac OSX
  • iOS
  • Windows
  • Storyboard & Paper Mockup Creation
  • Brand Research
  • Blog Writing & Editing
  • Time management
  • Product management
  • Intern management

What People are Saying

"With her fresh design eye, prolific output and enthusiasm, Stefanie is a valuable team member!"

- Linda Fox,
Art Director, WTTW/Chicago PBS
"I had the privilege and honor to work with Stefanie for the past few years. When Mediafly was in its formative stage Stefanie filled the role of marketer, designer, creative lead, and many more. And she handled these roles with incredible creativity and talent. We are sad to see her go but excited about her next adventure. She will always be a member of the Mediafly family!"

- Carson Conant,
CEO, Mediafly, Inc.
"It was a pleasure to watch Stef develop and grow during the four years she was with Mediafly.  During that time she successfully led a number of critical design projects and her efforts were foundational in establishing the Mediafly enterprise software brand."

- John Evarts,
CFO, Mediafly, Inc.
"Stef excels in creativity on demand. She finds this great, unique balance between being thorough in gathering requirements and rigid on deadlines, while being flexible enough able to create something from nothing. It's refreshing to work with someone who delivers on both the quality and pace that business requires."

- Luke Martin,
Manager of Services, Mediafly, Inc.
"I think Stefanie's graphic design work speaks for itself. Her art work is beautifully done and although I did not work in her department anything we ever requested from her was completed WELL AHEAD of schedule. I -love- the 404 milk carton and the 500 Airport terminal signs, they are a great example of humor and functionality that captures her amazing personality. As for her personality, she is a joy to work with. She seems to get along with everyone and I loved working with her on our collaborations. Saying she is a great, loyal teammate would be an understatement."

- Karl Grzeszczak,
Senior Software Engineer, Mediafly, Inc.
"As someone new to start-ups, working with a creative manager like Stefanie was a wonderful experience and an honor. One of the biggest lessons I've learned from her (and apply on daily basis) is to focus on the user/customer and success will follow. Her eye for detail, her creativity, and passion for her work showed in every mock up and every feature we implemented. I could always count on her to take the ideas we presented and bring them to life. I miss working with her daily but know she out there raising the bar with any project she is a part of!"

- Nupur Raval,
Program Manager, Prevail Health, Inc.
"Stefanie is an intelligent and motivated digital design expert with vast knowledge in her field. I worked with Stefanie while she was the Creative Manager at Prevail Health, and I was continually impressed by her skill, determination, and ability to adapt. She always welcomed conversation and collaboration, and I could always rely on her to produce excellent work. Stefanie would be an exceptional leader and team member at any organization."

- Dominic Sawaya,
Contracts, Compliance & Finance Manager, Prevail Health, Inc.
"This recommendation is long overdue but Stefanie is a wonderful teammate and designer. She has a great eye for detail and in her role as Creative Manager at Prevail Health she helped set the tone for a fast-paced, hard-working startup team consistently putting in the time and energy to lead by example.
Stef also has a very warm and empathetic personality that was reflected in her design choices. Building a product in the online mental health space is a delicate process, but Stef was always able to put together new technical, clinical, and business requirements while still designing a friendly and consistent user experience that allowed our web and native mobile app users to better understand our product and how it could help them. Would gladly work with her again in almost any setting."

- Benjamin Newman,
Software Developer, Prevail Health, Inc.

Interests & Hobbies

  • Running - Furthest race was the Soldier Field 10 Miler in May 2013:
  • Chicago Music Festivals - Especially Lollapalooza, Spring Awakening, Riot Fest, and North Coast.
  • Video Games - Especially Diablo 3 and League of Legends.
  • Tea - All kinds of tea but especially fruity ones. My current favorite is this black banana-coconut tea.
  • Makeup & Skincare - I love creating new looks and then rinsing them all off with fancy cleansers!
  • Traveling the Midwest for Nine Inch Nails shows - 15 shows in 4 states & counting!
  • Music - My all-time favorites include: Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, HEALTH, Doctor P, Amon Tobin, Bassnectar, Sidewalks & Skeletons, Deadmau5, Burial, Flying Lotus, Rusko, Aphex Twin, Alice Glass and Crim3s.
  • Dungeons & Dragons - I currently play in 2 games IRL.
  • Tiny Houses - I'm fascinated with them & maybe one day I'll own one myself. There's a great documentary on Netflix or view this blog for an introduction.
  • Crochet - Donate a few skeins of yarn and I'll make you a scarf like the one below!
All work done for Mediafly, Inc. on this site is created by me and used with permission.