Rachael Kearney

2010 has been a busy year for me. I've gained some new clients (Manchester City Art Gallery, Burnley Council & Curious Minds) plus got my teeth into interesting agency work from Ashley Bolser Agency and The Black Hole. (Karaoke got more mobile with the Lucky Voice Festive app!)

Clients

Experience

I got my foot in the door with a junior design position at LateRooms back in 2004. The role progressed from ad design into web promo pages and email campaigns. Within 2 years of having basic Dreamweaver experience I was responsible for designing weekly UK ads and all European marketing. I took a year out in 2006 to teach English abroad and returned to begin my freelance journey in 2007. Prior to LateRooms I had many a day job and got a creative outlet being in artists' collective twoeightone (2001-2004). We successfully won £10K of Arts Council funding and sponsorship from Urban Splash, Marriott Hotels and The Great Northern Building. I graduated from Salford Uni in 2001 with a degree in Visual Arts (2:1)

Skills

Creative: Strong ability to visualise and concept ideas for brands, advertising and web solutions. Page turning portfolio of illustration work for web, print and fashion.
Design: Can problem solve and deliver ideas from concept through to solution in web and print.
Web: HTML, CSS, WordPress theme design, Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator. E-marketing design and build (Campaign Monitor)
Interpersonal: I enjoy meeting and working with people from many walks of life and backgrounds. I have teaching experience working with students of mixed age and ability teaching English in Japan. I enjoy unpacking complex ideas to enable the magical light bulb moment of 'I get it!'

I'm always keen to sharpen up my skills and push for new challenges with clients and personal projects. Currently I'm getting to grips with JQuery and learning HTML5 and CSS3. I learn through self-study and with other people in the digital community.

Personal Development

I took some business coaching with Kenosis and did the StrenghFinder 2.0 test. I recommend it! My top 5 strengths came out as: Maximiser I'm naturally interested in improving things from good to great. I enjoy using my talents to my best ability, I like being in places I can excel and draw that out of other people around me.
Connectedness I enjoy meeting new people and being part of communities. I like to get together with like minded people and bridge gaps between mutual friends and collaborators. I actively look for new links between people to keep me fresh.
Input I take in information quickly and readily. I like learning new skills and read a fair bit in general. Mentoring has developed as a natural offering from my freelance work. I like learning from and bringing on other creatives with digital skills.
Futuristic Thinking about the future, what my business might look like, who I'll get to work with & on what projects, keeps me motivated. Making future plans and being flexible to these changes is a good place for me to be.
Belief Seeing things improve, growing in a community and helping other people inspire me. Doing work with purpose and benefit gets my creativity flowing.

Web Projects

Manchester City Gallery | View showreel
Projekts: Skatepark in Manchester | www.projektsmcr.com
Karen Heald: An artist and researcher | www.karenheald.co.uk/ablett-residency/
English Teacher Manchester | www.englishteachermanchester.co.uk
Rather Divine | www.ratherdivine.com
Werneth High School: Web workshops for Y8 and Y9 | www.thehistoryreporters.co.uk
The Celebration Starts Here: Online Party Products | www.thecelebrationstartshere.com
& Publishing: Magazine publishers (Traveller) | www.and-publishing.co.uk
Made Fairly: E-Commerce Ethical Fashion | www.madefairly.co.uk
Natural Impression: A jeweller exhibiting nationally | www.naturalimpression.co.uk
Chorlton High School: Manchester Y8’s web workshop | www.chorltonhighheroes.org.uk
Ashville Surgery: Doctors in Manchester | www.ashvillesurgery.nhs.uk
All Souls: A church in Leeds | www.allsoulsleeds.org.uk
Michiko Fujii: Arts Educator | www.michikofujii.co.uk
Teach a Man to Fish: Charity promoting self-sufficiency | www.dares4dosh.com
The National Centre for Diversity | www.nationalcentrefordiversity.com