OHMYSTARS FOLIO
CV


bio
Katie Marcus, a web and graphic designer with a wide range of interests and projects on the go. I'm a creative thinker, quick and enthusiastic learner and flexible worker, happiest when working on a mixture of different projects. I've been running my own web sites since 1999. My current site ohmystars.net contains a popular craft tutorials section which has featured in some magazines and in 2005 won a Channel 4 Webit award. My blog can be read at whatkatiedoes.net

work

I'm currently employed as a designer at Collective, a digital ad agency based in Clerkenwell, London. I've worked on a varied and exciting array of projects including dedicated campaign sites, microsites and banner advertising for clients including Honda, Doritos, EA, and Guinness.

freelance

I am available to take on the odd freelance project in addition to my full-time job. I mostly like to work on smallish personal projects with a craft/fashion/artistic theme. My rates are reasonable and I love to use these projects to expand my creative side and coding skills so you are guaranteed a unique and personalised site! If you'd like to work with me, just give me an email.

hobbies and interests

Art (making and viewing) and photography; fashion design, making clothing and jewellery; cinema; reading (mostly non-fiction travel and historical themed); live music; pop culture.

find me online

  • myspace
  • flickr
  • threadless
  • last.fm


    • programmes/languages

    I'm comfortable working on both Macs and PCs (Mac preferred).
    Excellent knowledge of:
    Adobe Photoshop/Imageready
    Adobe Illustrator
    Macromedia Dreamweaver
    Macromedia Flash
    ActionScript
    HTML and CSS
    Some knowledge of:
    Adobe Indesign
    Quark
    Macromedia Director MX
    Macromedia Fireworks
    Lingo

    employment

    Collective London, November 2006-present
    I started working at Collective soon after graduating and am having a wonderful time working on a wide variety of campaigns for big-name clients. I have been involved heavily in the design and production of many of Honda's nationwide campaigns, such as Warm Technology and Hondamentalism. This job has let me develop practical skills in Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop as well as building my strengths in teamwork, working to deadline/client's needs, overseeing a project from conception to handover, and exerting quality control over all aspects of my work.

    Holden and Friends, Summer 2004
    Work placement in which I worked on a large variety of projects for local businesses and national brands (Matalan, Manchester Art Show). I learnt how to use Illustrator and Quark as well as getting a valuable insight into how a small agency works.

    qualifications

    University
    Bournemouth Univeristy - BA(Hons) Interactive Media Production. Graduated 2006, classification 2i.

    A and AS levels
    English Literature & Language - A
    History - B
    Art - B
    Psychology AS - A
    Maths and Stats AS - C

    GCSE
    10, grade A* to B, including English (A), Maths (A*) and Science (A).
    WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT


    louloulovesyou.co.uk

    Website and online store for Lou, who sells gorgeous handmade silk undies.

    visit>>louloulovesyou.co.uk

     

    iheartcheekychops.com

    Redesign of cheekychops involved making the layout more streamlined and easy to update - achieved with PHP and external style sheets.

    visit>>iheartcheekychops.com

     

    wearentscientists.com

    Fan archive for the band We Are Scientists. A simple PHP-based layout specially designed to be cross-browser compatible.

    visit>>wearentscientists.com

    kooky-kitsch.co.uk

    Logo, graphics and menu for an online store which sells clothing and accessories imported from Japan. It needed a strong visual identity and some link to Japanese culture and the name Kooky Kitsch. I designed a bold modern logo using Illustrator and made a Flash navigation bar.

    visit>>kooky-kitsch.co.uk

    rudyludy.com

    A website made for Claire who designs and sells her own t-shirts. I designed the logo and coded the site including menu, pop-up gallery of photos, and Flash interactive 'design your own' t-shirt feature.

    visit>>rudyludy.com

    ohmystars.net

    I maintain my own website which serves as a portal to my other sites. I keep it fresh and interesting by changing the layout and style often. I use it as an experimentation board for new ideas and techniques.

    visit>>ohmystars.net

    ohmystars craft

    My craft website features tips and tutorials on my main hobby - crafts such as sewing and knitting.

    visit>>ohmystars craft


    FLASH DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

    holden&friends

    I undertook a variety of Flash/HTML/illustrative work on my work placement at Holden&Friends.
    hilton chambers - online advertising

    Prototype Flash banner ads for a boutique hostel in Manchester's Nortnern Quarter.



    alice

    Alice is my final year university project, based on Lewis Carroll's novel. It aims to show that a book can be successfully transformed into an engaging piece of interactive art. Click here to view trailer (Quicktime mov 700k).

     

    manchester art show

    An interactive floor plan for the Manchester Art Show 2005. This project, created while on work placement, went live on the Art Show's website. I also had a hand in creating Flash content for the rest of the site.

    visit>>manchester art show


    lenore

    A Flash animation created for a year 1 university project - the brief was to animate an existing comic book character.

     

    CONTACT

     

    To hire/employ/criticise/threaten me, please use the following means.

    email: katie@ohmystars.net

    call: 07834 929917

    38a howard road
    stamford hill
    london
    N15 6NL

     
    GRAPHIC DESIGN


    commercial work

    		  

    Idea sheet for logos/brand identity for Hilton Chambers, a hostel based in the fashionable Northern Quarter of Manchester

    Idea sheet of logos for Deer How Lodge, a holiday resort in the Lake District.

     

    Print advertisement and promotional mailer for Fall Woman, an exclusive womenswear boutique.

     

    Print advertisement for Plaisir Du Chocolat, an upmarket chocloatiers. Created in Illustrator and Quark.

     

    Adverisement for a pocket watch, rebranded for a young audience with Japanese fashion influence.

     

    Visualisation of a proposed housing deveoplment, created in Photoshop from blueprints.

     

    illustrations

    'Great things come in small packages", a t-shirt design submitted to threadless.com

    "Rockin' Horse", Illustrator vector drawing.

     
    "Let's not talk about the weather ", Illustrator drawing based on a sketchbook doodle

    "Babycham", vector art created in Illustrator.

     

    "Soulmite", Illustrator vector art.

     

    "Star Factory", illustration inspired by Fiona Hewitt and Raymond Peynet.

     

    "Futtering Heart", another play on the same theme.

     

    "Jess", a combination of vector photo tracing and bitmap art.
    "Kate in the City", self-promotional Photoshop artwork for my site.
    "I Love the City", based on a sketch I did, created in Illustrator.

     

    OTHER COOL STUFF

    dissertation

    My BA dissertation is titled 'Can digital art ever be as culturally valuable as traditional art?'. It is a discussion of whether modern multimedia art can become as valid and meaningful as traditional art forms such as painting.

    Available online soon.

    director project - the missing jack

    A first year project for university. The brief was to create an interactive mystery game using Director as an authoring tool. In a team of 5 we produced a project rich in multimedia including video, images, graphics, sound and interaction.


    fashion and jewellery design

    Fashion is a major hobby of mine - in my spare time I love to design, make, and customise clothes. I also enjoy making jewellery, many pieces of which I sell.