Highly Experienced Graphic Designer - High End Print, Prepress and Web

D. Bruce Stevens
Phone: 213-622-3623
Email:

 

  
PROFILE Highly skilled photo and traditional illustrator, retoucher, print and web designer and interface designer. Expert in color theory and high-end prepress. Excellent technical as well as writing, speaking and training skills. Skilled in development of online content and marketing. 30+ years experience in graphics industry, from production to high-end software/hardware development.

EXPERIENCE 1/1996 - Present Self-employed DBS Design Group Various locations, currently based in California with clients nationwide
Owner
Full-Time freelance contracts include photo illustration for promotional materials, web design, digital print media, and multimedia presentations, as well as traditional and computer illustration for various media. Freelanced since 1974, but have worked self-employed full-time since 1994 in New York City and Los Angeles.

2/1994 - 8/1996 Newbridge Communications New York, NY
Imaging Supervisor
Was key to initial setup of in-house prepress facility. Hired and supervised five employees, and handled production workflow. Responsible for retouching of images for children’s educational materials and promotions for various book clubs, and for calibration of various proofing and output devices. Instrumental in planning, developing, and designing multimedia products.

2/1993 - 1/1994 JJ Michaels Hackensack NJ
Contract Production
One year contract with imaging studio to implement digital prepress facility. Helped install and maintain system. Also responsible for the retouching and image manipulation for high-end magazine and catalog publications. Was responsible for fashion retouching as well as precise color matching for catalog product shots.

1/1991 - 2/1993 du Pont Printing and Publishing New York, NY
Creative Media Specialist
Transferred to du Pont from Crosfield for a position with the newly developed Printing and Publishing division. These were the years when agencies were dispensing with traditional tools and converting to desktop computer systems. Helped design, implement, and maintain digital systems for design firms and advertising agencies. Worked with Research and Development to design and test color retouching software. Spent three months in London working with Crosfield Quality Assurance designing and testing the interface for Du Pont Crosfield’s high-end photo retouching systems. Demonstrated new high-end prepress and retouching systems. Worked with Research and Development comparing features and specifications with competing systems and software. Supervised demonstrations and product releases at trade shows and exhibitions.

10/1986 - 12/1990 Crosfield Dicomed (du Pont Fuji Film Electronic Imaging) Minneapolis, MN
Creative Media Specialist
Original duties included training and sales support for presentation graphics systems. Later was key member of a team developing a raster imaging system; worked with engineering to develop the features and interface. The system was positioned as one of the first desktop retouching workstations to be introduced to the market, and this system helped redefine desktop publishing. Travelled to most major U.S. cities, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Canada supporting and training customers and offering sales support and lecturing for trade shows and seminars.

8/1985 - 8/1986 Blair Inc. Washington, D.C.
Production Artist
Digital design and illustration for visuals for publication, presentation and display for such clients as National Geographic, The Smithsonian Institute, Department of Defense, and various large corporations such as Citibank, Chase Manhattan and Phillip Morris.

1/1984 - 7/1985 The Slide Source Baton Rouge, LA
Production Artist
Digital design and illustration on one of the world's first computer design stations. I created visuals for presentation graphics, publications and display.

1/1974 - 1/1985 Various Baton Rouge LA
Production Artist
Numerous positions in the graphics and marketing industries, as well as ongoing freelance graphic design. Details available.

EDUCATION LSU US-LA-Baton Rouge
Bachelor's Degree
Graphic Design. Also completed courses in Fine Arts and Landscape Architecture. Throughout High School and College, I had high academic scores, placing in the top half of the top 1% of all high school students in almost all national college placement tests. Through advanced placement tests, I placed out of my first year of college, starting as a sophomore. As an interesting note...although I've always wanted to be an artist, I started school in the field of Nuclear Physics because of my high grades especially in mathematics and the sciences. I quickly came to my senses and transferred to Graphic Design.

SKILLS Skill Name Skill Level Last Used Experience
Graphic software Expert Current 20 years

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I believe my career in the graphics industry is unique. Not only have I been working in the graphics industry since my first job in 1974, but I have had the blessing of working with the high-end manufacturers and developers of prepress and retouching software. These years were the crucial years in the development of digital media, and I am grateful for the wealth of experience during that time as well as the chance to influence the design of systems that are in use today. More than most graphic designers who just learn software, I believe I understand all aspects of the digital graphics industry from technical to creative, since I've been a part of the formative years of the industry.