Brent Swanson

Current

• MNtor Program Chair at AIGA Minnesota
• Creative Director at Swanson Creative

Past

• Art Director (Contract) at Riley Hayes Advertising
• Art Director at Morsekode
• Senior Designer at Industrio

• Interactive Designer (contract) at Medtronic Cardiac Rhythm Management Division
• Owner at Lorem Ipsum Productions
• Art Director at Hedstrom/Blessing
• Graphic Designer (Self-employed)

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Education

• University of Minnesota-Duluth

Recommended

21 people have recommended Brent

Connections

135 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

• Swanson Creative
• Brent + Jen’s Website
• Personal Portfolio

Brent Swanson’s Summary

Versatile, award-winning artist with strong creative abilities and over 13 years of professional experience. Trained in design + art direction, with a passion for illustration + photography. Brings together communications expertise and a high degree of technical proficiency, balanced with an artist’s eye.

Develops the strategic marketing, brand standards, and identities of a wide range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Experienced with creating effective communications, customized for small + large project scopes and meeting each client's needs. This has enabled strong, long-lasting relationships working with ad agencies, design firms, corporate creative departments, as well as directly with domestic and international clients.

Passionate about design done well. Approachable and easy-going personality with a strong work ethic and a desire to collaborate. Thrives most when working at a high level, managing complex, multi-faceted, integrated projects and exceeding clients’ expectations. Strives to find the best customized approach by using timely problem solving and lateral thinking abilities. Possesses the proven leadership, communications, talent and work ethic necessary to become an invaluable asset on any project.

Brent Swanson’s Specialties:

Illustration, Photography, Animation, Motion Graphics, Branding, Design, Interactive, Advertising, Marketing

Brent Swanson’s Experience

• MNtor Program Chair

  AIGA Minnesota

  (Non-Profit; Design industry)

  July 2008 — Present (1 year 5 months)

  Working to bring together associate and professional-level AIGA members. Also responsible for ensuring that the program is sustainable and meets the goals set by the committee + board of directors. http://mntorprogram.org/

• Creative Director

  Swanson Creative

  (Partnership; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  January 2006 — Present (3 years 11 months)

  As the creative head of this virtual agency, Brent drives business development, project management and quality control. Oversees and manages the end-to-end creative network. He establishes the conceptual and stylistic direction of all projects, then orchestrates the work of designers, copywriters, developers, productions artists, photographers, illustrators, and printers involved in the development and execution. Brent works hand-in-hand with clients to deliver consistently high quality, winning results.

• Art Director (Contract)

  Riley Hayes Advertising

  (Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  January 2006 — August 2008 (2 years 8 months)

  Responsible for generating creative branding, collateral, Web sites and interactive + print advertising campaigns. Worked closely with clients, account managers and copywriters to scope projects and develop timelines. Responsible for managing internal designers and vendors, including photographers, printers and Web developers.
  
  Clients
  3M, Access Realty, Acclaim Benefits, Best Buy, Deluxe Corporation, Downtown Network, Dunham Engineering, Excel Bank, The Geneva Organization, Gesco Construction, HealthPartners, Leadership Foundations, McDonald's, MN Office of Higher Education, MNSCU, Northwest Airlines, Renewal by Andersen, Stanton Group

• Art Director

  Morsekode

  (Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  May 2005 — January 2006 (9 months)

  Developed corporate identities, brands and communications. Concepted + produced print ads, Web sites, tradeshow displays and viral marketing campaigns. Organized an optimal and efficient internal workflow. Defined standards for workstation, server and network structure. Oversaw regular hardware/software maintenance, updates and data backups.
  
  Clients
  AdFed, Arizant Healthcare, Ferris Mfg., Moog Music, Nicros, Otto Bock, Salvation Army, SAP, UnitedHealth Group, VISI

• Senior Designer

  Industrio

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Graphic Design industry)

  September 2003 — May 2005 (1 year 9 months)

  Elevated the design department to a higher standard by improving both the quality of design and the design process. Worked directly with clients to enhance their strategic development by creating new company identities, brands, and producing print + interactive projects. Managed multiple concurrent jobs and ensured they were completed on-time and on-budget.
  
