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 2021 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 an Associate Director of Multimedia at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
 
Before that, the role I've spent the most professional time in was freelance digital designer/animator for WTTW Chicago/PBS. Using both still & motion skills in a highly collaborative production environment, I successfully worked on many documentaries & live shows (see my full filmography below).

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:

[email protected] | 847.571.3281
@Stefanie.Collection on Instagram
LinkedIn Profile Page | Résumé
No recruiting companies or other solicitors, please.

Achievements:

University of Chicago Booth School of Business | Associate Director, Multimedia | 2020 - Present
  • Animated videos for multiple social channels, including this year's Halloween video post, Holiday Video post, and a post about the most searched questions about the school, 2020.
  • Assisted in posting content to the main Chicago Booth website.
  • Creation of various templates using After Effects expressions to make projects quicker in the future.
  • Creation of everyday social posts & Instagram stories.
  • Help with marketing functions such as email blasts & sponsored posts/ads.
WTTW/Chicago PBS | Freelance Graphic Designer | 2015 - 2020
  • 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 current run is continuing into 2020 and I am still in very good standing with WTTW. I am “on call” anytime they need further freelance, 2015 - 2020.
  • Animated most "larger" explainer animations for the three-part national series "Prehistoric Roadtrip". This included some detailed archive photo moves to give older images "life" as well as entire clips brainstormed, storyboarded, and animated by me, Spring-Summer 2020.
  • Operated graphics playout (as the live Graphics Engineer) for Chicago Tonight. This role entailed learning a whole new system & set of skills as a part of the show's live studio crew. I was attentive & quick while listening to the Director & Associate Director's calls to make sure the proper lower thirds, full-screen graphics, and more go out on the air correctly. This job is done using AVID Maestro News Controller & Maestro Designer, Summer-Fall 2019.
  • 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
  • AVID Maestro News Controller
  • AVID Maestro Designer
  • 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 10
  • Storyboard & Paper Mockup Creation
  • Brand Research
  • Blog Writing & Editing
  • iPhone Photography
  • Time Management
  • Product Management
  • Intern Management

Full Filmography:
(For Broadcast Television Content | Chronological Order)

Street Smarts: Architect David M. Schwarz | Driehaus 2015
 Original air date: Spring 2015 | Local Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show | View Full Project Details
  • Create photo "moves" in After Effects where a still image moves from one side to another, pans, tilts & zooms, etc. all while keeping these to broadcast standards and safe areas.
  • Crop images in Photoshop to broadcast specifications for use in the documentary.
10 That Changed America | Season 1
 Original air date: Spring 2016 | Three one-hour episodes | National Documentary Series
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show
  • Create photo moves, scans, and do photo retouching for archival images.
The Power of Simplicity: Architect Scott Merrill | Driehaus 2016
Original air date: Spring 2016 | Local Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show | View Full Project Details
  • Create photo "moves" in After Effects where a still image moves from one side to another, pans, tilts & zooms, etc. all while keeping these to broadcast standards and safe areas.
  • Crop images in Photoshop to broadcast specifications for use in the documentary.
River Tour with Geoffrey Baer
 Original air date: Fall 2017 | Local Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • Created many animations (including 3D portraits from photos) from archive images & drawings.
10 That Changed America | Season 2
Original air date: Summer 2018 | Three one-hour episodes | National Documentary Series
Created Using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Red Giant Trapcode Suite
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • Massively expanded my role since season one of the series.
  • Created many original animations based on archive images to give photos life.
  • Created “explanatory” animations to explain key concepts in the show.
Talk of the Town: Architects Marc and Nada Breitman | Driehaus 2018
 Original air date: Spring 2018 | Local Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • Create photo "moves" in After Effects where a still image moves from one side to another, pans, tilts & zooms, etc. all while keeping these to broadcast standards and safe areas.
  • Crop images in Photoshop to broadcast specifications for use in the documentary.
Art & Design in Chicago
 Original air date: October-November 2019 | Four half-hour episodes | Local Documentary Series
Created Using Adobe Photoshop
View Full Show
  • Scanned, organized, and retouched photos for this very photo-heavy documentary series.
The Choice for Mayor 2019 Mini-Docs: Lori Lightfoot & Toni Preckwinkle
 Original air date: March 2019| Two half-hour documentaries | Local Mini-Doc Productions
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Lori Lightfoot's Doc | View Toni Preckwinkle's Doc
  • Scanned a lot of yearbooks for Lightfoot's.
  • Retouched photos and created animations & photo moves for both.
Chicago On Vacation with Geoffrey Baer
 Original air date: March 2019 | Regional Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • Created many archive photo moves for the production.
  • Retouched photos where necessary.
Chicago by ‘L’ with Geoffrey Baer
 Original air date: March 2020 | Local Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop & After Effects
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • Created many archive photo moves for the production.
  • Retouched photos where necessary.
Prehistoric Road Trip
Original air date: June-July 2020 | Three one-hour episodes | National Documentary Series
Created Using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Red Giant Trapcode Suite
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • My most "involved" production thus far; my role was expanded greatly for this series.
  • Worked very closely with the executive producer of the series & was given the largest clips to explain some very complex, scientific ideas.
  • Brainstormed, storyboarded, and animated complex ideas (such as the concept of Deep Time - essentially the difference between a million, a billion, and the age of our Earth) from concept to completion entirely myself.
  • Got heavy into custom coding a timeline (writing After Effects expressions) of Earth's history that could squash & stretch at will, allowing viewers to understand where we are on our "road trip" easily.
  • Collaborated closely with not only the executive producer but also a professional, scientific illustrator.
The Great Chicago Fire | Chicago Stories
Original air date: October 9, 2020 | Three one-hour episodes | Local Documentary Production
Created Using Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and Red Giant Trapcode Suite
View Full Show | Full Project Details Page Coming Soon
  • Created several animations of the destruction the fire caused, making it look like the camera is panning over the city. Also comped in smoke effects where smoke was present in the original photographs.
  • Colorized a black & white photograph of one of the main "players" in the story of the fire.
  • A few more smaller animations & moves.
Chicago Tonight
Live Monday-Thursday 7pm-8pm & Friday 7pm-7:30pm | Local News Production
Created news graphics for the live show using Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects, 2015-2020
Inserted graphics live on-air using AVID Maestro Controller, 2019
Broadcast Still Examples | Broadcast Video Examples

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 The Witcher 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, Death Grips, Amon Tobin, Boards of Canada, Deadmau5, Burial, Clark, 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.