Custom-bound book :: The Bourne Identity Redisigned website :: Cortica Benicia USA Custom-bound pamphlet :: Personal Portfolio Website Design :: Personal Portfolio Site

Kevin Black

Hi, My Name's And I'm a web designer.

I create online communities with Couto Solutions. I studied Graphic Communication at California Polytechnic State University, and learned along the way that I love creating websites. Since then I have expanded my knowledge beyond HTML and CSS to learn jQuery, regular expressions, ASP.net, velocity scripting, and more. To learn more about me or contact me, take a look below.

I also love playing and watching soccer, traveling, comedy, Daft Punk, friends, family, this, and pretty much any beverage with caffeine in it.

Portfolio

To take a look at the my work, click on a thumbnail below for the project you're interested to display a description and more details.

Web

  • Portfolio v2

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    Portfolio v2 Portfolio v2 Portfolio v2 Portfolio v2
    Project Info:

    Redesigned portfolio website to be better organized, more flexible for content, and include custom jQuery effects in the UI. Kept the HTML largely the same as in version 1, but took fuller advantage of modern web design technology to enhance the look and behavior of the site. To visit the full site click here.
    Skills Used: HTML, CSS, jQuery, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

  • CB USA Website

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    CB USA Website CB USA Website CB USA Website CB USA Website
    Project Info:

    Redesigned the Cortica Benicia USA website. Took website redesign from concept to completion, updating the design to a more modern look and streamlining the content to a more usable interface. Worked closely with the head of marketing to decide on content, and taught her how to update articles using a template that I created. Click here to view the full site.
    Skills Used: HTML, CSS, Adobe Photoshop

  • Portfolio V1

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    Portfolio V1 Portfolio V1 Portfolio V1
    Project Info:

    Designed and coded a website to showcase my work. Designed mockups for the site using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Created the HTML code from scratch as well as the CSS styling. Incorporated Lightwindow modals for viewing images, movies, flash, and HTML.
    Skills Used: HTML, CSS, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

  • RQN SLO

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    RQN SLO RQN SLO
    Project Info:

    Redesigned the website for RQN SLO (Residents for Quality Neighborhoods, San Luis Obispo) to improve the ease of use and aesthetics. Gave detailed instructions to the client about how to update the site when they needed to. Click here to view the full site.
    Skills Used: HTML, CSS, Adobe Photoshop

    • Print

  • Capabilities Brochure

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    Capabilities Brochure Capabilities Brochure
    Project Info:

    Created a brochure to showcase the capabilities and services offered by the Cal Poly College of Continuing Education‘s marketing department. Conceptualized and designed the brochure to completion. Created a tri-fold brochure with a diagonal top edge to showcase three categories of service offerings.
    Skills Used: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

  • Course Catalog

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    Course Catalog Course Catalog Course Catalog
    Project Info:

    Designed the winter 2011 Cal Poly College of Continuing Education Course catalog. Created a new new front and back cover and adapted most pages from the previous quarter’s design. Worked with the head of marketing and the rest of the department to determine how to make the information flow.
    Skills Used: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

  • Portfolio

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    Portfolio Portfolio Portfolio
    Project Info:

    Created a printed portfolio to showcase my work and give to potential employers. Designed portfolio to match the style of my resume to maintain personal branding. Printed, cut, and bound the portfolio in the printing lab in Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication department.
    Skills Used: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop

  • Back to School

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    Back to School Back to School Back to School
    Project Info:

    Designed covers for the three main sections in the Mustang Daily for the 2009 Back to School edition. Covers were designed to blend seamlessly with the theme of the main cover, which had already been created.
    Skills Used: Adobe Photoshop

  • WOW

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    WOW WOW WOW
    Project Info:

    Designed covers for the three main sections in the Mustang Daily for the 2009 Week of Welcome edition. Covers were designed to blend seamlessly with the theme of the main cover, which had already been created.
    Skills Used: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

  • Ltd Ed Book

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    Ltd Ed Book Ltd Ed Book Ltd Ed Book
    Project Info:

    Hand-crafted and designed a limited edition book of The Bourne Identity from scratch using plain text. Took advantage of Adobe InDesign features to create styles such as italicized and hyphenated words. Organized chapter openings, running headers and footers, and book openings. Pages were printed on specialty paper, hand-stitched together, and glued into a hand-made cover.
    Skills Used: Adobe InDesign, Bindery & Finishing

    • Everything Else

  • Manglers

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    Manglers
    Project Info:

    Designed the 2011 shirt for the Mustang Manglers, Cal Poly’s cheering club for the men’s soccer team. The club printed around 800 shirts and sold all of them to rowdy Cal Poly soccer fans. Used Lost Type‘s Duke typeface.
    Skills Used: Adobe Illustrator

