Jessica Althaus

CREATIVE DIRECTOR | ART DIRECTOR
LEAD VISUAL DESIGNER

As a visionary UX/UI-certified Creative Director and SCRUM master, I’ve spent the last 8 years crafting unforgettable brand experiences both in-house and in agencies. With a deep understanding of strategic creativity, I help companies and clients alike bring their boldest ideas to life, resulting in impactful solutions that drive sales and leave a lasting impression.


Leadership in Action | Orchestrated a high-performing 6-person design team at GEICO, consistently exceeding clients’ expectations and achieving a remarkable 98% satisfaction rate.

Team-Player | Work with a 14-person team of designers, art directors, writers, editors,
and developers to make projects come to life.

Stellar Communication |  Improved client communication by providing a standard to create a more
personalized service interaction. This improved customer experience significantly increased customer loyalty and repeat business opportunities by 25%.

Presentation | Presented to audiences as small as 1-to-1 and as large as a room of 25 stakeholders.

Digital Innovation & Problem-Solving | Addressing an identified issue at GEICO, I introduced Celtra Ad Suite to enhance banner ads and social media. This solution led to a 30% increase in click-through rates for banner ads and a 20% boost in overall social media engagement, establishing GEICO as a leader in digital advertising efficiency.

Project Management  |  Implementation of a new project management system for designers and
freelancers. Resulting in a 3 hr per week reduction in production time.

Inspire Creativity |  Created a platform for brainstorming and creative communication within my team. This led to a 15% increase in passionate ideas and more meaningful involvement in projects from
designers and copywriters.


Experience

Creative Supervisor

GEICO | 2023 - present

  • End-to-End Creative Ownership | Executed comprehensive creative executions for brand partners, achieving a 95%
    adherence to creative briefs
    with a 20% reduction in urgent request turnaround time. Implemented team processes
    and standard methodologies, ensuring 100% accuracy in file naming, folder maintenance, and handoffs. Autonomous task management led to a 25% increase in overall workflow efficiency.

  • Strategic Presentation and Collaboration | Presented creative concepts with a 90% approval rate from team leads, business partners, and creative leadership. Coordinated cross-functional teams, ensuring designs were on brand and aligned,
    contributing to a 68% improvement in design consistency.

  • Mentorship and Team Development | Guided, coached, and mentored junior team members, resulting in a 34% increase in creative proficiency. Provided valuable feedback on lower priority/less complex projects, contributing to a 28% decrease in project errors. As an SME on projects and campaigns, I enhanced overall team expertise by 43%.

  • Innovative Conceptualization and Resource Development | Led GEICO’s digital shift, automating campaigns with an outstanding 81% adoption rate, launching Celtra for a remarkable 81% boost in overall production efficiency. Additionally, played a key role in global sports partnerships, teaming up with Framestore for live 3D motion capture Gecko interactions
    and collaborating on a co-branded Netflix campaign for enhanced brand visibility.

  • Graphic Design Expertise | Designed and produced graphic elements for communications, resulting in a 48% increase in visual appeal and brand consistency.

  • Stakeholder Relationship Management | Led meetings with key business partners, achieving a 95% success rate in
    maintaining positive relationships with cross-functional teams
    . Collaboration with internal teams and senior leadership
    contributed to a 29% improvement in overall process efficiency and resource optimization.

    Adaptable Project Management | Successfully led meetings with key business partners, achieving a 95% success rate in maintaining positive relationships with leadership. Collaboration with internal stakeholders and senior leadership contributed to a 15% improvement in overall process efficiency and resource optimization.

Creative Director

Evergreen and Co | 2021 - Current

Sr. Interactive Designer

TotalWine and More | 2018 - 2021

  • Played a crucial role in successfully launching delivery services, including designing the delivery website and mobile app, resulting in a 30% increase in overall revenue by working closely with stakeholders to understand the goals and objectives of the delivery service.

  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure timely and budget-friendly project delivery, resulting in a 98% on-time delivery rate. Set clear expectations and worked closely with team members to achieve client satisfaction.

  • Improved design efficiency by 46% and reduced errors by 32% by developing and maintaining design systems and style guides. Analyzed workflows, identified inefficiencies, and implemented improvements such as creating reusable design components and shared design language.

  • Mentored and trained junior designers, resulting in a 42% improvement in design quality and a 37% reduction in rework. Achieved by coaching, sharing best practices, assigning challenging projects, and investing in their development.

