Erica Main
CREATIVE LEAD
Brand, Packaging & Art Direction Building Brands Across CPG, Retail & Digital
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
Hey, I'm Erica! Lover of all things dogs, plants and the great outdoors.
One very cold winter in Upstate New York, I made an impromptu trip to Austin that changed my life. One month later I was back looking at apartments and three months after that I packed a truck excited for new inspiration with a lot less snow!
In Austin, I have enjoyed finding balance in both teaching graphic design and working as a designer. Although I am no longer in the classroom, I now enjoy engaging with youth on a volunteer basis through a non-profit gateway to law program for high school seniors.
When I don't have Creative Cloud open, you'll find me hiking with my dog, planning my next DIY project, playing soccer or competing in a triathlon.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
A multidisciplinary creative with 8+ years of experience building and evolving brands in the CPG space.
A lot of my work centers around bringing products to life - from the initial concept and figuring out how it should come together to making sure it works across every touchpoint. I've worked on everything from packaging and product launches to retailer-specific campaigns, sales materials, digital experiences, and brand development.
My in-house experience has allowed me to wear many hats and relies on heavy collaboration with sales teams, leadership, outside agencies, and vendors.
Areas of focus:
Brand Identity • Art Direction • Packaging • Campaign Development • Retail/CPG • Digital & Social • Creative Development
SOFTWARE SKILLS
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Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, Acrobat, Canva
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Klaviyo, Shopify
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Google Suite, Microsoft Office
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Slack, Zoom, Meets, Teams
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Familiar with Adobe Animate, XD, HTML, CSS, Figma
DESIGN SKILLS
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Print & digital marketing materials
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Packaging design with die-lines and 3D mock-ups
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Brand management - development, application and refinement of brand guidelines
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Typography, Color theory, Composition & layout
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UX / UI Knowledge and Basic Understanding of Code
WORK EXPERIENCE
Creative Lead
Afia Foods (November 2018 - Present)
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Lead creative across brand, packaging, digital, social, email, retail, and print, developing work that supports both the brand and the business.
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Own packaging design and creative development for new products and SKU extensions, including Afia Chicken Meals, Afia Stuffing, and Afia Spices.
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Develop and extend Afia's visual identity across product lines, adapting established packaging systems while creating new visual directions for emerging products and concepts.
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Collaborate with external marketing agencies ensuring brand standards are adhered to.
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Collaborate with marketing, sales, leadership, vendors, and external partners to take projects from concept through production.
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Manage multiple projects and deadlines while overseeing creative development, feedback, production, and final deliverables.
Freelance Designer & Art Director
Freelance (January 2015 - Present)
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Clients in medical, CPG, education, landscaping and construction
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Conduct market research
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Develop brand identity and create logo design
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Apply existing brand guidelines to packaging, print ads, postcards, social media planning and design and other marketing materials
Graphic Design Teacher
Vandegrift High School (July 2015 - May 2023)
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Develop and implement curriculum that resulted in a 200% increase of students enrolled in the graphic design program
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Coach students to complete an AP 2D Design portfolio that demonstrates concept research and implementation through a series of designs and imagesthat tell a visual story - 100% pass rate
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Manage 150 students/year, multiple tasks and deadlines while fostering an innovative and collaborative work environment
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Collaborate with school and district leadership to develop innovative projects that speak to design trends and industry standards
Graphic Designer
Willow Group Ltd (May 2008 - February 2013)
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Collaborate on catalog layout and design, create press ready files and attend press checks
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Execute in-studio product photography, styling
and editing -
Direct on site lifestyle photo shoots to highlight product use
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Illustrate designs for print on seasonal product lines within die-lines
EDUCATION
Rochester Institute of Technology '13
Masters of Science in Teaching - K-12 Art Education
4.0 GPA
Rochester Institute of Technology '09
Bachelors of Fine Art - Graphic Design
3.5 GPA, Varsity Soccer
CERTIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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Adobe Certified Professional - Photoshop
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Adobe Certified Professional - Illustrator
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SXSW Edu 2023
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Adobe MAX Online 2020, 2021, 2022
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Adobe Max 2019