James J Curry

Current

• Sr. Web Interface Designer at OfficeMax

Past

• Interactive Art Director / Principal at Jim Curry Design
• Prepress Production Artist at Color Graphics
• Creative Director at DeepOutdoors

• Art Director at Emery Group Advertising
• Interactive Graphic Designer at Art of Science

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Education

• Fort Hays State University

Recommended

5 people have recommended James J

Connections

84 connections

Industry

Graphic Design

James J Curry’s Summary

James Delivers Message Across Media
Industry Speak: James delivers consistent brand message across traditional and new media through conceptually driven Art Direction and Graphic Design grounded in emotional and analytical cues to strategically appeal to the target audience.

Human English: James gets your message across in a way your target audience is open and wanting to accept it through the use of strategic visual presentation techniques which appeal to both their hearts and minds.

James J Curry’s Specialties:

James specializes in identifying the core truth of the product / service, brand, its buyers and the most compelling ways of connecting them. James relates the product, service or brand to it's best buyers through strategic design.

James J Curry’s Experience

• Sr. Web Interface Designer

  OfficeMax

  (Public Company; OMX; Retail industry)

  December 2008 — Present (1 year )

  The unit I work in handles the OfficeMax, Inc. eCommerce online presence and email marketing inbox presence for various divisions and initiatives. Responsibilities I am tasked with include bringing higher function to the unit and its product by focusing on establishing clear unit direction and leadership and improving the usability of our online media. As I gain familiarity with the realities of this role, updates will be made here.

• Interactive Art Director / Principal

  Jim Curry Design

  (Graphic Design industry)

  November 2004 — December 2008 (4 years 2 months)

  After years of starting jobs in design capacities, and ending up suggesting better ways employers run their businesses, a broader understanding of my abilities emerged: I possessed an intuitive ability to sense what wasn’t working, both in design and business systems, and a natural drive to find and establish what would.
  
  As sole proprietor, my responsibility is to maintain and develop both the company and its service to the benefit of it's clients and JCD.
  
  Accomplishments include: launching the business, reaching profitability within two months, developing over 50 websites which act as the hub of marketing efforts selling tens of millions of dollars in real estate, developing core service from basic html websites to rich media css/php experiences with user tracking and metrics both within email marketing and on site.

• Prepress Production Artist

  Color Graphics

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Printing industry)

  October 2003 — November 2004 (1 year 2 months)

  I joined "CGI" as a production artist and soon learned the company was in crisis. It had coasted since the retirement of its founder. Although he had a retirement plan, the company didn't. If it was going to live, it needed help.
  
  I made suggestions to that effect and was empowered to apply them into real solutions from the shop floor through upper management.
  
  My efforts helped CGI reduce it's required floorspace to 1/5 of it's original footprint, and Eliminate 90% of its unused infrastructure while improving it's level of service, all without purchasing equipment or software. By simplifying operations and ensuring the shop ran well, I also freed up the owner so he could pursue new business.
  
  On a personal level, my efforts resulted in the satisfaction of improving a business as well as recognition in the form of praise from clients, and raises and promotions from pre-press production to design and shop operations directorial duties.

• Creative Director

  DeepOutdoors

  (Sporting Goods industry)

  September 2002 — April 2003 (8 months)

  Upstart DeepOutdoors claimed a vision of doing for SCUBA what Burton did for snowboarding: Bring the sport into the mainstream. My job was to help realize the vision through branding.
  
  DeepOutdoors had a great name, some ingenious products, a good logo, and a national magazine ad going for it. My accomplishments include extending that limited presence into a cohesive multi-ad campaign, set of brochures, manuals, packaging and the comprehensive company website: A recognizable cross media identity.
  
  I developed their icon system, named several products, executed the majority of the art, photo and creative direction, production, design, writing, illustration, and photo-styling to express the vision into a premium brand across print, web and retail channels.
  
  I left DeepOutdoors positioned to become the company that took SCUBA mainstream. Although it seems their vision has changed, they continue to use many of the elements I developed for them to this day.

• Art Director

  Emery Group Advertising

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  November 2001 — September 2002 (11 months)

  Emery Group West had successfully lured several new clients at once and faced the challenge of fulfilling the sudden demand for work. They also needed to begin offering interactive media to keep themselves and their clients current and competitive in the ‘new economy’.
  
  I was hired to establish Emery’s interactive capabilities, service the firm’s growing design / production needs, and relieve their overworked CD to focus on his higher responsibilities: Creative Direction and client relations.
  
  While there, I rose from production / design assistant to an art director role. Under Mr. Fiorentini’s guidance, I co- conceived and developed original magazine campaigns for their SCUBA client Underwater Kinetics, monthly casino promotional materials, and developed the firm’s first website for biotech venture capital client Forward Ventures. The site remains active today.
  
  I have occasionally consulted for Emery Group since; Most recently in 2007

• Interactive Graphic Designer

  Art of Science

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry)

  August 2001 — November 2001 (4 months)

  illustrated clipart and icon graphics for Epson America Account, Designed sept 11 memorial ribbons, website production for Epson America. Company closed shortly after I was hired.

James J Curry’s Education

• Fort Hays State University

  BFA Graphic Design , Fine Arts , 1995 — 2000

  Trained by Master Designer Chaiwat Thumsujarit
  Winner: Encore Poster Design Competition
  Worked through school, self-funded 40% of expenses.
  Scored 99th percentile CLEP scores in Spanish language.

  Activities and Societies:

  Bates USA West Internship: Won bid to design Hyundai Motor America retail marketing collateral when paired against existing art director.
  
  Leo Burnett Chicago Internship: Offered a job on Philip Morris' Marlboro account.

Additional Information

James J Curry’s Interests:

Art, Psychology, Business systems, branding, advertising, design, Architecture, Furniture Design, Systems, Efficiency, Socially responsible marketing, Cycling, Snowboarding, Photography, Industrial Design, Applied technology. Photography

James J Curry’s Honors:

99th Percentile CLEP score in Spanish Language
Winner Encore Poster Competition | FHSU
Winner Scholastic Silver Key Award