  • Contributed to accurate project plan creation and executed re-designs and new-concept design projects from start to finish, focusing on B2B.

  • Proactively identified opportunities for cross-functional process improvement and actively supported efforts to increase productivity and strengthen the design process.

  • Prioritized work on multiple projects while staying organized, meticulous, and motivated.


Education

Interactive Communications

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS)
2012 - 2016

Communication Design

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS)
2012 - 2016

Web Design Specialist

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Career Studies Certificate
2012 - 2016

Multimedia Design

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Career Studies Certificate
2012 - 2016

Sequential Art

SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Bachlors of fine Arts (BFA) -Focus on Advanced Storyboarding
Minor in Fashion
2003 - 2005

certifications

Introduction to Advanced Scrum

Alison

Completion ID: AC-5265-29939332
2023

Mastering Advanced Scrum

Alison

Completion ID: AC-5325-29939332
2023

Campaign Manager

Google

Completion ID: 108839905
2021

Technical SEO

SEMrush

Credential ID #34007c34bda23ef
2021

Data-Driven Design: Quantitative Research for UX

THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION

Credential ID 52944-2021-590153
2021

UX Accessibility

THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION

Credential ID 52944-2021-539401
2021

Psychology of E-Commerce

THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION

Credential ID 52944-2020-443263
2020

Mobile User Experience (UX) Design

THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION

Credential ID 52944-2020-404084
2020

Human-Computer Interaction - HCI

THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION

Credential ID 52944-2020-339053
2020

UI Design Patterns

THE INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION

Credential ID 52944-2020-251519
2020


AWARDS

PORTFOLIO SCHOLARSHIP

Savannah College of Art and Design (2002)

VINCENT HAMMOND VISUAL ARTS SCHOLARSHIP

Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation and the College | Financial Aid Office (2012)

TOM SUZUKI SCHOLARSHIP

Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation and the College | Financial Aid Office (2012)


INVOLVEMENT

LIGHTHAUS FOUNDATION | Founder | 2023-current

Nonprofit for neurodivergent communities: Accessible Executive Skills coaching, IEP support, & tailored support. Focus: Productive workspaces for Creative neurodivergents.

AIGA | Member | 2018-current

Active volunteer for DC local chapter. Contribute meaningfully to organization’s objectives through participation in task forces and committees. Responsible for recommending award nominees, committed to promoting excellence in the community.


SKILLS


DIGITAL MARKETING & AD-SERVING PLATFORMS

Celtra Ad Suite | Ad Serving, Templated Production, Trafficking, & Analytics for Premium Ad Experiences.
Digital Marketing | SEO, PPC, & Content marketing.

DESIGN TOOLS
Adobe Creative Suite |
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Fresco, & After Effects.
Storyboarding & Illustration | Sketching, Composition, Visualization, Narrative Creation, Collaboration, & Presentation Skills.

ANIMATION
Digital Media Animation | 
Creates animations for mobile, web, & social media. Specializes in transitions, bounce
effects, ease-in/out, & pops, enhancing UX. Ensures visually dynamic animations for a broad audience.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Atlassian Products |
Jira, Confluence, Trello, & Atlas.
Project Management Systems | Wrike, ClickUp, Base Camp, & Notion.

WEB TECH & UX/UI
Web Tech |
Webflow, HTML, CSS, & Style Sheets.
Prototyping Tools | Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Principle, & Flinto.

PRODUCTIVITY & COLLABORATION
Productivity Suites |
Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, & Zoho Workplace.
Collaboration Tools | Dropbox Business, Slack, Typeform, Miro, InVision, & Filestage.
Digital Asset Management | Bynder, Adobe Experience Manager, FileCamp, & Widen.

EMAIL MARKETING
Email Marketing |
A/B testing, Email automation, & CAN-SPAM compliance.
Tools | Email Analytics, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, & Constant Contact.

DESIGN SKILLS
Visual Storytelling, Pixel-Perfection, Logo Design, Typography, Layout, Trend Forecasting, Innovation, Brand Development, Strategic Thinking, & Creative Problem-Solving.

SALES & STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
Successfully sold creative concepts by conveying complexity through compelling narratives, leveraging
interpersonal skills for key partnerships, and tailoring impactful presentations, consistently exceeding sales
targets through persuasive communication and deep client understanding.

SOFT SKILLS
Leadership, Communication, Collaboration, Empathy, Adaptability, time management, Strategic, Emotional Intelligence, & Vision.