The Journey of a Creative Problem Solver

My Story

In 1994, Shawn was given an outdated IBM PS/1 and a copy of Photoshop LE, along with the task of designing an instructional manual for a bartender school. Despite expressing his lack of qualifications for such a project, the owner simply responded, "You'll figure it out."

As it turns out, they were correct. In less than a year, Shawn was assigned the responsibility of creating a monthly boating safety publication for the Iroquois Power Squadron. This opportunity marked the beginning of a path that he continues to tread to this day.

Despite his busy design schedule in recent years, Shawn eagerly embraces new challenges, both in the realm of computer desktop design and in his personal life.

Project Management
Graphic Design
UX / UI Design Certification
Responsive Web design
Client Relationships
Workflow Management
Virtual Team Building
LLM (AI)

Technical Writing
Delegating & Managing a Workflow
Email / Sales Letter Marketing
Experienced in Multiple AI Platform
Developing Creative Solutions
Production for Digital & Offset Printing
Collaborating Effectively with Clients

Areas of Expertise

Brand Compliance
Software Development
Meeting Strict Deadlines
Following Brand Compliance
Web Host & Domain Management
Basic CNC design
Multi-Platform Trained

Fast forward over 25 years and 500 clients later, Shawn remains an active professional in the Rochester area. His notable roles include serving as a Design Specialist at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, where he develops groundbreaking content that reaches multiple countries and gets translated into 18 different languages.

Additionally, he held the position of Art Director at Printed Deals Magazine, a publication that reaches 1.3 million homes annually in the Rochester area. More active people may recognize his work either through Hotshot Indoor Volleyball Club, the ever expanding and franchising Warrior Factory the sprawling phenomenon that is the Kickball League of Rochester.

Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Dreamweaver

Kitaboo
Articulate Rise 360
Articulate Storyline 360
Google Gemini
Open AI

Open AI
Midjouney AI
Wordpress
Mailchimp
Google Gemini

Adobe Lightroom
Figma
Office Tools
HTML & CSS
Basic CNC design

Software

Certifications

Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define & Ideate
Foundations of User Experience Design
Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Conduct UX & Test Early Concepts
Create High-Fidelity Designs & Prototypes in Figma
Build Dynamic User Interfaces (UI) for Websites
Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs
AI Essentials

"Creativity requires the courage to step into the unknown, to explore uncharted territories within ourselves, and to embrace the uncertainties that arise along the journey."

Owner / Creative Director

Dripdek, Rochester, NY, 2023 – Present

Founded and scaled an international e-commerce platform, driving strategic product curation of a 1,000+ item catalog across diverse consumer verticals (household goods, apparel).
Achieved over 500 sales within the initial launch phase, maintaining an accelerated monthly growth rate of 15% to 25%.
Designed, developed, and optimized a high-converting, SEO-compliant online storefront, attracting over 50,000 unique visitors through targeted digital marketing strategies.
Expanded market penetration across 14 countries, establishing global supply chains and negotiating directly with international vendors to secure quality fulfillment.
Engineered optimized logistics and shipping routes, significantly decreasing transit times and driving elevated customer satisfaction ratings.
Managed all end-to-end business operations, including financial modeling, P&L analytics, digital marketing campaigns, and customer lifecycle management.

Design Specialist / Technical Writer

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Rochester, NY (Hybrid Position), 2019 – 2022

Spearheaded the end-to-end UX/UI design and front-end development of an interactive mobile eBook, delivering a seamless digital training experience that sustained remote workforce onboarding during the pandemic.
Collaborated cross-functionally with instructional designers, subject matter experts (SMEs), and IT to architect engaging instructional product designs.
Managed modular data using the Vasont Component Content Management System (CCMS), leveraging enterprise-level XML and DITA architecture to streamline information reuse and accuracy.
Established and evaluated graphical standards, producing high-quality layouts, e-learning modules, and interactive quizzes.
Spearheaded the revamp of the “Ortho U” learning portal for international markets.
Scaled global reach by translating and producing localized materials for 18 countries, managing both translation software and external consulting services.
Upskilled internal teams by tutoring colleagues in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Kitaboo while serving as a key beta tester for mobile software.

Desktop Graphic Artist

Valassis Local Market Service / Clipper, Boston, MA (Remote Position), 2016 – 2019

Directed end-to-end print production workflows from concept to distribution for national automotive marketing campaigns, supporting major dealerships and manufacturers.
Engineered custom variable data printing (VDP) solutions, pioneering early prototype “Mail Merge” print technologies to deliver hyper-personalized, data-driven marketing collateral.
Managed high-stakes corporate accounts, successfully aligning complex stakeholder expectations with rigid technical specifications and design constraints.
Ensured strict brand compliance across div
erse project portfolios by developing, implementing, and auditing rigorous template standards.
Collaborated with elite automotive print partners to guarantee high-volume, color-accurate, and timely delivery of complex mechanical artwork.
Expanded production capacity by sourcing, onboarding, and directing freelance design talent to meet demanding campaign deadlines.

Artistic Director / Project Manager

Printed Deals, Rochester, NY, 2010 - 2016

Orchestrated end-to-end publishing operations for a flagship regional media portfolio, managing the conception, layout, and production of 7 print and digital magazine editions annually.
Scaled distribution by 420%, expanding circulation from 35K to 185K homes per release, culminating in an annual distribution of 1.3M households.
Exponentially grew market footprint, increasing client placement from 36 to 162 accounts per release and expanding publication frequency from 4 to 7 editions per year.
Founded and directed “Crook Book,” a high-demand syndication that drove a 500% distribution surge within six months of launch under full creative autonomy.
Secured a major publishing and commercial distribution deal with Wolf Publishing and Sunoco convenience networks, successfully expanding market penetration into the Buffalo region.
Forged strategic partnerships across local law enforcement, judicial systems, and advertising clients to ensure sustainable content pipelines and community engagement.
Led prepress production and team workflows, delegating queue assignments to design staff and generating precise print mechanicals for both digital and high-volume offset printing.

Artistic Director / Project Manager

SimCo Services / RocCity Services, Rochester, NY, 2007 – 2009

Cultivated and retained key client accounts by authoring tailored creative proposals and ensuring all web and print deliverables aligned precisely with corporate brand guidelines.
Architected and streamlined a high-volume HR enrollment solution, developing proprietary software and physical mechanical frameworks that drastically optimized in-person employee benefits sign-ups.
Managed end-to-end digital infrastructure, overseeing web hosting architecture, domain rights management, enterprise email configurations, and custom XML data encoding.
Served as technical product evangelist, delivering high-impact live software demonstrations and technical presentations to prospective clients to drive business development.
Directed end-to-end production pipelines for both digital assets and high-volume print mechanicals, ensuring seamless execution for internal and external stakeholders.