RESUME

MAX HANCOCK

Washington, DC
E: mh@maxhancock.co
T: 571.275.2780

OBJECTIVE

To work as a freelance designer and illustrator serving the creative needs of entrepreneurs, agencies, small businesses, and organizations.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

MAX HANCOCK & CO

2011 – PRESENT
WASHINGTON, DC
DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR

Max Hancock & Co is the sole proprietorship design studio in the Washington DC area.

Here I work as a freelance consultancy, working closely with other creative studios and ad agencies like Ogilvy. For over six years I have provided these companies with professional design and illustration content for their clients.

OGILVY

2012 – PRESENT
WASHINGTON, DC
DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR

Ogilvy in Washington DC is one of the most well-known and respected advertising and public relations agencies in the area.

Over the last six years, I have provided freelance creative services for Ogilvy—working with them on various projects and campaigns. Together we have produced websites, infographics and graphic design layouts for major brands—making engaging content, and reinforcing brand stories. I have also rendered illustrations in different styles for many of their projects.

VISUALLY

2013 – 2015
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
DESIGNER & DIRECTOR

Visually is an online platform/virtual agency that connects businesses with content creators and developers.

I worked with visually as a designer and creative director in the early days of their online infographic and visualization service. I produced infographics, illustration and interactive pieces for major brands during that time. Visually was acquired by scrabbleLive in late 2015, and my work with them ended. I maintain a Visually profile.

THREESPOT

MAY 2011 – AUG 2011
WASHINGTON, DC
ART DIRECTOR

Threespot is an independent digital engagement agency that crafts online experiences & connections between brands & consumers.

My role as an art director was to uphold the creative vision for the projects under my responsibility. I worked on web projects and user experience projects for mostly Washington DC-based organizations. Additionally, it was my job to inspire, motivate, and teach, helping to improve the quality of Threespot’s creative work by cultivating talent.

QORVIS COMMUNICATIONS

AUG 2009 – MAY 2011
WASHINGTON, DC
CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERACTION DESIGN

Qorvis Communications is a boutique-style agency that specializes in media relations, public affairs, research, interactive marketing and advertising.

As the creative director of interaction design at Qorvis, I was responsible for leading the creative vision for interactive related accounts, working closely with the design teams, project managers, and development teams. Together we produced large-scale websites with rich-media assets. It was my job to ensure the correct strategies and methods were right for the project.

WUNDERMAN, DC (RTCRM)

JUN 2006 – JUL 2009
WASHINGTON, DC
LEAD INTERACTIVE ART DIRECTOR

RTC Relationship Marketing is a cross-discipline agency focused on developing meaningful dialogues between customers and brands through engaging communications. It is part of the Wunderman network and a WPP-owned company.

First hired as an interactive art director, then promoted to lead interactive art director, I was a lead manager in the interactive department at the DC headquarters, supervising a team of three art directors, four designers, and two developers. My core duties included improving the quality of design, organizing group tasks and encouraging innovative thinking across the department. Working with clients such as AARP, Dell, Abbott, and Microsoft, I helped drive the strategy around the interactive projects, with an emphasis on maintaining superior user experience and brand integrity. I developed concepts with Writers and worked closely with creative directors on upholding campaign strategies. I was responsible for leading a project from process to design to development while facilitating communication between teams and departments.

THE UPPER STOREY

AUG 2005 – DEC 2005
SINGAPORE
ART DIRECTOR

The Upper Storey was an independent digital-focused agency, providing interactive experiences and rich media for clients such as Sony, Nokia, and Citibank.

As an art director, I was brought in to aid in managing a new sister interactive department in the company. I worked closely with the project manager and production team, supervising four senior designers. Together, we designed and developed rich-media sites for Nokia and Citibank.

SPUNK UNITED MAGAZINE

JAN 2001 – JUN 2006
SINGAPORE
ART DIRECTOR/EDITOR

Spunk United Magazine, publishing its content solely online, collects exceptional eye-candy and gathers the ideas of creative people. Intended mostly for young Singaporean designers and illustrators, it also seeks to showcase inspirational people wherever they may be in the world. Each issue (volume), produced over the span of a year, was an attempt to encapsulate the thoughts and styles of that year.

At Spunk United, I acted as both editor and art director. I was responsible for organizing and copyediting content from several different sources, then placing that content into various unique layouts. Conducting interviews with talented people was a substantial part of what I did at the magazine.

DIPHTHONG INTERACTIVE DESIGN

SEP 1999 – AUG 2005
SINGAPORE
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR/DESIGNER

As a partnership, with Wesley Grubbs, Diphthong Interactive Design (ID) grew into a unique interactive design studio with offices in Singapore and the United States. As a multi-disciplinary interactive design studio offering general services such as online branding, corporate web design, and game design, our specialty services involved the creation of custom CMS and integrated web applications. We followed a simple manifesto: Do good work by making online content available, readable and enjoyable, creating bonds through positive brand associations, which in turn will lead to elegant concepts that solve difficult problems.

