Kacy colson
I’m a communications professional with a passion for storytelling and a knack for strategic marketing. With over a decade of experience in the arts and media industries, I specialize in creating compelling narratives that connect with audiences and drive engagement. From leading communication efforts at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance to consulting for local businesses, my work is grounded in creativity, strategic thinking, and a deep commitment to the arts.
Marketing Design
Branding, style guides, posters, print publications, layouts and editorial design.
Praise
"...quickly execute designs that capture and go far beyond editorial and business requirements"
"highly respected... leads by example... professionalism, domain knowledge & quiet authority"
" Strong visual design skills ...technical capabilities & work ethic"
EXPERIENCE
Communications Director
Delaware Valley Arts Alliance
2022 – Present
- Creates compelling promotional materials for regional arts organization, encompassing galleries, theaters, festivals, and NYSCA grant program.
- Develops effective branding and marketing strategies for plays, musical events, and fundraisers.
- Manages a portfolio of 3 websites and social media accounts to drive engagement and growth.
- Writes marketing copy, press releases, and eblasts for all events.
- Provides advisory services for website and all graphic design elements to improving user experience.
Product Designer
G/O Media | The Onion, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, The Root, A/V Club
2020 – 2021 (Freelance)
- Revamped Email Newsletters for all G/O sites, optimizing for seamless viewing on mobile and desktop platforms.
- Elevated content hierarchy and visual appeal through strategic incorporation of photos, sections, and designated ad spaces.
- Implemented a highlights section to cross-promote stories from other G/O websites, boosting user engagement.
- Applied data-driven insights and user feedback to iterate on designs, ensuring superior user experiences.
- Produced high-fidelity mockups and user flows for Email Alerts Product, to increase user engagement.
- Ensured consistent design standards across multiple sites through effective utilization of G/O Media’s design system.
- Redesigned editorial templates and crafted website widgets for Jalopnik, enhancing user engagement and interaction.
- Designed custom landing and feature pages for The Root Institute, capturing audience attention and achieving campaign objectives.
Marketing Designer | Product Designer (Webflow)
The Catskill Farms
2019 – 2024 (Freelance)
- Drives marketing initiatives for a prominent design/build firm, creating visually captivating materials to enhance brand presence.
- Collaborated closely with website designer/developer to transition Catskill Farms to a flexible and responsive design using Webflow, resulting in a modern and user-friendly online experience.
- Innovates and delivers new website templates using Webflow, optimizing engagement and conversions.
EDUCATION
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS
SUNY PURCHASE SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN
1998
UX Design CERTIFICATION
2023
Creativity and ai
Parsons / New School
Ongoing
Clients
Sometimes I create a whole product from concept to launch, sometimes I design a piece of the puzzle, refresh a brand or just offer support. Some products I design get lost in the development stage and some are just old. Most of my career has been word of mouth. I guess I should be flattered.
FULL CLIENT LIST
- G/O Media
- Delaware Valley Arts Alliance
- Catskill Farms
- Catskill Modular Pools
- Homestead School
- Bunny Love Flower Farm
- Gizmodo
- The Root
- The Onion
- Jalopnik
- The Daily Meal
- Bethel Woods Museum Store
- A/V Club
- Spanfeller Media
- The Village Voice
- Mather Homestead
- MBS Value Partners
- Ballentine Partners
- JobThread
- The Kingsley School
- The Noguchi Museum
- Philadelphia Museum of Art Store
- Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Design
- AMEICO
- Icons of Design
- Strother Purdy Woodworking
- PR Newswire
- SparkWorks
- Cobble Hill Playschool
- Heights Pediatrics
Product Design
G/O Media | Product Designer, 2020
Publisher of A/V Club, The Onion, Gizmodo, Jezebel, The Root, Jalopnik, Kotaku, and Deadspin. Was brought on to redesign the email newsletters and to create a new product, Alerts, which sends users an auto-generated email with content based on their preferred tags and keywords.
The Catskill Farms | UX Architect, 2020
Restructured a Design/Build firm’s large portfolio website. Created a new sitemap, wireframed templates, and collaborated with Webflow Developer/Designer to launch a new website within six weeks.
The Daily Meal | Founding Designer, 2011
Conceptualized, designed, and launched a new online media outlet based on food. Brought on early in the process, before editorial and branding decisions were established. Oversaw the design of the product through launch.
Forbes Autos | Principal Designer, 2007
Designed and launched Forbes Autos, a luxury car media website from Forbes.com. Collaborated with editorial, business, and engineering teams to create innovative car research and online shopping tools.
Work Experience TImeline
Designed all promotional materials for regional arts organization with two galleries, a theater and two yearly festivals. Created printed and digital materials, advertisements, social media and wrote press releases. Advised on website and branding projects.
Various template projects for entire suite of media sites: The Onion, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, The Root, A/V Club, Jezebel, Deadspin, and Kotaku.
- Redesigned Newsletters
- Designed Alerts Product
- Redesigned Editorial Templates
Assisted a large design/build firm with all areas of marketing & communications design. Oversaw the redesign of Catskill Farms and Lazy Meadows Realty websites.
Designed prototypes of job board templates. Coded HTML/CSS templates to seamlessly integrate JobThread product into existing websites.
Created company marketing website. Designed mockups for new website, Active Times.
Conceptualized, designed and launched media website based on food. Wireframed and and designed site architecture, created all templates, layouts, and page architecture. Coded initial HTML/CSS to assist Drupal developers.
Designed user interfaces, storyboarded user interactions, and collaborated with the development of online car-shopping tools. Managed design department, data vendors, and freelance photo budget.
Redesigned navigation and templates for media website. Created prototypes for event listings, classifieds, and custom editorial content.