Jill Jones is a graphic designer, web designer/developer, and writer/editor with 20+ years of on-the-job experience under her belt. As a professional in the industry, she has faced nearly every possible challenge that presents itself to a designer, and has resolved each with intelligence, creativity, and professionalism. She knows the ins and outs of both digital and print design, print shop interactions, vendor relations, meeting deadlines, and multiple project management.

During her 12 years as the sole designer for a small technology consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio, her primary clients were departments within the state and federal government. The firm won several contracts with the State of Ohio with her design of the final publications being the deciding factor. She was responsible for the design of the U.S. Office of Technology Policy’s annual publication, The Dynamics of Technology-based Economic Development: State and Science Technology Indicators for the years 2000 through 2002, and for the design of the State chapter in the National Science Foundation’s publication, Science and Engineering Indicators from 2004 to 2011.

More recently, she was employed with a major car manufacturer as the sole designer in their Human Resources & Engagement (HRE) department. There she designed the Associate Handbook that is given to all employees upon hire. She was also responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of the two websites that were utilized to interact with the associates of their suppliers. The sites also promoted their large-scale supplier conferences as well as training classes for both suppliers and associates. She designed the department logos, conference logos, promotional material and signage, and interoffice ads that were displayed on the internal company TV for associates. Within this position, she was also involved in the company’s introduction to and implementation of social media as well as their conference planning.

As a contractor, Jill has been the sole layout designer and ad designer for two local newspaper publications and has had clientele ranging from entrepreneurs and start-ups to banks and non-profit organizations. The broad range of materials she has produced as a contractor include, but are not limited to: brochures, print ads, trade show displays, t-shirt graphics, publications, CD and DVD art, glass etchings, designs for small promotional items, annual reports, digital ads, branding sets, logos, event tickets, event programs, and much more.

In addition to owning J-Squared Creative Services, she also currently serves in a contracted capacity as the Marketing Communications Manager for PolymerOhio Inc., the Central Ohio affiliate for the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). She handles all aspects of promotion and marketing communication of the business, including but not limited to website design and development, design of all marketing materials, social media management, writing and editing, and event planning.

Jill’s creative development began in grade school and, over her middle and high school years, she developed into a traditional paint and canvas artist, occasionally incorporating other mediums as well. In her early years after high school, she both painted and sketched portraits for people. When finally exposed to computers in an office environment in 1988, she delved right in and discovered that she had nearly the same affinity for computers as she did for art. It only made sense that she combined the two. She was already an employed graphic and website designer, hired based on her portfolio, when she finally returned to college to pursue a design degree. In addition to her design talents, she also possesses a high aptitude for writing and editing.

Her experience and skill set also encompasses the areas of IT, event planning, customer service, supply management, office management, promotion, and training. She has an excellent understanding of and a long history of experience with computer operating systems and software, including Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud. Additionally, she is experienced at website development languages as well as CMS applications such as WordPress, Squarespace and Wix. Because she has been creating websites since 1995, she can either write a website from scratch in raw code (just like in the old days) using nothing but Microsoft’s Notepad or, as is most often the case in today’s web world, she can build it using any one of today’s many development applications that most appeals to her clients.

Technical

• Adobe Creative Suite® (up to and including Creative Cloud®)
  Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat Professional, Lightroom, etc.
• Microsoft® Office (up to and including Office 365®)
  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook
• Adobe® PageMaker®
• QuarkXPress
• User Interface / User Experience (UI/UX)
• HTML, HTML5, CSS, CSS3, Bootstrap, PHP, jQuery, Java, WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.
• Windows® XP, Me, 2000, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
• Work primarily in a PC environment, but also have working, expandable knowledge of Mac

Professional

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and execute multiple projects and events while maintaining deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail and organization
• Ability to lead teams and volunteers on tasks; direction, delegation and scheduling
• Overall team player; will assist where needed outside of normal job functions
• Vast knowledge of the internet and social media and how to effectively utilize them for marketing purposes; 27 years of on-the-job computer use
• Very strong command of the English language; copy editing
• Ability to effectively communicate an idea in writing, including promotional copy, press releases and grant writing
• Translation of written or verbally relayed ideas into visually appealing designs, concepts, and layouts
• Equally adept and experienced in both print and digital design
• In-depth experience with the pre-press process for both print and unique marketing pieces and the knowledge of the design specifications required by print shops