Kristina Rudolph

Product and Visual Design

Resume

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Summary

20 years of design experience working in graphic, digital, industrial, exhibits, construction, and sales environments. Actively incorporate design thinking and Agile frameworks, working with product owners, design, engineering, manufacturing, and technical teams. Provides design development scope for complete product and business solutions. Experienced in working with B2B, B2C, and non-profit teams.

Interested in leading and mentoring successful, inclusive, product owner teams in product management and project management roles. Research product, people, software, technology, processes, and business trends including; User experience research (UX research), User experience design (UXD), User Interface design (UI), front-end programming, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and Agile practices. Seeking upward mobility into Chief Design Officer (CDO) business leader role.

www/Kcandy.com
linkedin.com/in/kcandy

Competencies

  • Industrial, exhibit, graphic, and product design, materials, engineering processes, manufacturing
  • Agile principles, Scrum methodologies, Kanban boards, design thinking, prototyping
  • Adobe Cloud, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, HTML5, CSS3

Professional Experience

Consultant, 10/201-Present

A2Agile Inc. — Ann Arbor MI     

  • Led product management efforts with clients to define the vision, scope, strategy, and design development for qualitative training, workshop materials, and slide presentations
  • Observed and interviewed workshop participants, at “Scrum 2-Day/PSM I Certification Training,” providing clients with User Experience (UX) research audit to define future customer needs and product strategy
  • Spearheaded iterative design improvements, executing infographics, and visuals, using Adobe CS Software, increasing clarity and improving brand recognition for Agile workshops and related presentation materials

Rumi’s Passion Bakery — Plymouth MI

  • Project manager responsible for on-time, under budget, MVP of www.rumispassion.com web and mobile site, maximizing sales 20% after forecasting scope, launch deadlines, budget range, and client risk
  • Managed user flow and marketing segment content, to generate small impact high-result outcomes, creating increased demand and brand visibility, advancing Rumi’s to the no. 1 spot for gluten-free bakeries on Google’s SEO and initiating the expansion of menu offerings necessitating location expansion
  • Produced successful designs, using Adobe CS, HTML5, CSS3, and WordPress, resulting in improved customer accessibility, heightened brand awareness, and a 40% decrease in phone inquiries


Exhibit Specialist I & II, 01/2015-04/2018
Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum — Ann Arbor MI

  • Promoted to level II after proven success increasing visitor engagement, yearly memberships, and sales by 23%, through exhibit design enhancements on 250+ exhibits, and by the creation of new graphic and marketing materials, which updated the science center’s brand image and encouraged donor contributions
  • Built rapport with new and existing B2B partners, consolidating costs of OEM and aftermarket parts by 4% while leading and mentoring interns and collaborating with senior executives and design team
  • Assigned to implement initial design proposal, vision, scope, and strategy for the largest donor contribution in museum history (one million dollars), and offered operational support to the museum director, providing organization and cultural change advice to deliver successful future exhibit experiences
  • Successfully identified, analyzed, and solved ambiguous problems, troubleshooting and repairing mechanical, electrical, software-based, and pneumatic exhibits, components, and fabricated parts cutting average repair times from four days to less than half a day  (increase in uptime of 88%)
  • Prepared and maintained documentation, including a searchable vendor document, for equipment operations, part ordering, and preventative maintenance, maintaining internal Kanban board to establish accountability, address repair needs and communicate effectively within the design division

Specialist, 10/2009-11/2014
Apple Inc. — Novi MI

  • Supported front of house (FOH) sales and visuals teams, back of house (BOH) operations, and customer-facing retail efforts and training for 1,500+ daily consumers while maintaining an excellent NPS score of 65 in customer satisfaction ratings and generating promoters, which created over $3 million in quarterly sales
  • Championed developmental initiatives, within a 100+ person team, developing a back-of-house newsletter, and blog for the NPP Team and Kool-Aid Club, which addressed clear solutions to complex consumer problems, coached teammates, improved customer experiences, and raised peer moral and sales numbers
  • Certified in technical IT repair, to run diagnostics, troubleshoot desktop and mobile devices, learn new products and services, and use back of house (BOH) inventory systems
  • Integral in the setup of a 30% larger blank slate store, working with 50+ national and international teammates within 24 hours, while sustaining Apple’s rigid brand consistency

Graphic Design Professor, Adjunct, 08/2011-04/2013 
Adrian College — Adrian MI

  • Revitalized Web Design (Dreamweaver, HTML), Digital Imaging (Photoshop), Graphic Design I & II (Illustrator / InDesign) graphic curricula, which created an increased demand for graphic programming
  • Designed and developed a series of web blogs for Adrian College’s design department, which raised student engagement and promoted the design program creating a 17% increase in enrollment
  • Received fellowship stipends, to address increased demand, by teaching additional lectures which provided knowledge and mentorship to varied technical levels of understanding

Lead Graphic Designer, 06/2006-05/2009
Eastern Michigan University, Campus Life Department — Ypsilanti MI

  • Worked with internal graphic designers, marketing team, and surrounding departments to ensure timely completion of campus life event designs and marketing while adhering to the University’s brand identity
  • Created web and print advertisements, posters, brochures, books, and tri-folds; including all new student orientation materials and promotional merchandise; using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
  • Improved IT system workflow, which resulted in a 30% decrease in project turnaround times

Certifications & Community Involvement

Education

MFA, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI — Graphic Design, Magna Cum Laude

  • Art Masters Association (AMA) President
  • Anton Brenner Scholarship
  • Dorothy Lamming Scholarship
  • Collins Medal for Excellence in Graduate Assistantship Finalist

BFA, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI — Industrial Design Cum Laude

  • Co-President Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA)
  • Team Tagge Award for Industrial Design winner
  • Art Internationalist Mixed Media Finalist

My free time is spent:

  • Active Solopreneur in Inc. Connect Fellowship since May 2019
  • Running 5ks
  • Doing crafting, cut vinyl, laser cutting, woodwork, 3d printing, etc.
  • Playing with Legos
  • Creating interior designs, landscaping, and home improvement projects from the ground up, using lots of power tools
  • Reading business, economics, and personal development books
  • Going to Meetups for design, UX, hacking, and technology
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