I’m Dave Harford, a senior graphic designer and art director with extensive experience in print design, logo design, digital illustration, art direction, and production workflows. Since 1997, I’ve led projects from concept to completion—partnering with creative teams and clients to deliver polished designs that meet objectives, deadlines, and brand goals. I also offer magazine design and production at a high level, including directing the full creative and practical pipeline for a four-times-a-year, full-color publication. Whether working in-house, on contract, or as a freelance designer/illustrator, I coordinate design, preflight, formatting, photo shoots, and production schedules to ensure everything ships correctly and looks great.…

Dave Harford

I’m Dave Harford, a senior graphic designer and art director with extensive experience in print design, logo design, digital illustration, art direction, and production workflows. Since 1997, I’ve led projects from concept to completion—partnering with creative teams and clients to deliver polished designs that meet objectives, deadlines, and brand goals. I also offer magazine design and production at a high level, including directing the full creative and practical pipeline for a four-times-a-year, full-color publication. Whether working in-house, on contract, or as a freelance designer/illustrator, I coordinate design, preflight, formatting, photo shoots, and production schedules to ensure everything ships correctly and looks great.…

Available to hire

I’m Dave Harford, a senior graphic designer and art director with extensive experience in print design, logo design, digital illustration, art direction, and production workflows. Since 1997, I’ve led projects from concept to completion—partnering with creative teams and clients to deliver polished designs that meet objectives, deadlines, and brand goals.

I also offer magazine design and production at a high level, including directing the full creative and practical pipeline for a four-times-a-year, full-color publication. Whether working in-house, on contract, or as a freelance designer/illustrator, I coordinate design, preflight, formatting, photo shoots, and production schedules to ensure everything ships correctly and looks great.

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Work Experience

Magazine Art Director at The American Homebrewers Association
August 1, 2025 - Present
Directed, designed, and produced two full-color magazines: Zymurgy and The New Brewer. Coordinated creative and practical processes, including designing most full-color feature spreads, production and formatting, photo shoots, and hiring freelance designers, illustrators, and photographers. Coordinated production and shipping schedules with an out-of-state printer.
Art Director at Dave Harford Design
January 1, 2004 - Present
Freelance/contract designer and illustrator working with local marketing agencies and other businesses. Handles creative direction, design, and production across a wide range of media, completing projects in collaboration with client direction and within set deadlines or budget constraints.
Senior Designer at Kemp Goldberg
January 1, 2004 - January 1, 2006
Handled end-to-end design responsibilities including art direction, design, and production. Developed concepts individually and with teams, executing them through completion to meet client objectives. Performed production and preflight tasks for print readiness, coordinating with copywriters, account services, and the creative director to deliver finished projects by client deadlines.
Magazine Art Director at American Homebrewers Association (Zymurgy magazine)
January 1, 2001 - Present
Directs the direction, design, and production of Zymurgy, a full-color magazine published four times a year. Coordinates creative and practical processes including designing most full-color feature spreads, production and formatting, planning and coordinating photo shoots, hiring freelance designers/illustrators/photographers, and coordinating production and shipping schedules with the printer.
Senior Designer at Kemp Goldberg
January 1, 1997 - January 1, 2004
Handled the full range of design responsibilities including art direction, design, and production. Developed concepts both independently and in team environments, then executed them through to completion to meet client objectives. Completed production and preflight tasks to prepare print-ready files, and coordinated with copywriters, account services, and the creative director to deliver finished projects on time and according to client deadlines.
Art Director at Dave Harford Design
January 1, 1997 - Present
As a contract or freelance designer and illustrator for local marketing agencies or other businesses I work either on location or independently handling direction, design and production along a wide range of media. Projects are completed in conjunction with client direction and within set deadlines or budget constraints.

Education

Bachelor Degree at University of Pittsburgh
September 1, 1988 - January 1, 1993

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Non-Profit Organization, Professional Services
    Summer Feet Cycling brewery tour map
    My client hired me to create a biking map of the Portland, Maine area indicating where the local microbreweries and tap rooms were located. I used Google Maps to trace the outlines of the land and roadways and added the logos of the breweries in the appropriate places. The back side listed all of the breweries alphabetically along with their address, contact information, hours, and website.…
    Efficiency Maine illustrations
    A marketing agency hired me to create detailed illustrations to explain the differences in process behind the generation of power. After receiving instructions from the agency art director, I provided rough sketches for development, converted those to vector illustrations, made all revisions, and provided digital files ready for print and web usage.…
    Dirigo Fitness branding and print design
    In addition to creating the logo for Dirigo Fitness, I was hired to create a series of brochures and workbooks for their clients to use in various diet and exercise programs. They were able to create customized materials, increase participation in their programs, while expanding their overall brand look.…
    Maine Lobsterbake Company branding and print materials
    Maine Lobsterbake Company was a startup business which needed a logo, overall brand look, and various print materials like a business card, rack cards, outdoor sandwich board sign, and a newsletter. I designed the logo, selected a color palette, and typefaces for them to use going forward, and helped the owner build a successful business that has grown and thrived for twenty years.…
    Maine Behavioral Healthcare print materials
    Maine Behavioral Healthcare hired me to design their annual report, a series of brochures for their new programs, and a logo for the Maine Children's Initiative. I collaborated with their marketing director and her team on concepts and direction, selected stock photography for them, made all revisions, and provided finished files ready for printing.…
    Zymurgy magazine design
    As magazine art director, I am responsible for the direction, design and production of Zymurgy, a full-color magazine produced four times a year. I coordinate all creative and practical processes for the magazine, including designing the majority of full color feature spreads, production and formatting, photo shoots, hiring freelance designers, illustrators, and photographers, and coordinating production and shipping schedules with the printer.…
    St. Luke's Cathedral logo
    St. Luke's Cathedral, an Episcopal church in Portland, Maine, hired me to help rebrand themselves. They wanted the new logo to combine a traditional Christian symbolism, an open, welcoming feeling, and communicate a sense of interconnectedness among its community. The church serves both the local Episcopal population and all parishes in the Diocese of Maine, and has both the traditional cathedral which is built in the shape of a cross, and a chapel, which is round, so I combined those two shapes into an interwoven icon. There are three levels to the logo representing the church, the people who belong to it, and the underlying message of Christ. The light blue tones convey a sense of calm, peace, welcoming, and openness.…