  Clients
  Access Genetics, Bridgewater Mortgage, Carstens Industries, Cyberensics, DAKA Docks + Lifts, Data Panel Systems, Estate Crafters, Gage Marketing, Gage Outdoor Expeditions, Inner City Tennis, LA Studios Photography, LS Black Constructors, Mediture, Northwest Respiratory Services, Polar Trailer, ProTainer, The Tile Shop, Wil-loc

• Interactive Designer (contract)

  Medtronic Cardiac Rhythm Management Division

  (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Medical Devices industry)

  August 2000 — May 2003 (2 years 10 months)

  Worked closely with an Editor, Developer, and 3D Animator in the CRM Interactive Department. Developed the Medtronic multimedia brand standards and refined them through consistent application while creating Web sites, and producing video + motion graphics for interactive CD-ROMs, DVDs, and kiosks.

• Owner

  Lorem Ipsum Productions

  (Graphic Design industry)

  February 1999 — April 2001 (2 years 3 months)

  Developed high-end motion graphics and 3D animations for film, broadcast, and internet delivery. Worked closely with all clients and managed daily business operations. Maintained a high level of quality while writing scripts, storyboarding, directing, editing, and supervising projects.
  
  Clients
  3M, 4design, Capsule, SnapTV (NBC/Valuevision), Target, Teachers Federal Credit Union, Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), University Film Society

• Art Director

  Hedstrom/Blessing

  (Graphic Design industry)

  September 1997 — February 1999 (1 year 6 months)

  Planned and implemented print + interactive marketing campaigns for a diverse range of industries. Created corporate identities, advertising, packaging, and promotional materials. Art directed photo shoots and maintained relationships with paper reps, print vendors, photographers, and illustrators to maximize cost-effective project production.
  
  Clients
  3M, Bachman's, Carlson Leisure Group, Chi Kung by Achieve, Empi, Fabcon, IBM, General Mills, Land O’ Lakes, MinuteClinic (QuickMedx), StepMate, Target, Tractech, Treasure Island Casino, Wagner Spraytech

• Graphic Designer

  Self-employed

  (Self-Employed; Myself Only; Graphic Design industry)

  August 1996 — September 1997 (1 year 2 months)

  Built strong relationships with clients while working on-site, producing promotional materials, advertisements, catalogs, and packaging. Performed final pre-press + color correction on all projects and supervised all stages of printing, including reviewing proofs and attending press checks.
  
  Clients
  The Carney Group, Deluxe, General Mills, Medtronic,
  Rae Harmel & Associates, Yamamoto Moss

Brent Swanson’s Education

• University of Minnesota-Duluth

  BFA , Design + Fine Art , 1993 — 1996

  Activities and Societies:

  Graduated Cum Laude

Additional Information

Brent Swanson’s Websites:

• Swanson Creative
• Brent + Jen’s Website
• Personal Portfolio

Brent Swanson’s Interests:

Technology, movies, TV, food, music, cycling, inline skating, rock climbing, soccer, broomball, and RC trucks + boats.

Brent Swanson’s Groups:

AIGA, AdFed, Minnesota Film Arts, Tweed Museum, Walker Art Center

•    BizLounge
•    AdFed MN
•    New Business Minnesota Startup Meetup
•    University of Minnesota - Duluth Alumni
•    AIGA Minnesota
•    Hedstrom/Blessing Alumni

Brent Swanson’s Honors:

AdFed: The Show 2006
Digital Media / Corporate Promotion: SAP eLearning DVD

PBS
Best Station Identity 2001: Twin Cities Public Television Station Identity

COMMUNICATOR AWARD
Award of Distinction 2000: Chi Kung by Achieve Instructional Video

COMMUNICATOR AWARD
Honorable Mention 2000: StepMate Marketing Video

CORPORATE IDENTITY FIFTEEN
Award of Excellence 1999: Land O’ Lakes Chocolate Milk Package

GRAPHIC DESIGN: USA
American Graphic Design Award 1999: Land O’ Lakes Chocolate Milk Package

CREATIVE LOW BUDGET PUBLICATION DESIGN 1999
UMD Graduates Brochure
UMD Environmental Studies Brochure

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

AIGA Portfolio One-on-One 2002–2008: Reviewed students’ print + interactive portfolios.

Guinness World Record Holder 2002: Watched 28 movies continuously over 53 hours to raise funds for the Twin Cities Boys and Girls Clubs.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society – MS150 1998, 2004–2009: Bicycled 150 miles to raise funds to fight MS.

Brent Swanson’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch