I'm Mike Schulze, a senior level art director & graphic designer working in the Seattle area. I have several years experience developing and producing identity, brand design, advertising, marketing and communications work for national clients both large and small in a variety of industries.

My strengths include not only a passionate knowledge and hands on approach to design but also an analytical ability to think strategically and solve complex business, information and communication problems (i.e. information architecture, product line organization/configuration, product naming etc.). I'm extremely organized and detail-oriented but also very down to earth, a clear communicator and capable of giving or taking direction tactfully.

I've collaborated with other designers, art directors, writers, photographers, illustrators and web developers to make even the most complex and confusing products visually appealing and accessible to the everyday consumer.

>> PDF Resume <<

INTERESTS

Creating an identity or brand design from scratch and extending it to packaging, advertising and digital applications is always exciting. Ideally I'm seeking the intersection of that enthusiasm with clients and products that may be related to my interests in:

Sports ( soccer, hockey, football and most others )
Beer & Wine ( I dabble in home brewing and my friends get free beer! )
Coffee & Tea ( usually drinking several cups of one or the other )
Music/Guitar ( lifelong rocker/metalhead \m/ )
Video Gaming ( from pong to XBox )
History, Film, Travel and many more.

SKILLS

Logos, Identity & Brand Development, Creative Direction & Concept Development, Print Design & Art Direction, Packaging Design & Art Direction, Photoshoot Art Direction, Web Visual Design & Art Direction, Custom Typography, Photo Retouching/Illustration, Pre-press Production, Printing & Press Checks, Adobe CS InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop

EDUCATION/CAREER

BFA Cum Laude, Graphic Design, University of Georgia, Athens GA, 1994 ( Go Dawgs! )
DMP Advertising, Atlanta, GA, Designer/AD, 1994-95
Gordon Bailey & Associates, Atlanta, GA, Production Artist, Assistant AD, AD, 1995-99
Schulze Design, Seattle, WA, Freelance Designer/AD, 1999-2002
Purdie Rogers, Seattle, WA, Senior AD, 2002-2009
Schulze Creative, Seattle, WA, Freelance Designer/AD, 2009-Present
Starbucks Global Creative, Seattle, WA, Contract Packaging Designer, 2014-2018

RECOGNITION

Print Magazine - Regional Design Annual
GDUSA - American Graphic Design Awards

CLIENT LIST ( alphabetical )

A Better Image, All About Sleep, American Fence Systems, AmeriDeck, Atrium Windows, Basecamp Communications, Behr Paint, BKV Advertising, Boise, California Faucets,Cedar Valley Shingles, Chamberlain Group Inc., Chassie Post Gallery, Copacino, Corona Tools, Costco Wholesale, USA, Custom-Bilt Metals, DDB Seattle, Decker Consulting Engineers, Dogwood Brewing Co., Dunn-Edwards Paints, Elegant Awnings, FCB Seattle, Fiberon Decking, First Mutual Bank, Flavorite Labs, Foundation Bank, Fran Nordstrom Guild, Giles Enterprises/Chester Fried Chicken, Gingiss Formalwear, Hanwah Solar, Harrison Hospital, Hoffman, Iceland Seafood Corp., iFloor, Interweb, Johns Manville, Lasco Bathware, LEER, LG Surfaces, Lifetime Lumber, LiteTouch, Marvel, Meeker Cedar Shakes, Mikron, Nelson Irrigation, Oasis Inc., Optio Software, Parex USA, Potlatch, Primrose Schools, Purdie Rogers, Read Products, REC Solar, Sharp Solar, Simpson Strong-Tie, Snapper, Starbucks, Summit Bank, Tenneco Packaging, Tyson-McCarty Foods, United Nations Association - Atlanta, Uni-Pro Foodservice, Willamette/Weyerhauser, WindCrest, Worldwide Wood Network, Zindaware