Melissa Burns
Designer / Illustrator / Artist
Published! Neat.
Jackson, MS

University of Southern Mississippi
B.F.A. with Emphasis in Graphic Design

SKILLS
Adobe Creative Suite
Print and Digital Design
Video Editing  / Video Production / Photography / Audio Transcription
Motion Graphics / Animation
Canon 5D / 6D / Rebel t7i
WordPress / Drupal / Haven’t worked in code in a very long time! *can learn*
Microsoft Office / Acrobat
Drawing / Illustration / Painting / Creating Writing
Pre-press / Production / Bookbinding
Social Media / Blogging

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Dean Architecture, September 2018 to present
Multimedia Designer
I oversee how we look. I support Dean Architecture's efforts in marketing and new business development through my (literal) hands-on approach to our in-house promotional needs. After we rebranded our company in 2022, everything needed to come up to speed. So whether through print materials like brochures and advertisements or web and video, I must keep our brand looking good and up to date in this evolving world of architecture and design. I maintain all promotional materials and assist our Director of Marketing and Business Development with any marketing needs. I also handle client-based needs for any graphic design services they require for their newly built or renovated facilities.

Maris, West & Baker Advertising, July 2016 to September 2018
Graphic Designer & Illustrator
I communicate with Account Executives and Creative Directors to conceptualize and implement design solutions for clients, either by hand or using computer software. I also assist the interactive department with motion graphics, video editing, video production, photography, and audio transcription. I have to be able to manage time, deadlines, and several projects at once in both print and interactive media. My main client through the agency was Entergy Nuclear.

Freelance, June 2013 to 2022
Illustration, Commissions, and Design for Private Clientele
Through networking and self-promotion, I freelance illustration and design for various clientele. From stand-alone drawings to book illustrations to miscellaneous digital designs, I manage timelines while keeping my clients in the loop. I have worked with some well-known entities such as Mark Z. Danielewski, Saltine, thetruth.com, and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.

The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, October 2015 to July 2016
Graphic & Website Designer & Social Media Coordinator
As the only creative on staff, it was my duty to conduct visual problem-solving for each faction of The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi. My main responsibilities were web design, development, and maintenance, as well as, social media and print design. I also attended The Partnership’s various events for middle and high school-aged kids as a photographer and volunteer.

AlphaGraphics, July 2014 - January 2015
Graphic Designer & Design Consultant
I helped AlphaGraphics to grow within their community by offering new and fresh design skills to their clients for print and web. Being relatively new to web design, in a professional setting, I was able to experience building sites from concept to finish. Using Dreamweaver, Muse, and WordPress, I created and maintained several websites for their clients such as Parlor Market, ISI GROUP, some Mississippi authors, and a few small businesses. I was also able to learn a lot about print production and how to prepare files for print for all types of projects.

ACHIEVEMENTS
I Still Know What You Made Last Summer Vendor, 2021
Priced to Move Vendor, 2022
I Know What You Made Last Summer Vendor, 2021
Priced to Move Vendor, 2021
“Fondren Underground” Posters added to NYC Poster House Museum collection, 2019
“Fondren Underground” Posters series accepted into Lürzer's Archive, Issue 2, 2018 (Published)
Ghost Painter, 2018
Finalist for Best Visual Artist for Best of Jackson, 2018
Illustrated for Mississippi’s Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, 2017
Illustrated for Mark Z. Danielewski’s The Familiar Volume 4: Hades, 2016 (Published)
Featured Artist in the Jackson Free Press, July 2015 Vol. 15 No. 44
Illustrated for thetruth.com
Self-published & illustrated two books, 2014
Invited and accepted into USM’s Rise Creative Student Agency, 2014
Jackson Free Press cover illustration published June 2013
First place in Color Theory for USM Student Art Show
Sigma Tau Honor Society