I’m Wade Gillespie, a brand designer and motion graphics artist with 20+ years of experience creating visual identities, campaign art, illustration, and production-ready motion content for entertainment, retail, B2B, automotive, and social platforms. I’m hands-on with concept development—from sketches and styleframes to polished final deliverables—then I bring those systems to life through animation, compositing, and delivery specs built for real-world use. I work best translating creative briefs into distinctive, scalable visual systems, whether I’m producing logo animation, storyboard-driven motion, or high-volume brand assets under tight deadlines. Proficient across Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and InDesign (with Cinema 4D experience), I’ve collaborated across major brands and led production workflows that improve speed, consistency, and quality without losing craft.…

Wade Gillespie

I’m Wade Gillespie, a brand designer and motion graphics artist with 20+ years of experience creating visual identities, campaign art, illustration, and production-ready motion content for entertainment, retail, B2B, automotive, and social platforms. I’m hands-on with concept development—from sketches and styleframes to polished final deliverables—then I bring those systems to life through animation, compositing, and delivery specs built for real-world use. I work best translating creative briefs into distinctive, scalable visual systems, whether I’m producing logo animation, storyboard-driven motion, or high-volume brand assets under tight deadlines. Proficient across Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and InDesign (with Cinema 4D experience), I’ve collaborated across major brands and led production workflows that improve speed, consistency, and quality without losing craft.…

Available to hire

I’m Wade Gillespie, a brand designer and motion graphics artist with 20+ years of experience creating visual identities, campaign art, illustration, and production-ready motion content for entertainment, retail, B2B, automotive, and social platforms. I’m hands-on with concept development—from sketches and styleframes to polished final deliverables—then I bring those systems to life through animation, compositing, and delivery specs built for real-world use.

