steven lait
I’m a graphic designer and illustrator based in the San Francisco Bay Area with extensive print and digital experience. I spent 17 years as a graphic artist, editorial cartoonist and graphics editor for the Alameda Newspaper Group and later the Bay Area News Group. Currently, I’m pursuing web-based design and illustration work after expanding my skills beyond traditional print media.
resume
profile
- Managed art department staff coordinating daily graphics projects from concept through completion
- Accustomed to multitasking and creating visual solutions in deadline-driven environments
- Adapting print design for web-based presentation
skills
- Web design in HTML and CSS, using Flash, JavaScript
- Print layout, logo design and informational graphics
- Humorous illustration and cartoons
- Software: Adobe Creative suite including Illustrator, Photoshop and Dreamweaver
experience
Freelance Graphic Designer, 2009-current
Evolved Media
- Conceptualize and create graphic design solutions illustrating business processes and technologies
Freelance Illustrator, 2009-current
NVIDIA
- Produce illustrations for corporate website blog covering issues in the semiconductor industry
with a focus on competition
Assistant Graphics Editor, 2004-2008
Bay Area News Group
- Planned and created informational graphics, feature designs and illustrations for 11 Bay Area newspapers in newly formed Bay Area News Group consolidation
- Took over management of art department staff at Alameda Newspaper Group, including scheduling, hiring and special Sunday presentations emphasizing bold visual approach
- Designed and implemented style changes for evolving industry needs
- Syndicated editorial cartoons appearing in national publications: Time, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, Business Week, Fox News
Assistant Graphics Editor, 1998-2004
Alameda Newspaper Group
- Managed and prioritized daily art department workflow supporting 7 Bay Area newspapers
- Planned, designed and developed graphics and special section presentations with reporters and editors in order to maximize visual impact of pages
- Produced four editorial cartoons per week
Graphic Artist, 1991-1998
Alameda Newspaper Group
- Produced charts, maps, logos and illustrations for 5 East Bay newspapers
- Produced one-two editorial cartoons per week
freelance
- Job Search Bloopers, Created illustrations for book cover and inside pages
- Competency-Based Interviews, Created chapter illustrations for book
awards and honors
- Nominated for Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning – 2007
- Work selected for shows at American University Museum, Washington D.C., Charles Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa, CA - 2007
- California Newspaper Publishers Association “Better Newspapers Contest Award” – 1996, 2002, 2004
education
- Rice University, B.A. Art and Art History/Sociology – 1986-1990