Will Fleig
Multimedia Graphic Designer and Illustrator
Thesis Statement
The Global Ecology Coalition
As I gained knowledge about the design industry throughout my college career, I noticed that organizations that require strong branding the most in order to succeed, such as nonprofits and startups, usually have the least resources available to allocate to design. These groups frequently have to outsource their design work, compounding their expenses and causing issues with brand consistency.
While all good designers should have a grasp on how to brand on a budget, I knew that there were more steps I could take to ensure that my future branding projects were sustainable and accessible for those whose primary vocation is not in design.
My capstone project was a self-imposed challenge to develop the most modular, cost-efficient, and intuitive brand that I could. For the purpose of this project, I created a hypothetical environmental nonprofit titled “The Global Ecology Coalition” in order to have a consequence-free testing ground to rapidly implement strategies and iterate my research. The result is a branding solution that saves the organization money in the long term without sacrificing style or substance.
Experience
The Daily Nebraskan
Print Design Chief, Assistant Art Director
Supervise production and direct the design process of The Daily Nebraskan’s magazine, maintaining adherence to brand standards while making distinct and visually interesting designs for each and every story. Manage a small team of student designers, improving their understanding of best practices and conducting payroll according to the merit and effort of their work. Coordinate with the Marketing team, advertisers and the printing press to ensure consistency and timely delivery of a quality finished product.
Create illustrations for news, sports, opinion, and culture articles to be published on The Daily Nebraskan’s website. Ensure that fellow illustrators form an understanding of each story in order to create imagery that is both appropriate and complimentary to the written content with a timely turnaround for the publication of nightly articles.
Lincoln Children’s Zoo
Graphic Design Intern
Work within the Zoo’s brand to create graphics for signage, advertisements, merchandise and marketing materials. Communicate with animal caretakers to ensure that visual design engages visitors without distracting from the animals or interfering with their natural behavior. Update, print and install signage and other graphic materials around exhibits as necessary.
Olsson
Graphic Design Intern
Collaborate with the Creative and Marketing teams to create graphics for internal and public projects, and update dated graphic materials to Olsson’s current brand. Organize materials for use in Olsson’s contracted project proposals. Design, print, and distribute necessary materials throughout the office and Lincoln.