Karen Sketch is an accomplished graphic designer applying graphic design skills for the development and production of print-ready work products for commercial clients interested in promoting innovative product lines.
Creative projects have included helping to develop brand identities and logos for regional start-ups, developing promotional materials with a common look and feel and working with writers who need text formatting and graphics integration for books, reports and manuals. She has designed scores of brochures for a variety of businesses, working directly with digital printing houses to help to ensure the highest quality of printed promotional materials. Local Santa Barbara based clients include First Principle, Foundation for Conscious Evolution, Invenios Technologies, Lobero Theater, Santa Barbara Garden Club, Service Master, Sysco Ventura, Inc., and several local authors.
Prior to moving to Santa Barbara in 2007 with her husband, a retired aerospace manager, Karen was positioned as senior art director for The Designory, Inc., in Long Beach. At the Designory, she was responsible for the design and production of consumer automotive brochures for Nissan Motor Corporation USA; Infiniti Division of Nissan North America, Inc.; Infiniti Division of Nissan Canada, Inc.; Isuzu; Mercedes North America; Oldsmobile and GMC Trucks; General Motors Corporation; Mitsubishi; Moto Laverda; Ducati of North America; European Cycle Specialties (consortium for pro bono poster); Subaru; and Fleetwood RV.
Karen managed projects for automotive brochures end to end, from initial conception to final publication. She was responsible for client contact with Designory executives and development of creative concepts for presentation at initial client meetings. She assumed responsibility for management direction of photographers, illustrators, computer production artists, writers, typesetters and printers. Worked collaboratively with design teams, account executives, production managers, and traffic personnel during on-location photography shoots for development of automotive brochure materials.
She is thoroughly familiar with Macintosh computer equipment and graphics software programs, in particular the OS X-based InDesign suite.
Her educational credentials include a B.F.A., Visual Communication Design, California State University, Long Beach; a B.A., Art, California State University, Long Beach, and Certificate, Otis Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles.