My Story
Ahoy hoy!
My name is Jake and I am an Orlando-based writer and UI/UX, graphic and web designer who weaves creative storytelling into all of my work. I’ve worn a lot of different hats in my design career so far and it is all leading to my true passion of creating interactive theme park experiences.
I have been an avid theme park fan since first experiencing Twister…Ride it Out at age seven. The immersive thrill of that attraction was like nothing I’d ever seen and I knew I wanted to create experiences like that when I grew up. To this day, the Orlando theme parks inspire my writing and design work because of the immense attention to detail and intricate storytelling. For Twister…Ride it Out, every aspect of that experience, from the pre shows to the final scene, was painstakingly planned to bring people into the story. I approach all of my work with this same philosophy where everything must feel cohesive and work toward engaging with an audience. I am still that wide-eyed seven-year-old kid at heart and I am so excited to be a part of the epic future of themed entertainment.
When I’m not revising a draft or moving shapes around in Illustrator, you’ll find me at one of Orlando’s many theme parks, either trying to max out my score on Men In Black: Alien Attack, taking a trip to the 5th dimension on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, or flying through the sky on Mako.
The adventure lives on...
My Experience
Universal Parks & Resorts // 2019-Present
- Art directing all visual and written storytelling aspects of the uknow brand.
- Collaborating to create interactive digital and physical experiences for our users, based on feedback and analytics.
- Creating and maintaining website experience and interface design and development, emails, promotional materials and more.
- Working with teams to optimize all visual and copy assets to speak to our audience.
- Writing for the Discover Universal blog and for all story-focused uknow materials.
Golf Channel // 2016-2019
- Planning and designing creative material for consumer and business marketing.
- Creating interactive digital banners, tradeshow booths, print material, emails, sales collateral, presentations and more.
- Directing and building digital and print materials for new initiatives, including the GolfNow VIP program and several sweepstakes featuring a pro golfer.
- Establishing a consistent brand look and structure across all marketing materials.
Intelity // 2015-2016
- Developing all visual and copy assets for marketing campaigns.
- Collaborating with developers to design app user interfaces for new hotels.
- Managing the redesign of the company website to improve user experience and search engine optimization.
- Creating emails, social graphics, infographics and interactive experiences.
Impakt Results // 2014-2015
- Leading and mentoring a team of graphic and web designers and developers.
- Working with a diverse list of clients to design and develop branding, print, and web design projects.
- Planning and creating assets for company events and promotional materials such as logos, business cards and brochures.
Foliotype Creative // 2012-2013
- Assisting the Creative Director in various areas of design, including logos, websites, e-newsletter layouts, and print advertisements.
- Leading the design of self-promotional pieces, including quarterly calendars focusing on icons for holidays and occasions.
The Daily Athenaeum // 2011-2014
- Developing eye-catching designs using Adobe InDesign.
- Updating past ads to reestablish the brand.
- Creating the newspaper layout each day, placing ads on each page, and exporting to the news department.
- Assigning tasks to other staff as needed.