I work best translating creative briefs into distinctive, scalable visual systems, whether I’m producing logo animation, storyboard-driven motion, or high-volume brand assets under tight deadlines. Proficient across Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and InDesign (with Cinema 4D experience), I’ve collaborated across major brands and led production workflows that improve speed, consistency, and quality without losing craft.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Production Designer (Contract) at Herff Jones
September 1, 2025 - December 1, 2025
Produced high-volume digital, print, and multimedia creative across 2,000+ school brands while maintaining precise identity standards, typography, hierarchy, and color/production quality. Integrated Midjourney and emerging AI video tools with Adobe workflows to accelerate visual exploration while retaining hands-on control of final design and motion execution.
AI Design Specialist at Outlier (Remote)
October 1, 2024 - Present
Evaluate multimodal visual outputs against detailed creative specifications, applying strong judgment in composition, consistency, prompt adherence, and production quality within an independent remote workflow.
Senior Graphic Designer (Contract) at Steak 'n Shake
May 1, 2024 - August 1, 2024
Created national campaign content across social, web, billboards, digital signage, menu boards, kiosks, and in-store environments, including co-branded work involving Red Bull. Produced motion graphics and animated promotional content in After Effects and built scalable design systems to improve speed, consistency, and production accuracy.
Senior Graphic Designer at Steak ‘n Shake
May 1, 2024 - August 31, 2024
Produced branded content for billboards, kiosks, digital signage, and mobile UI, using After Effects, Cinema4D, and Illustrator to drive engagement and event visibility. Built and maintained scalable design systems for menus and campaign assets, cutting production time by 75% and ensuring brand cohesion across channels. Created CMS-integrated visuals for in-store screens, app content, and social campaigns, aligning with digital strategy and franchise partner goals. Preflighted files for print, packaging, and promotional displays, delivering vendor-ready artwork with precise specs, coatings, and color prep.
Senior Production Designer at PERQ Auto
June 1, 2019 - June 30, 2023
Designed event marketing materials, digital ads, and social content for national campaigns—driving attendance and awareness for product launches and webinars. Led A/B-tested creative for landing pages, email, and social media, improving campaign performance by 30%. Built repeatable templates and toolkits that enhanced brand consistency and accelerated production timelines by 60%. Collaborated with cross-functional teams and managed vendor coordination to deliver polished, high-impact visual assets.
Art Director / Production Artist / Senior Graphic Designer at Tri-Auto Enterprises (PERQ)
October 1, 2001 - June 1, 2023
Directed hands-on creative production across brand identity, campaign, digital, print, motion, presentation, and environmental work as the company grew into a national B2B marketing platform. Maintained visual consistency across 15+ automotive OEM brand systems by translating complex briefs into polished concepts and coordinating reviews, approvals, vendor handoffs, and final production. Led and mentored a five-designer team while staying an active maker—reviewing work for craft, brand accuracy, technical quality, and on-time delivery; built workflow systems that reduced recurring production time by 40%.
Art Director / Production Artist at Tri-Auto Enterprises (PERQ)
October 1, 2001 - June 30, 2019
Directed a high-volume in-house team creating print, digital, and signage assets for automotive and event-based clients. Developed scalable production workflows and co-built a custom CMS, increasing project throughput and asset accessibility by 40%. Designed co-op-compliant campaigns and executive presentations under tight deadlines, ensuring on-brand storytelling across formats. Delivered print-ready signage, marketing kits, and promotional materials, coordinating proofing and approvals with internal and external partners.
Senior Graphic Designer / Illustrator / Motion Designer at Freelance
October 1, 1999 - Present
Create original logos, brand identities, campaign visuals, posters, social content, motion graphics, short-form video, and presentation assets for entertainment, sports, retail, nonprofit, and personal-brand projects. Develop concepts from sketches, references, moodboards, and styleframes; refine vector and raster artwork in Illustrator and Photoshop; then animate, composite, and finish branded content in After Effects and (when needed) Cinema 4D. Own projects end-to-end from brief through concept, client review, revisions, file preparation, motion finishing, and final delivery—balancing originality, brand fit, technical specifications, and deadline pressure.
Senior Graphic Designer at Freelance
October 1, 1998 - June 13, 2024
Designed signage, branding, and campaign assets for major sports and entertainment events, including the Indy 500 and NCAA Final Four, ensuring consistency with partner brand standards. Produced digital and print materials for social media, email campaigns, presentations, brochures, and websites, strengthening audience engagement and cross-channel storytelling. Created large-format and directional signage, event kits, and promotional visuals—preparing print-ready files for accurate output and efficient vendor handoff. Captured and edited photography and short-form video content optimized for digital platforms, supporting event marketing and social media coverage. Developed scalable design templates, toolkits, and asset libraries to maintain brand alignment and improve collaboration across remote and in-house teams. Worked with marketing teams and creative leads to interpret briefs into visually compelling presentations, brand documents, and campaign visuals.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts at Ball State University
January 1, 1990 - December 31, 1994
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Ball State University
January 1, 0000 - January 1, 0000

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Consumer Goods, Retail, Professional Services, Other, Transportation & Logistics
    What's your style quiz
    What: •Overhauled the outdated “What’s Youte” quiz, previously criticized for repetitive results and poor usability, by refreshing it with a modern, engaging design and diverse, personalized outcomes. How: Collaborated with IT Engineers and Quality Assurance teams, wrote HTML/CSS code, AI for custom results, updated photos, and used serene imagery edited in Adobe Creative Suite, focusing on a seamless, engaging user experience and the allure of personalized rewards. Results: This landing page revolutionized our sales process for this new product, enabling reps to quickly access product details, streamline client communications, and notably reduce the sales cycle, boosting our deal-closing speed.…
    Perfect Pixel Pact
    What: Developed the “Perfect Pixel Pack,” a multi-channel digital advertising solution designed for automotive and retail clients to enhance their online presence and sales. How: Using Adobe Creative Suite I created 15 themes across five platforms to create a full year of advertising. I selected artwork, wrote copy, created custom art, designed ads, and created a digital asset management system using HTML/CSS. Result: Achieved a 30% increase in sales revenue, alongside a 25% boost in customer retention and a 40% rise in new customer acquisition. Build times were 4x faster, with 95% of ads reaching finalization without the need for changes. Notable improvements in market presence was achieved.…