At Diphthong my core practice was to direct a project ensuring the best quality in both design and technology. As a producer, I was active in gaining new business, and I was responsible for writing strategic business plans, client proposals, and briefs. I conceptualized the websites and applications we produced for the company and our customers, collaborating closely with Wes on understanding the best technical approach for the project. Within six years, we served over 40 different companies such as Kellogg’s, Canon and Bennington College, and working with Wesley Grubbs; we gained clients such as Walton Arts Center, Asia-Inc, and Thruport Technologies.

THE NEW MEDIA GROUP

1995 – 1999
RESTON, VA
ART DIRECTOR

Founded by Michael Endres and Rand Kramer, The New Media Group (TNMG) was known for exceptional multimedia work, made by a dedicated group of professional digital design craftspeople. TNMG operated in Reston, VA, strategically located near the offices of AOL, providing digital design services mostly for AOL, but also for Discovery, National Geographic, and PBS. At its height, TNMG worked with several entertainment start-ups such as Music Boulevard, creating David Bowie’s first Web site and promotions for The Rolling Stones, and commercial start-ups such as Winstar and XM Radio.

I began my career at TNMG as an interactive designer, then in 1997 was promoted to art director. My goal at TNMG was simple: make professional multimedia designs with the best possible user experience. I formulated project architectures, working closely with the creative director. The types of projects I worked on were either CD-ROMs, traditional HTML websites, online games or channel pages for AOL. I organized websites’ structure and content through standard UX documents (site maps, wireframes, and flow-charts) to aid in the understanding of a project’s goals for designers, programmers, and developers.

BOXER FILMS

1994 – 1995
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
GAME DESIGNER

Boxer Films, also known as Boxerjam Games, was an independent game and software development company located in Charlottesville, VA.

While finishing my studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, I worked part time with Boxer Films. I helped to conceptualize and produce online multiplayer games with a team of professional designers and programmers. I collaborated with the producers and game developers to generate original ideas and concepts, mostly for educational games. I worked on the beginning phases of “Strike A Match,” an online multiplayer game, which was the primary project during my employment there.

 

TESTIMONIALS

Max rocks. He is an all-star digital player with an implicit understanding of user experience and a gift for design that is truly outstanding. Max is the man to whom you can assign a project and rest assured that every detail will be attended to. Meticulously. Case in point: our agency website, rtcrm.com, was a labor of love for Max. He spent long hours partnering with an illustrator, animation studio and videographer to create a brand experience that reinforces our value proposition of ‘spark something’ without ever losing its sense of humor. While most creatives profess passion for their work, Max is entirely consumed by it. Every assignment is an opportunity to raise the bar for the client, every deliverable a personal challenge to push himself harder. I truly admire his profound commitment to his craft. Digital design is clearly a vocation for Max, not a 9-to-5 job. In an industry where talent is often over-stated and over-rated, Max is the real thing.

MATT CONNOR
Executive Creative Director, Wunderman (RTCRM)

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Max on several projects. On each occasion, he has demonstrated deep skills and commitment to quality. I rely on Max’s creative versatility: he can successfully tackle tasks spanning user experience definition, graphic design, and illustration for web, information graphics, and brand identity projects. I consider Max one of my group’s most trusted freelance collaborators.

 

JOSE MARTINEZ SALMERON
Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather

Actually, I have had the pleasure of working with Max not only at Qorvis, but at RTCRM as well. When it comes to the work, Max lives by one simple principle: Concept, concept, concept. That is why he is truly one of the best creatives I have ever worked with. Being partnered with Max is being set on a journey to find a way to bring a product or service to life in a way it never has been before. But also from a platform of solid strategy. Max also has the uncanny ability to take enormous projects and break them down into a process that will accomplish the creative mission, not sacrifice the work, and stick to a budget and schedule. I don’t know many people who possess that combination of creative and analytical skills.

On a personal note, Max is just a wonderful person. Thoughtful, funny and always willing to help someone out. He would be an invaluable addition to any creative department.

 

CASSIE ELLIOT
VP, Advertising Creative Director at Qorvis

EDUCATION

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

1991-1994
DEGREE: BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS
MAJOR: COMMUNICATION ARTS
TRACKS: GRAPHIC DESIGN & ELECTRONIC MEDIA

GPA: 3.9. I was on the Dean’s List in 1993. I received a Fulbright Scholarship in 1994.

SKILL ENDORSEMENTS FROM LINKED-IN

Skill endorsements, out of a total of 188 employers and colleagues I have worked with, under the title of Interactive Art Director:

Interaction Design
100%
Art Direction
74%
User Experience
55%
Interactive Advertising
54%
Rich Media Development
50%
Graphic Design
48%
Illustration
47%
Creative Strategy
36%
Branding
35%
Motion Graphics
28%