Mark Palazzo

FAQs

• What types of customers have you worked with?

  Creative Director, Marketing Director and Designer with 17 years experience that is versatile and adept at using design to achieve marketing and brand identity strategies. An expert in many creative and marketing disciplines: • Collateral literature/Brochures • Ad design • Direct mail • Web design • Exhibit design and coordination Experienced in managing designers, copywriters, photographers, illustrators and print vendors in a deadline driven environment. Solid knowledge of production and printing techniques. Highly skilled in the latest computer applications such as Adobe Creative Suite.

• What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

  What To Look For When Hiring A Designer The search for a graphic designer will introduce you to many types of individuals. Graphic designers are unique animals with their own style and way of doing things. Nevertheless, there are a few primary pre-requisites for any designer you hire to develop your next marketing piece. A Great Attitude Your graphic designer is going to play a key role in how your business is perceived by the world. You want more than just a contractor, you want a team player. Your graphic designer should jump into your brand with enthusiasm and immerse themselves in your products and your business goals. You do not want to hire a graphic designer who can’t take criticism or seems only mildly interested in your products. A good designer will be able to take your vision, and run with it, even if the vision develops into another direction. Creativity Look for graphic designers who have a passion for design. You’ll know who they are because they always give you a little bit more than you asked for. These are the graphic designers who come back to you with four or more fully developed design concepts, when you only asked for two. They love their work and it shows! Range Successful graphic designers have a distinct style, but can also work in a wide variety of mediums for many different audiences. Look for a designer who is as comfortable designing eye-popping branded ads as they are corporate-looking annual reports. If you’re introduced to a skilled graphic designer with a great attitude, you’re going to want to use them for a wide variety of projects. Responsibility and Professionalism You don’t want a designer who misses deadlines and needs constant prodding to get the job done. Professionalism is a must for your next graphic designer. A responsible designer will meet deadlines in a timely manner, anticipate your design needs before you do, and work to stay within project budgets. Your marketing dollars should be one of their top priorities. The right designer will be an asset in researching cost-saving measures and obtaining vendor quotes. Cost savings to your company should be achieved without compromising the quality of the finished piece. Your designer should dress in a professional manner – even if they are a contractor, and not a direct company employee. The seasoned designer understands that they are an extension of your business staff, and should reflect the same image your employees maintain. Creative attire does not translate into creative design. Professionalism needs to be present at all times. Your designer should be courteous, and communicate well orally as well as visually. This means they should be able to communicate effectively with your staff and vendors to make the entire creative process run smoothly. If your designer is a poor communicator, you may have trouble seeing your ideas come to fruition. The need to constantly micro-manage your designer can lead to a lot of wasted time, energy and money. Remember, the right designer will be able to effectively communicate your brand to the public, by being professional, responsible, and creative. Look for warning signs early on, such as missed deadlines, lack of enthusiasm, continuous cost overruns, etc. If your designer doesn’t care about your company, your budget or your product, nothing they design will make the public care either.

• What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

  Chris Hettich was an owner of a marketing, design and promotional product company located in Seattle. Clients include Boeing, Cutter & Buck, InstruMed and Logicalis just to name a few. Mark worked as the Creative Director, for two years. Recommendation for Mark Palazzo via Linkedin.com “I have worked with Mark for the past 8 years. Most recently I hired him to be the Creative Director for Whitecap North America. Mark is a very dedicated professional, he is extremely creative and his extensive talent and experience is unmatched in the industry.” Chris Hettich, Sales, Crossings Design Group managed Mark at Whitecap North America, LLC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Massaro is a marketing consultant for a variety of businesses, including medical device companies. Mark reported to Ron for 3-1/2 years at Generation II USA, Inc. Recommendation for Mark Palazzo via Linkedin.com “Mark reported to me for 3-1/2 years ending in 2004, and I can attest to the business value that he brings to an organization. He helped our company grow market share over 25%, introduce critical new products, penetrate new markets, and improve the capabilities of our sales network. He has incredible creative skills – once he is locked on to the message and positioning statement, he goes to work crafting a spectrum of possible solutions. As the owner of the brand, Mark ensures that his ideas have a strong tie to product identity. And most importantly, Mark has a dogged determination to match the creative execution to marketing, sales and corporate goals. As an avid softball player, Mark is the consummate team player. I have personally worked with graphic artists, designers and art directors who take any creative assessment as personal criticism, but this definitely is not the case with Mark. While he will sell his strongest ideas with passion, he listens intently to others’ input and will revise or come up with new ideas until he has hit the target. He knows that good ideas, and their execution, are usually the result of great team play. These assets clearly set Mark apart from other graphics professionals. I can highly recommend Mark to any organization that values creativity, accountability and strong results in its marketing campaigns!” Ron Massaro, Director of Marketing and Customer Service, Generation II USA managed Mark at Generation II USA, Inc. (an OSSUR Company) Additional references available upon request.