  • LGND FTBL CO

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    LGND FTBL CO LGND FTBL CO
    Project Info:

    Designed two shirts used in the first line of clothing released by LGND Football Co., a startup apparel company designed to fill the void left by a lack of football(soccer) lifestyle clothing in the United States.
    Skills Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

  • Emphasis

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    Emphasis Emphasis
    Project Info:

    Art Project for 2-dimensional design class meant to emphasize one element/object using shape, size and orientation. Created with vectors from a sketch, and inspired by this photo.
    Skills Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

  • Depth

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    Depth Depth Depth
    Project Info:

    Art project for 2-dimensional design class meant to show a clear foreground, middleground, and background using three different methods. Designed from a sketch using vectors and custom patterns created in Adobe Illustrator.
    Skills Used: Adobe Illustrator

  • Type Monograph

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    Type Monograph Type Monograph
    Project Info:

    Created a typographic monograph to showcase Hypatia Sans Pro, a typeface from Adobe’s font library, created by Thomas Phinney. Created the pillar artwork with glyphs from the extensive choice of characters in the typeface.
    Skills Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign

    • Résumé

    Work Experience

    couto solutions, San Luis Obispo, California (December 2010–present):

    Coded and Designed content for custom sites and add-ons to Telligent's online community platform.

    Freelance designer, San Luis Obispo, California (Fall 2009–present):

    Collaborated with several clients to create whatever printed or web-based content the client required.

    cal poly continuing education, San Luis Obispo, California (September 2010–December 2010):

    Worked with various department heads in the College of Contunuing Education to create a printed catalog of available courses and services, as well as creating other advertising material.

    Mustang Daily, San Luis Obispo, California (June 2009–June 2010):

    Acted as the lead designer for the student-run newspaper. Designed graphics, page layouts, and charts.

    Design and Print Experience

    Web Design:

    • Played a role in the award-winning web design and development team at Couto Solutions.
    • Implemented and created custom theme designs for Telligent Communities with Couto Solutions.
    • Redesigned outdated websites for Cortica Benicia and RQN SLO.
    • Created a personal website using HTML, CSS, Flash and javascript.
    • Redesigned the Graphic Communication Wiki by editing the CSS created by Apple’s Wiki program.
    • Worked in a team to update and redesign a website for on-campus club, Mat Pica Pi.
    • Created Flash animations for multiple companies to be posted on their respective websites introducing customers to the websites’ services.

    Editorial/Publication Design:

    • Conceptualized and designed a capabilities brochure for Cal Poly Continuing Education.
    • Redesigned the Winter 2011 course catalog for Cal Poly Continuing Education.
    • Created a magazine and designed eight pages for a magazine design class using Adobe Indesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
    • Designed info-graphics and themed covers, created layouts for Mustang Daily, the on-campus newspaper at CPSU.
    • Repurposed The Bourne Identity into a special edition hardcover book. Crafted the book by hand and cleansed text of book in Adobe InDesign for Book Design Technology Class.
    • Designed a dust jacket for the book Ender’s Game for Book Design Technology Class.

    Branding:

    • Redesigned CPSU’s newspaper, Mustang Daily.
    • Designed Personal Identity (business card, letterhead, envelope, CD label) incorporating graphic and typographic elements.
    • Collaborated with a group to create a new product, including packaging, market research, and branding. Designed product logo, commercial, and package design.
    • Created the logo for the CPSU chapter of EGB (Emerging Green Builders)
    • Created a new product, including packaging, market research, and branding. Designed product logo, commercial, and package design with group members’ help.

    University Graphic Systems, CPSU:

    • Bindery Trainee (Winter 2007–Spring 2007): Learned to work in the bindery department of UGS. Learned to run cutting and MBO folder for various jobs. Trained to use Mueller Martini Presto and Mueller Martini Amigo Plus for saddlestitching and perfect binding respectively.
    • Sheetfed Trainee (Fall 2007): Platemaking, makeready, quality control, color balance, and registration for Heidelberg four color press.

    Education

    California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
    Major: Graphic Communication
    Concentration: Design Reproduction Technology
    Graduated December 2010
    GPA: 3.4

    Skills

    Adobe Photoshop HTML Microsoft Excel
    Adobe Illustrator CSS Microsoft Word
    Adobe Dreamweaver Javascript Microsoft Powerpoint
    Adobe InDesign jQuery Mac and PC
    Adobe Flash LESS.CSS

    Contact Me

    Have a question for me related to my work? Want to enquire about hiring me for a project? Just lonely and want to say hello? Whatever the case, use the simple contact form below to let me know what is on your mind.