Current
  • Senior UI Designer at IBM
  • Creative Director at KTdesigner (Sole Proprietorship)
Past
  • Senior Designer at Webzone Ltd. (Carzone.ie) Now owned by AutoTrader (Trader Media Group)
  • Company Founder / Creative Director at Actov8 Ltd.
  • Designer at Labyrinth
Education
  • Digital Exchange
  • Colaiste Dhulaigh
  • Senior College Ballyfermot
Connections
49 connections
Industry
Design
Websites

Karl Thompson’s Summary

Creative Director / Senior Designer, designing and producing user interfaces, websites, identities/logos, multimedia, illustrations, print work, presentations, digital photography, signs etc. The complete branding package.

I undertake the branding or re-branding of a companies identity (or just website/software).

This typically involves:
1. Creating a company logo and product logo(s).
2. Creating a corporate style guide to be used any person or company that produces any future work for the company.
3. Creating a new company website - design user interface, build and maintain the site (or advise on a suitable CMS solution to enable the client to update).
4. Design and produce company stationary, business cards, letterheads etc.
5. Design and produce product/services brochures.
6. Produce a template for corporate presentations.
7. Produce any required illustration work.
8. Produce any required displays or signage designs (or advise on signage).
9. Shoot any required digital photography (products, locations etc).
10. Consultancy - maintain relations with the client and train staff (when required) or train-in a replacement "in-house" designer, to complete any ongoing work in the style and quality of my work (using the corp style guide).

Karl Thompson’s Specialties:

Web/User Interface Design, Print Design, Illustration, HTML, CSS, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, InDesign etc. Also some knowledge of JavaScript, ASP, Cold Fusion, PHP etc. Client liaison and consultation. Idea generation. Full creative services solutions. Vast experience and knowledge.


Karl Thompson’s Experience

  • Senior UI Designer

    IBM

    (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; IBM; Information Technology and Services industry)

    July 2007Present (11 months)

    User Interface (UI) Designer working on future releases of web 2.0 software from IBM. Mainly Lotus Connections, but also working on various projects for different departments to improve the standard of design output across all areas of IBM and its products.

  • Creative Director

    KTdesigner (Sole Proprietorship)

    (Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Design industry)

    January 2004Present (4 years 5 months)

    Contracting for various companies. Designing and developing websites, logos, illustrations and print media, such as brochures and stationary.

    Clients include:
    AIB, Aer Lingus, BMW, Bank of Ireland, Board Failte, Chrysler, Dublin Airport, Esat BT, Eason, Guinness, Jeep, Mitsubishi, NTL, National Toll Roads, Jameson, Spar, O2, Design agencies, Publishing houses, Marketing and Advertising agencies, Hotels, Construction Companies, Recruitment agencies, Travel agents etc.

    View my portfolio here: http://www.ktdesigner.com

  • Senior Designer

    Webzone Ltd. (Carzone.ie) Now owned by AutoTrader (Trader Media Group)

    (Public Company; 201-500 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

    June 2005June 2007 (2 years 1 month)

    Senior Designer leading a team of designers, designing and building websites for the European (and global) automotive industry. All major manufacturers including: Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daihatsu, Dodge, Ford, Hyundai, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, VW etc.

  • Company Founder / Creative Director

    Actov8 Ltd.

    (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

    October 2000August 2003 (2 years 11 months)

    In the year 2000, I setup and ran a graphic design & web development company which I called Actov8. At first it was just myself and an investor, but within six months we had a staff of eight full time employees. We also used contractors for development work.

    Duties:
    My primary duties were dealing with the clients, managing all projects and running the company. I also managed, directed and trained staff (when required), as well as designing and building websites, flash presentations, logos, cd-roms, magazines etc. for various clients.

    Some of Actov8’s clients included:
    Bank of Ireland, Hibernian, Century Homes, Manor Park Home builders, Property Magazines, NTL, Spar, Roland, as well as other design and marketing agencies.

  • Designer

    Labyrinth

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

    January 1998October 1999 (1 year 10 months)

    Designing and building websites for large and varied clients. Here I also won awards for website design. As one of the first members of Labyrinth, I helped build up the company’s reputation, and develop standards and practices.


Karl Thompson’s Education

  • Digital Exchange

    Experience, Advanced Adobe InDesign, Bridge and Photoshop, 20072007

    Activities and Societies:
    Advanced Adobe products (InDesign, Brige, Photoshop) techniques including:
    Work flow optimisation.
    Colour workflow - RGB and CMYK colour profiles.
    Advanced Retouching techniques.
    And more.
  • Colaiste Dhulaigh

    VETOS / FETAC Cert, A+ & Net+, 20042005

    Activities and Societies:
    Learning how to build, maintain and upgrade PC’s. Setting up and running (administering) Networks. This course also included ECDL, Communications and Customer Care.

    This course may seem like an odd choice for a designer, but I wanted to know more about how networks and computer systems work, and apart from design, some of my main interests are computers, current and future technologies.
  • Senior College Ballyfermot

    Cert, Classical Animation, Art and Design, 19901991

    Activities and Societies:
    One year course in Classical Animation, Art and Design.

Additional Information

Karl Thompson’s Websites:

Karl Thompson’s Interests:

Design, art, technology, travel

Karl Thompson’s Groups:

Adobe Systems Incorporated - Adobe Software
IBM Social Community & Lotus Connections Network
BlogTalk 2008

  •    OnStartups member

Karl Thompson’s Honors:

Golden Spider Awards, 4 nominations, 1 win (as part of a team).


Karl Thompson’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

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

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