Cristina Shannon Graphic Design Portfolio 2023

Graphic Design Portfolio

by Cristina Shannon

About Me

My name is Cristina Shannon and I’m a Graphic Designer based in Wiesbaden, Germany. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Technical Writing and a minor in Creative Writing, I moved to Germany where my husband was stationed. Shortly after the move, I was asked to help his office create a photo history book to celebrate the 80th anniversary of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. I used my limited knowledge of Adobe InDesign and successfully coauthored a 160+ page book that was distributed throughout Europe and the United States. After the project ended, I decided to enroll in the Web & Digital Design program at University of Maryland Global Campus Europe and expand on the design skills I had become interested in.

My interests lead me to a volunteer position in the USAG Wiesbaden FMWR Marketing Office. I began assisting the Senior Designer in creating print and digital event advertisements for the various programs that MWR offers. This eventually led me to a job as an Operations Assistant for the MWR theatre program where I continue to work on design projects alongside other administrative duties.

My goal is to take the combination of writing, graphic and web design, marketing, and administrative skills I have gained over the course of my career and find a position as a Marketing Assistant for an MWR program at a U.S. Army Garrison.

Experience Operations Assistant Jan 2023 – Present

U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden FMWR – Amelia Earhart Playhouse

• Design posters, flyers, and graphics for web, social media, and advertisements.

• Perform clerical, administrative, and logistical support.

Volunteer Graphic Designer August 2022 – Present

U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden FMWR Marketing

• Create physical marketing materials including posters, flyers, brochures, and booklets.

• Operate print shop equipment such as cutter, laminator, and poster printer.

Volunteer Designer Jun 2020 – May 2022

U.S. Army Europe and Africa

• Designed and managed 160+ page book using Adobe InDesign.

• Created multiple assets using Adobe Illustrator.

Technical Writer Intern Jun 2019 – Dec 2019

Arlo Technologies

• Created two illustrations using existing assets in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

• Edited product quick-start guides using Adobe InDesign.

Lead Editor Jun 2018 – Jun 2019

SJSU College of Humanities & Arts Marketing Communications

• Managed Hammer Theatre’s monthly newsletter using HTML and GitHub.

• Composed and deployed email adblasts using MailChimp.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Web & Digital Design

University of Maryland Global Campus Europe

Skills

May 2022 – Present

• Relevant Coursework: Fundamentals of Electronic Publishing, Illustration

Graphics, Image Editing

Bachelor of Arts in English: Technical Writing

Aug 2016 – May 2020 San Jose State University

• Relevant Coursework: Visual Rhetoric and Document Design for Writers

Section 1: Print Design

Amelia Earhart Playhouse

Seasonal Brochure

This project was created during my volunteer position at the USAG Wiesbaden MWR Marketing Office. One of the MWR programs, the Amelia Earhart Playhouse, needed a seasonal brochure made. The senior designer asked me to create a new version of the brochure to become the template for future seasons.

My goal for this piece was to make a timeless brochure that would be easily editable for future designers or staff members of the theatre program. The AEP did not previously have much in the way of branding, so I had the freedom to choose fonts and colors that I thought would efficiently showcase the theatre.

2022 | Adobe InDesign |by Cristina Shannon

Front Cover

About the Playhouse

Back Cover

MWR Welcome Trifold Brochure

This project was created during my volunteer position at the USAG Wiesbaden MWR Marketing Office. One of the MWR programs, the Army Community Services program, wanted MWR to produce a trifold that briefly introduced some of the various services, centers, and restaurants that the program provides. This was created to be given out at a welcome event for new Soldiers and civilians arriving to the USAG Wiesbaden community.

My goal for this piece was to create a product that I would’ve loved to receive when I first joined the community. I wanted to include some of the most essential and useful MWR programs, and I wanted the brochure to be easy to read and understand.

Front Cover

2023 | Adobe InDesign |by Cristina Shannon

Section 2: Brand Design

Dragonfly Inn Logo Redesign

Original Design

This project was created for CMST 320: Illustration Graphics at UMGC. Our assignment was to sketch different versions of a logo, then create the logo and variations for web, print, etc. We also had to provide a summary of our design process.

I chose the fictional business, Dragonfly Inn, from the tv show Gilmore Girls. Because there was already a logo for the business within the show, I approached the project as a redesign, sticking with the same colors but improving the font and layout of the logo. I wanted to modernize it while still maintaining the classy feel of the original design.

2023 | Adobe Illustrator |by Cristina Shannon

My Redesign

Black

Color Version

Dragonfly Inn Branding Kit

This project was created for CMST 495: Current Trends & Projects in Web & Digital Design at UMGC. I created it explicitly for my final portfolio project. The idea was inspired by CMST 310: Fundamentals of Electronic Publishing, where I was assigned to create a letterhead, envelope, and business card for a company of my choosing. For the actual project, I chose my personal brand, but when deciding what projects to include in my portfolio I decided to use

the Dragonfly Inn logo I had created in another class and create a branding kit for the fictional business.

My goal was to expand on the color and typography used in the logo project and create a cohesive stationery branding set. I also included a mockup of coffee sleeves, because one of the owners of the inn is obsessed with coffee. It felt like the kind of personal touch that I would love to be able to provide for a smaller company.

2023 | Adobe Illustrator, InDesign |by Cristina Shannon

Section 3: Signage

Defender 23 Banner

This project was created for the USAREUR-AF Public Affairs Office. The client wanted a refresh of the previous year’s design for DEFENDER-23, an annual multinational joint exercise between U.S. and NATO allies and partners. They were asking for several different versions to send for consideration. I was asked by an employee who I had previously worked with to create a design to include in the office’s final options.

My goal for this project was to refer to the client’s sketches and the previous year’s design to create an updated version of the banner. Photos and the logo were provided and I used those to inspire my design.

2023 | Adobe Illustrator |by Cristina Shannon

Previous Year’s Design

My Design

Section 4: Social Media Design

TOPPERs 2023 Workshops Advertisement

This project was created for the Amelia Earhart Playhouse at USAG Wiesbaden. After creating some designs for this program through my volunteer work at MWR Marketing, I applied and obtained a position at the theatre as an Operations Assistant, where I continued to provide graphic design services.

TOPPERs is an annual award show program facilitated by the IMCOM Europe Army Entertainment program. Every year, military theatre programs around Europe are

judged on their performances and other technical aspects of their shows. The adjudicators visit each theatre to judge performances and provide workshops to the community.

I was tasked with created an advertisement for three of these workshops that were taking place in our local community. I hadn’t designed any of the official TOPPERs graphics, so a logo was provided for me, but I did imitate the style of the official graphics in this piece to try and make it cohesive.

2023 | Adobe Illustrator |by Cristina Shannon

Thanks for reading!

C.A.S