meet rakel
I've always been one for the creative arts and fell in love with the world of web and graphic design early on. I built my first website for fun in 1997 and was hooked. Which means I've been building websites for nearly 27 years now. I also love traditional art though lately I have really enjoyed Procreate on my iPad... no need to fuss getting out and putting away a plethora of art supplies, I can make art no matter where I go. It's great! I grew up in a suburb north of Chicago but have been in Central Florida for the last 19 years. I have been married to my wonderful husband John since 2008. We have one child, Annika (9), and two rabbits, Charlie and Lucy. I love to cook and bake, read, write, play games, go to theme parks, and be involved in my church and community.
work experience
simplicity.online | creative director
6/14 to present Responsible for designing websites, web-based software, mobile apps, graphics, branding & identity, presentations, front-end web development, team lead, proposals, and client engagement.
freelance | web designer & front-end web developer
6/99 to present Responsible for designing logos, branding, various print collateral, and websites for small to medium businesses globally. Focused on customer service and project quality.
softrock | web designer & front-end web developer
07/13 to 06/14 Responsible for web design and UI development for the softrock website property Gigats.com. Primarily worked on the registration path, user backoffice and a new property RateTheBoss. Focused on usability within a specific target audience.
kmdg | web & design manager
01/08 - 07/13 Responsible for logo, print, web and html email design, coding websites into HTML, CSS and Jquery and integrating them into major content management systems such as WordPress, ModX and ExpressionEngine. Experienced in project management, proposal preparations & writing, and client relations. Managed projects with 2 designers and 2 developers. Often completed web projects independently and worked with small businesses to large multi-national corporations.
abbott laboratories | paid intern
07/02 - 08/02 Responsible for significantly improving the Human Resources intranet site through redesign, restructure and reorganization of content for a better appearance and easier navigation. Also updated other intranet websites within the CED division.
skills
Web Design
websites, web-based software, apps, emails, banners, responsive/mobile, landing pages, microsites, blogs
Print design
brochures, business cards, white papers, datasheets, signage, invitations, stationery, mailers, catalogs, packaging, labels
Logo & Icon design
logo, logomarks, logo type, icons, icon sets, provided in scalable vector files
Project Management
project timeline, project brief/specs, proposals, manage creative and development team members, organize files, client relations)
Tech savvy
types 90+ words per minute, organized, expert googler, Open AI, always learning new things
Art & Illustration
pencil, colored pencil, ink, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, procreate
Affiliations
Backpack Buddies | Board Secretary
VIA Orange City Woman's Club | Secretary
American Heritage Girls | Troop Vice Coordinator
Let's get to work!