Brent Swanson

Brent Swanson

Creative Principal at Circadian

Location
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area
Industry
Marketing and Advertising

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Brent Swanson's Overview

Current
Past
  • Senior Art Director & Interactive Project Manager at Riley Hayes Advertising
  • Art Director at Morsekode
  • Senior Designer at Industrio / Gage
  • Interactive Designer at Medtronic
  • Partner & Creative Principal at Lorem Ipsum Productions
  • Art Director at Hedstrom/Blessing
  • Graphic Designer at Freelance

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Education
  • University of Minnesota-Duluth
Recommendations

8 people have recommended Brent

Connections

308 connections

Websites

Brent Swanson's Summary

I lead every creative effort from project planning to launch for Circadian, a Twin Cities-based creative agency, specializing in brand development, management & advocacy. I know that, to produce effective communications programs for you, I need to have an intimate understanding of your brand, your goals and your strategies. That’s why (unlike a lot of creatives) you’ll see my face from start to finish, and throughout your relationship with Circadian.

I wear many hats, and work hard to make them all look good – by combining strategic insight, creative finesse and practical expertise. Over fifteen years, I’ve skillfully transitioned between creative, strategic and account management roles, on both consumer and business-to-business assignments, from both the agency and client sides of the aisle.

In addition to Circadian’s current client list, I have also worked with great brands like 3M, Best Buy, Boston Scientific, General Mills, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Land O’ Lakes, Medtronic, Northwest Airlines and Target.

Originally from Duluth, I now live in Minneapolis with my wife, Jen, and sons, Max & Sam. In my spare time, I enjoy many passions including movies, cycling, and a unique collection of radio-controlled trucks & boats.

Specialties

Branding & Identity, Graphic Design, Advertising, Marketing & Interactive

Brent Swanson's Experience

Creative Principal

Circadian

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

January 2010 – Present (2 years 2 months)

Circadian is a Twin Cities-based creative agency, specializing in brand development, management & advocacy. As a generalist and problem solver with a wide range of experience & capabilities, I am accountable for determining the exact needs of the client, working through each communications challenge and developing it into a cohesive strategy. To accomplish specific creative solutions, I create clear and attainable objectives, building the scope and ensuring that it matches the client’s brand and the messaging they wish to promote for their company, service or product. I’m hands-on and responsible for overseeing the vision, planning and successful execution of all creative work so that the results can be fully measured.

Communications Director

Torch Community

Nonprofit; 11-50 employees; Nonprofit Organization Management industry

May 2010 – May 2011 (1 year 1 month)

Torch Community is an organization dedicated to connecting young professionals with non-profits in the Minneapolis & Saint Paul community. As an executive member of the all-volunteer board, I directed all internal & external communications and served as the key media contact. I advocated for optimizing member experiences and communicating with authenticity to ensure the overall integrity of the Torch Community brand.

MNtor Program Chair

AIGA Minnesota

Nonprofit; 11-50 employees; Design industry

July 2008 – January 2010 (1 year 7 months)

AIGA is the professional association for design and its purpose is to further excellence in communication design as a broadly defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force. As part of a larger initiative to help grow & sustain AIGA’s membership, I was tasked with crafting an entirely new mentoring program for the Minnesota chapter. I assembled and led an all-volunteer team to bring together associate and professional-level AIGA members in mentoring relationships. My team and I were successful in achieving the objectives set forth by the AIGA Minnesota board of directors, ultimately ensuring that the program was sustainable for future iterations.

Creative Director

Swanson Creative

Partnership; 1-10 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry

January 2006 – January 2010 (4 years 1 month)

A Minneapolis-based agency, Swanson Creative developed smart communication vehicles, customized to fit its local and international clients’ scope & budgets. As the creative head of this virtual agency, I drove business development, project management and quality control. I worked hand-in-hand with our clients to deliver consistently high quality & winning results. I established the conceptual & stylistic direction of all projects and, for the final project execution, orchestrated the work of a hand-picked end-to-end creative network, consisting of designers, copywriters, interactive developers, photographers, illustrators, and printers. In 2010, Swanson Creative merged with Brock Ray Creative to form Circadian.

Senior Art Director & Interactive Project Manager

Riley Hayes Advertising

Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry

January 2006 – August 2008 (2 years 8 months)

Riley Hayes is a full-service marketing and advertising agency with major brand name clients. As the sole senior art director, I was responsible for generating branding, collateral, websites and interactive & print advertising campaigns. I worked closely with clients and account managers to scope projects and develop timelines. I successfully managed internal resources (copywriters, designers, production artists) and external vendors, including photographers, illustrators, developers and printers to ensure they were all focused on meeting the clients’ needs.

Art Director

Morsekode

Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry

May 2005 – January 2006 (9 months)

Morsekode is a modern creative agency that brings strategy, ideas and content to life. I developed corporate identities, brands and communications, produced print ads, websites, tradeshow displays & viral marketing campaigns. While undertaking those responsibilities, I also organized an optimal & efficient project workflow to ensure that projects were completed on-time & on-budget.

Senior Designer

Industrio / Gage

Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry

September 2003 – May 2005 (1 year 9 months)

Before its acquisition by Gage, Industrio focused on building strong brands for small to mid-size B2B and B2C companies. I encouraged the design department to attain a higher standard by improving both the overall quality of design and the project management process. I collaborated directly with clients to enhance their strategic development, resulting in new brand identities and print & interactive campaigns.

Interactive Designer

Medtronic

Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MDT; Medical Devices industry

August 2000 – May 2003 (2 years 10 months)

Medtronic is the global leader in medical technology. While working closely with an editor, programmer, and 3D animator in the Cardiac Rhythm Management division, I developed the Medtronic multimedia brand standards & guidelines. These were continuously refined while creating websites, interactive kiosks and producing video & motion graphics for CD-ROMs, DVDs, and the web.

Partner & Creative Principal

Lorem Ipsum Productions

February 1999 – April 2001 (2 years 3 months)

Lorem Ipsum developed high-end motion graphics and 3D animations for film, broadcast, and online distribution. As a partner in the company, I led business development, managed daily business operations and worked closely with all clients. I maintained a consistently high level of quality while supervising multiple concurrent projects, writing scripts, storyboarding, directing, and editing.

Art Director

Hedstrom/Blessing

September 1997 – February 1999 (1 year 6 months)

Hedstrom/Blessing was an award winning Minneapolis marketing communications & graphic design agency. I planned and implemented print & interactive advertising campaigns for a diverse range of industries. I created corporate identities, collateral, packaging, and promotional materials. In addition, I art directed photo shoots and maintained close relationships with vendors to maximize cost-effective project production.

Graphic Designer

Freelance

August 1996 – September 1997 (1 year 2 months)

I built strong relationships with a wide range of corporate and creative industry clients while crafting corporate identities, designing stationery, collateral, advertisements, catalogs, and packaging.

Brent Swanson's Education

University of Minnesota-Duluth

BFA, Graphic Design & Fine Art

1993 – 1996

Activities and Societies: Graduated with Honors (Cum Laude)

Brent Swanson's Additional Information

Websites:
Interests:

Movies, Cycling, Remote Controlled Vehicles.

Groups and Associations:
Honors and Awards:

Community Involvement

AIGA MNtor Program (2009–2010)
Mentored associate-level AIGA members as they got underway with their professional careers.



AIGA Portfolio One-on-One (2002–2010)
Reviewed & provided constructive criticism of junior & senior students’ design portfolios.

National MS Society – MS150 (1998, 2004–2010)
Bicycled 150 miles from Duluth back to Minneapolis to raise funds for curing Multiple Sclerosis.



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

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