I'm a designer with 15+ years of experience in branding, printing, and large-format signage. I bridge design and production, so brands look strong in concept and still work in the real world. I enjoy leading projects from initial concept through press-ready files, keeping clients happy and avoiding costly mistakes by coordinating closely with vendors and printers to ensure consistent brand systems across print, digital, and signage.…

Tyler Smith

5.0 (1 review)

I'm a designer with 15+ years of experience in branding, printing, and large-format signage. I bridge design and production, so brands look strong in concept and still work in the real world. I enjoy leading projects from initial concept through press-ready files, keeping clients happy and avoiding costly mistakes by coordinating closely with vendors and printers to ensure consistent brand systems across print, digital, and signage.…

Available to hire

I’m a designer with 15+ years of experience in branding, printing, and large-format signage. I bridge design and production, so brands look strong in concept and still work in the real world.

I enjoy leading projects from initial concept through press-ready files, keeping clients happy and avoiding costly mistakes by coordinating closely with vendors and printers to ensure consistent brand systems across print, digital, and signage.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Owner / Senior Designer at Design Forge LLC
August 1, 2023 - Present
Designed brand identities, signage, packaging, and marketing for 25+ clients across services, manufacturing, and community work. Built brand systems that stayed consistent across print, digital, and large-format projects. Managed projects from concept to delivery, coordinating vendors and printers to troubleshoot issues and keep on schedule. Acted as the client’s primary contact, guiding brand development and production decisions.
Graphic Designer / Operations Specialist at Hamilton Broadway Signs
August 1, 2021 - August 1, 2023
Delivered large-format signage for 100+ projects, including billboards, event displays, and vehicle graphics. Improved Corebridge invoice and pricing setup to streamline jobs and reduce errors. Built design and prepress templates to save time and ensure consistency. Served as the go-to designer for workflow troubleshooting and file setup across the team.
Graphic Designer / Production Specialist at Fastsigns
April 1, 2019 - May 1, 2021
Designed signage and marketing for a wide range of clients, balancing creative ideas with production limits. Built Illustrator and Photoshop templates to reduce setup mistakes and speed up prepress. Assisted with a high-profile FAO Schwartz installation, applying metallic vinyl in a demanding showroom setting and earning client recognition.
Prepress Specialist at Allura Printing
May 1, 2017 - July 1, 2017
Prepped print files for hardback and paperback books, ensuring layouts accounted for drift and binding needs. Designed flyers, cards, and other marketing pieces for print.
Graphic Designer / CSR at Smart Levels Media
June 1, 2015 - March 1, 2017
Designed flyers, postcards, and business cards for a steady client base. Built client trust through clear communication and quick turnaround.

Education

Associate of Science at College of the Redwoods
September 15, 2007 - June 15, 2012
(Program took longer to complete due to changes in degree requirements multiple times while taking courses.)

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Non-Profit Organization, Professional Services, Education, Retail, Real Estate & Construction, Other
    Upstream Branding Work
    A recovery focused housing program that needed to express its mission visually through a logo that felt modern, welcoming, and rooted. Project included logo design, concept work and research, and full 24-page brand usage guide. This full scope branding project was a massive undertaking, but it was truly fascinating diving into the symbology of ancient native pictograms and New Mexico as a whole. graphicdesigner branding designer logo illustrator…
    Maui’s Construction
    A Buffalo based construction company focused on concrete work. Client wished for his logo and brand to reflect his Hawaiian roots with a tribal tattoo feel. Project included logo design, concept work and research, and a simple 1-page branding guideline. Doing research into Hawaiian mythology and lore was an absolute delight on this project. Tiki sensibilities paired with a notable nod to the customer’s own tribal band tattoo made this piece iconic. logo graphicdesigner illustrator branding designer…
    TC Technologies
    A brand update project for a comprehensive technology and IT security company. Client did not have a branding guide and needed to update their 2-sided service brochure into a tri-fold brochure matching the branding of their website. A true case study in corrective design, the client’s original flat handouts were not doing the brand justice when they had a rich red and contrasting black & white motif. A quick study of their website got this tri-fold brochure back on the right path to maintain a consistent brand appearance. branding graphicdesigner designer…
    Shimmer Me Makeup Shop
    An Oakland based makeup parlor looking for a sleek, classy look, and girlish charm. Project included logo design, concept work and research, and outputs for vinyl cutting. This project forced me outside my normal design tendencies. The client was inspired by a combination of multiple subjects including Lisa Frank, Victoria Secret, and naturally, their own makeup work. Adapting the “Sh” in “Shimmer” into a pocket mirror and makeup brush set was a clever take to give the logo its unique silhouette. logo branding graphicdesigner illustrator designer…
    Meritool Powerpush Promotional Materials
    A suite of trade show graphics for an engineering company that manufactures injection guns. Includes an 8-foot backdrop banner, multiple flyers, and a web banner. This project was a challenge as I needed to fit not only several models of the injection guns, but also key details, model numbers, and promotional copy on a limited space. graphicdesigner branding designer…
    Wright Insurance Sell Sheets and Scorecard
    A set of 8.5” x 11” graphics that included multiple sell sheet overviews, as well as a scorecard. Included both printable and form-fillable versions. Inspired by other sheets they had seen before, the client wanted a set for their company including illustrations. The scorecard presented at challenge as the entire document also needed form fillable boxes for all fields. graphicdesigner branding designer…
    RES Physical Medicine & Rehab Billboard
    A billboard for a medical rehab center specializing in auto accidents. Billboards are always a think piece because a message has to be made and understood in as little as 5 seconds or less. Too much info and a driver doesn’t absorb it, too little, and the driver may not know what the message even is. graphicdesigner designer branding…
    Piedmont Grocery Logo Restoration and MDO Sign
    An exterior MDO sign for a long-time pillar of the Piedmont, CA community, which included a vector restoration of their original logo for vinyl application. This project was one of my biggest ever challenges as the provided scan was low resolution and needed massive redraws and color adaptations to convert to vinyl cutting application. Redrawn in Illustrator by hand (not live-traced). graphicdesigner branding illustrator designer…
    Summoner’s Symposium Discord Graphic Set
    A suite of graphics for a Discord server that provided instruction for League of Legends. Included Server Logo, Banner, and several class icons. As a long time player of this game myself, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to contribute to the community for this. logo graphicdesigner branding illustrator designer…
    Iron Skies Discord Graphic Set
    A suite of graphics for a Dungeons & Dragons Discord server, with a steampunk genre, including Server Logo, Banner, and Reaction Icons. D&D has always been a long-time passion of mine and this donated graphic set was a delight to put together for this community. logo graphicdesigner illustrator designer…
    Concept Logo: Vertiport Simulations
    Concept logo for a virtual flight sim company. logo graphicdesigner branding illustrator designer…
    Penguin Book Nook Illustration
    Penguin Book Nook Illustration for stickers. graphicdesigner illustrator designer…