Deirdre McCarthy
Design • Graphics • Illustration
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Resumé

Resumé

Skillset

  • Expert User of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, InDesign, Sketch App

  • Familiar with Lightroom, Unity, Maya, HTML, CSS, Perforce, JIRA, Flash

  • Passionate about photo retouching, photography, typography, design, print accuracy, and client satisfaction

Strengths

  • 30 years of experience working as a designer and artist for a wide range of clients in the SF Bay Area

  • Team leader and mentor

  • Experience in designing and preparing digital files for print and web, whether text, photo, or illustration

  • Experience with a wide range of Digital Asset Management needs and tools

Work History

Senior Photo Retouch Artist at Industrial Light & Magic – June 2019 to Present
As a retoucher for the ILM Art Department Image Unit, I prepare photos and 3D modeled ships and characters to be released into the wild. ILM has many clients, including Lucasfilm, for whom we are currently producing marketing images for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and the TV series The Mandalorian. Those marketing images have to look as good as the films, or better. Fast paced, detail oriented, and highly artistic, this work requires focus, collaboration, and a good eye. These images are used for magazine covers and articles, promotions, game and toy designs and packaging, posters, and things I don’t even know about yet. Very challenging and rewarding!

Senior Production Designer at Google Hardware via HHGlobal – May 2017 to June 2019
Here's where I use it all: Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign expertise; exhaustive attention to detail in mechanicals, asset management, multi-image, multi-language localizations; photo retouching, color preparation for print and web; and learning new software on the fly like Sketch and CaptureOne. Because I'm a cross-discipline generalist, I don't know if my next task will come from the packaging department, the online folks, video production, or the creative director herself. But that's part of the fun – I get to help lots of people and teams with their diverse projects. It is fast and varied and exacting work, and it keeps me on my toes.

Old Navy – October 2015 to February 2017 – Graphic Artist and Photo Retoucher
Responsible for daily, fast-paced turnaround of images, as well as the organization and delivery of assets, for Old Navy Online Marketing division. On the set of product shooting, responsible for color correction and organization of assets. Also assisting in training new hires in both photo and Adobe Creative Suite skills.

Zynga, Inc. – 2009 to 2015 – UI Designer and Artist
Zynga Poker (Web and Mobile): designed and executed marketing and in-game elements for recent releases of both web and mobile products, working in Photoshop, Maya, Flash, Unity, and HTML/CSS
Zynga Poker Classic (Mobile): designed new layout, look and feel
CityVille Hometown (Mobile): illustrated many of the icons and oversaw the work myself and 2 of my team
ForestVille (Mobile): UI design and execution of HUD, as well as illustration for in-game assets
ZyngaWords (Mobile): designed UI, game board, directed internal and external contract artists while producing a word tile game
FarmVille (Mobile): single-handedly produced the UI from inception to release
Petville (Web): created backgrounds, wallpapers, items for purchase in the game

Seismicom – 2006 to 2009 – Senior Digital Artist: Graphic Design + Production
Responsible for daily, fast-paced turnaround of collateral, as well as the organization and execution of long-term projects, for a marketing and creative shop. Specialized in image creation and photo retouching on diverse client categories such as consumer goods and technology for print, web, pitches and storyboards. Projects ranged from packaging, website asset creation and management, sales tools and collateral, outdoor media and event design, and in-store collateral. Clients included AT&T, Diageo, SanDisk, Chiquita, Dole, Dreyer’s Ice Cream, Magellan and LG.

The Creative Group – 2005 to 2006 – Digital Artist: Graphic Design + Production
The Creative Group is a highly rated staffing agency, specializing in creative professionals. While working with them I had the opportunity to serve clients such as The Gap, Williams-Sonoma, Bare Escentuals, and Gyro Group International. My services to these companies included package design, photo retouching, print preparation, asset creation and management, advertising and marketing execution.

Gauger + Associates – 2001 to 2005 – Production Artist
Responsible for preparing advertising for magazines, newspapers, and web presentation. Also responsible for highly complex and precise packaging mechanicals, as well as multi-page booklets, odd size/cut mechanicals. Also participated in preparing graphics for building interiors, for realty sales offices.

Education
San Francisco State University – San Francisco, CA
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art – Silver Smithing and Metal Sculpture

Interests
Photography, knitting, stained glass, percussion, hiking, biking, adventuring, travel, costuming, woodworking, gardening and landscaping, jewelry making, motorcycling