Nathaniel Kerksick

Current

• Web and Creative Director at Institute for Policy Studies
• Proprietor/Freelance in Strategy-Integrated Design at Culture Graphic

Past

• Creative Director in Online Advertising at Obama for America
• Interactive Designer at Great Lakes Media Technology

Education

• Georgetown University
• Westminster-Kingsway College
• Think Innovative Media

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Recommended

3 people have recommended Nathaniel

Connections

97 connections

Industry

Online Media

Websites

• My Portfolio

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Summary

Interactive design director and strategist with a decade of commercial work experience in campaign and non-profit causes.

Emphasizing culture-contextual design and clear, intuitive user interfaces for effective overall communication. Crafting comprehensive brands and communications, from targeted and results-driven strategy — to precision design, liquid animation, and standards-savvy code — to results that create value and serve purpose.

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Specialties:

Creative direction, graphic design (for screen and print), user interface and usability, motion graphics/animation, interactive design and development, online communications strategy, new media

TECHNICAL expertise:

Design/Motion: Adobe Suite [Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Encore, Premiere, etc;] Final Cut Pro

Front-end Web Development: AJAX a.k.a. xHTML, CSS, and JavaScript; ActionScript; SVN; CMS' like WordPress and Drupal

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Experience

• Web and Creative Director

  Institute for Policy Studies

  (Non-Profit; Think Tanks industry)

  May 2006 — Present (3 years 7 months)

  For the nation's oldest progressive think-tank; plan, design, develop, maintain and track IPS website and sub-sites. Manage contractors and interns. Direct and design IPS branding and print. Instituted and continue to grow campaign blasts and IPS’ Unconventional Wisdom: news from the Institute to over 15,000 recipients.

• Proprietor/Freelance in Strategy-Integrated Design

  Culture Graphic

  (Online Media industry)

  November 1999 — Present (10 years 1 month)

  Creative products since 1999 for organizations including EMBARQ of the World Resources Institute, Milwaukee-area politicians, the Sustainable Endowments Institute, the Center for Social Philanthropy, and Williams College.
  
  Portfolio at http://www.culturegraphic.com. References for all works available at request.

• Creative Director in Online Advertising

  Obama for America

  (Non-Profit; Political Organization industry)

  July 2008 — November 2008 (5 months)

  Worked with established initiatives, target audiences and a messaging framework - over the course of four sub-campaigns, each with unique objectives - to conceptualize, pitch, design and develop over forty interactive advertisements across major advertising networks. Turned targets to measured actions. Among these, designed and developed an advertisement with a built-in tax cut calculator; a tool for finding the nearest polling location; and the first-ever in-video game advertisements used by a political campaign. Provided interactive design support to the video team, web team, and policy/communications, with an interactive presentation that made complex tax policies accessible. Worked as part of an aggressive and innovative new media department that helped to elect the first African American president.

• Interactive Designer

  Great Lakes Media Technology

  (Privately Held; Media Production industry)

  October 2004 — June 2006 (1 year 9 months)

  Created highly interactive CD, DVD, and online applications and presentations for Fortune 500 companies and ad agencies at the Midwest's largest DVD/CD replication company; re-designed Great Lakes' branding and website; and implemented strategies that integrated creative ideas with unique marketing campaigns.

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Education

• Georgetown University

  Non-degree , Liberal Studies , 2007 — 2008

• Westminster-Kingsway College

  BTEC , Multimedia , 2000 — 2001

  In one year completed a two-year BTEC degree in interdisciplinary multimedia studies at this London college. Received "Distinction" for final project.

• Think Innovative Media

  Macromedia Certification , Flash, Director , 1998 — 1999

Additional Information

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Websites:

• My Portfolio

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Groups:

Fractured Atlas, Freelancers Union

•    Progressive Exchange
•    AmeriCorps Alums

Nathaniel Kerksick’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
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• job inquiries
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