James Catherine has over 20 years of experience in graphic design, marketing communications, and education. He has worked as an adjunct professor, team lead, art director, and graphic designer for various companies. He holds a Master's degree in Communications and a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. His philosophy focuses on a cyclical creative process of discovering, developing, designing, and defining to continually improve performance. He provides references and samples of his design work.
2. EXPERIENCE Adjunct Professor, Walsh University
• Facilitate various marketing communication courses in the
School of Professional Studies
• Develop syllabus and overall course structure
Adjunct Professor • Meet with students upon request, and graded all written work,
School of Business: Professional Studies exam papers, and oral presentations
Walsh University
Team Lead, Creative Services/Design Services, Diebold Incorporated
North Canton, Ohio
June 2006 - Present • Strategic/tactical planning and creation of campaign-based marketing
communications for various cross-functional solutions
Team Lead, • Advocate and manage corporate brand through creative direction,
art direction, project management, vendor relations, etc.
Creative Services/Design Services
Diebold Incorporated
North Canton, Ohio Art Director, Summit Racing Equipment
July 2006 - Present • Lead an in-house creative staff and freelance contributors in all phases
of marketing communications development from conception and photo
Art Director direction to pre-press and final proofing
Summit Racing Equipment • Re-designed/refreshed corporate logo, and directed transitional implementations
Tallmadge, Ohio • Created and maintained all procedures and visual guidelines.
November 1993 - July 2006
Graphic Designer/Art Production Coordinator, Myers Industries
Graphic Designer/ • Oversaw pre-press organization and mediated communication
Art Production Coordinator with various corporate departments
Myers Industries • Formalized overall style and design of 40-page monthly
Akron, Ohio business-to-business sales circular
February 1990 - November 1993 • Created consistency between branch locations through training videos,
instructions sheets, etc.
Internship • Organize, design, construct, set-up, break down, and work in trade show
Bayer Wellness Program exhibit booth
(Hill & Knowlton, Inc.)
Wellsburg, West Virginia
Internship, Bayer Wellness Program
Spring 1989
• Assisted in all aspects of promotional campaign from concept to final product
Internship
Internship, Grewe Advertising
Grewe Advertising
Wheeling West Virginia • Gained valuable hands-on experience in many diverse mediums
Summer 1988 • Developed brainstorming for a variety of project concepts
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com
3. EDUCATION Graduate Project: Consistency in Visual Communication
This graduate project reflects the notion that identity standards need to be established
for consistency in visual communication. To prove the hypothesis that identity standards
The University of Akron establish consistency in visual communication, a simple test was conducted using the
Akron, Ohio staff of graphic designers in the in-house advertising department at Summit Racing.
Master of Arts. 1999
Communications A comprehensive brand manual was prepared to assist in implementing and managing
Thesis: Corporate Identity: the new identity of the Summit Racing Sport Compact Division. This manual included a
Consistency in Visual Communications general checklist of guidelines to provide an overview of basic design elements for quick
reference, as well as act as a measure for visual consistency.
Bethany College To test the hypothesis a simple group comparison was conducted using members the
Bethany, West Virginia
graphic design staff at Summit Racing. One group of participants, exposed to the
Bachelor of Arts. 1989
manual (stimulus), was compared to a group that was not.
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
(Communication Design)
The designers were randomly divided into two groups, and given the same written
Areas of Concentration: instructions and specifications for a space ad. The first group of three designers was
- Fine & Applied Arts, also given the manual to assist in implementing the visual elements, and the second
- Communications,
group of three designers were not exposed to the manual.
- Marketing/Economics
Honors: Bethany College Senior Fellowship Upon completion of the assignment, the data presented by the sample groups support-
ed the hypothesis. Judging the criteria established using the design checklist in the
Charles A. Manion Award
identity manual exposed to the first group derived this conclusion. The group using the
(Fine & Applied Arts)
manual presents a finished product achieving most or all of the design goals appearing
Proctor: Various Fine & Applied Arts courses: on the list, while the group with no exposure to the style manual achieved very few or
Instructed lab portion of 2-dimensinal, none of the design goals appearing on the list.
graphics, and typography courses,
assisted professor during lectures, Members of the first group commented that the manual, along with the checklist, worked
and participated in critiques well as a reference. The work of the second group tends to reflect the corporate identity
1986-1989 of the parent company of Summit Racing Equipment, but shows very little evidence of
responding to the standards for the Sport Compact Car Division of Summit Racing
Equipment. The members of second group suggested the instructions were vague.
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com
4. PHILOSOPHY Philosophy: Discover • Develop • Design • Define
I believe creativity is a cyclical-process that starts with a base of knowledge and expands
one's level of performance through the processes of discovering, developing, designing,
and defining (see figure 1, next page).
DESIGN
Discovery is the foundation of creativity. As with any foundation, the more fundamentally
Level of Performance
sound it is, the better it will endure pressure over time. Discovery, or exploring, can be
achieved through research, discussion, and analysis. The more one explores, the deeper
their knowledge foundation becomes to draw on in future discovery opportunities.
DEFINE DEVELOP
Once a foundation of fundamentals and theory are discovered, creativity is developed
by planning and programming, or by making strategic decisions about what will be done
DISCOVER
Base Of Knowledge in what order in response to achieving a specific goal or capitalize on an opportunity.
The effectiveness of the tactics used in the next step of this process—designing—
depends on the sound planning done in the development stage of creating.
The third phase of this cycle advances the creativity process from the strategic
(conceptual) stage—development—to putting knowledge into operation by designing.
Design is the tactical action(s) of executing a strategic plan as described above. Through
experienced design, one's level of performance can be elevated.
No topic dominates creativity as does defining or evaluating performance—the fourth
phase in this cycle. Defining is the process of measuring comprehended discovery,
conceptualized development, and impact and efficiency of design. This summative
evaluation assesses progress, as well as documents impact.
As creativity migrates to an extended cycle, defining and evaluating take on a formative
function conducted before, or in conjunction with the discovery phase, to inform
designing and action adjustments.
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com
5. PHILOSOPHY
D I S C O V E R DESIGN
Level of Performance
advanced
D E V E L O P
DESIGN
D E S I G N Level of Performance
intermediate
D E F I N E
DESIGN
Level of Performance
introductory
DEFINE DEFINE DEFINE DEVELOP DEVELOP DEVELOP
DISCOVER
Base Of Knowledge
figure 1
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com
6. REFERENCES
Sandra K. Hampton
Marketing Operations Manager
Channel Marketing
Diebold, Incorporated
Channel Marketing
330.899.5617 “James brings more to the table than just graphic design
hamptos1@diebold.com
skills. He has a well-rounded vision of all facets of marketing
Gary Tschantz and communications, and leverages his high-level skills to
Assistant Dean
School of Professional Studies
assist the various work teams he interacts with through highly
Walsh University
creative customer-facing visual communications. It was a
2020 East Maple Street NW
North Canton, OH 44720 pleasure to serve as James' manager at Diebold. He is
330.490.7294
gtschantz@walsh.edu a tremendous asset to any corporation that has the good
fortune to have him as part of their associate pool.”
Nan Gelhard
Advertising Manager
Summit Racing Equipment — Sandra K. Hampton
1200 Southeast Avenue
Tallmadge, OH 44278
330.630.5343
ngelhard@summitracing.com
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com
7. SAMPLES
annual report
logos
print advertisements
identity
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com
8. SAMPLES
book covers
email campaign
billboards catalog covers
James Catherine I 330.630.9126 I jimcatherine@hotmail.com