Resume
Hi, I’m Nate Ripley.
A designer and brand strategist with over twelve years of experience; I shape big ideas into brands people love.
Skills
Brand Strategy
Creative Direction
Comprehensive Brand Design & Production
Content Strategy, Planning & Creation
Naming
Digital & Web Design
Print Design
Photography
Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Microsoft Suite
HTML & CSS, Wordpress, Semplice
Notion, Monday
Canva, Figma, Issuu
Capture One
Fujifilm, Canon, Sony Cameras
Proprietary Brand Strategy Workshop
Work Experience
Collaborated with City departments to create and optimize a wide range of visual assets, including digital graphics, presentations, periodicals, brochures, event signage, and print collateral, ensuring adherence with project requirements, brand guidelines, and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
Refined city-wide brand guidelines, establishing clearer standards for typography, color, and layout to enhance visual consistency.
Developed a standardized citywide PowerPoint template and style guide, improving presentation quality and brand consistency across departments.
Led the redesign of the Parks and Recreation guidebook, enhancing usability and aesthetics, resulting in increased program participation.
Designed and managed production for Golden Highlights and the Golden Informer, two quarterly publications reaching all City residents, enhancing community engagement through clear and compelling visual communication.
- Designed and produced marketing assets across digital and print platforms, including complete brand identity systems, social media graphics, website graphics, data sheets, and presentations.
- Led branding and design projects from concept to execution, including strategic rebrands such as Bravus Fitness, which saw a 25% increase in lead generation.
- Secured contracts valued up to $40,000 through lead generation and sales efforts, demonstrating strong negotiation and business development skills.
- Developed and facilitated a proprietary brand strategy workshop, guiding teams to develop cohesive, recognizable brands through a structured strategy process.
- Managed design projects, collaborating with marketing specialists, photographers, and other creatives to conceptualize and execute integrated campaigns and enhance brand visibility.
- Led the brand design initiative for DDSN's new Grizzly Supplements product line, which achieved over $1 million in first-year sales, exceeding its $250,000 initial sales target by over 400%. This involved designing product packaging, website assets, digital ads, social media graphics, point-of-sale materials, and more.
- Designed the multimillion-dollar Iron Kingdom Sports Nutrition brand, creating one of GNC Canada's best-selling product lines. Deliverables included product packaging, social posts, data sheets, and various other digital assets.
- Worked closely with marketing and executive teams to refine and expand brand identity systems, ensuring design consistency across all platforms.
- Played a central role in the branding and visibility of Beaver Buzz Energy, contributing to the growth and success of a nationally-distributed Canadian brand with a nearly 20-year heritage.
Various Clients
Freelance Graphic Designer
January 2010–April 2022
Seamlessly integrated into existing teams to enhance creative output. Quickly adapted to design systems and workflows across industries such as technology, SaaS, consumer packaged goods, and professional services.
Developed and refined design systems and marketing campaigns, ensuring brand consistency and alignment with client objectives.
Produced a wide range of visual assets—including brand identities, product packaging, marketing collateral, and digital graphics—delivering high-quality, production-ready designs for both print and digital applications.
Athletic Alliance, Inc.
Long-term Contract—Senior Designer
January 2015–April 2021
Led a comprehensive rebranding effort, designing a new brand identity, packaging, and marketing collateral to transform GD4U into Athletic Alliance, a multi-million dollar brand.
Designed digital and print assets, including advertisements, website graphics, and promotional materials, maintaining consistency across platforms.
Collaborated with leadership to conceptualize and launch new product lines, ensuring cohesive brand representation across all materials.
Zettacap
Front-end Designer & Developer
August 2013–January 2015
- Worked closely with company leadership to conceptualize solutions and meet product and marketing objectives in a high-performance startup environment.
- Developed user interfaces, websites, landing pages, and marketing materials, demonstrating proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, and PHP.
- Crafted and managed brand assets, showcasing versatile design and development skills to meet the dynamic needs of a growing startup company.
Education
Carthage College
B.A. Visual Communication
2006–2010
Not Work
Outside of work, you might find me on my bike, in the mountains, or both—I’m a dedicated cyclist and 2024 USAC Colorado State Champion.
I love exploring the Mountain West with my family and enjoying life in colorful Colorado and sunny Arizona. I read books, pet cats, and look up for airplanes. The last thing I cooked was a pizza. I build my own computers and bicycles. I take a short espresso break in the afternoon.
I bring a camera with me almost everywhere—though you won’t find me on social media. Check out my creative journal instead.
A Cover Letter
Long, black streaks crisscrossed the faded cul-de-sac in front of my childhood home. Most afternoons after school, I’d spin my department-store single-speed up to maximum warp, then slam the pedals backward, locking up my brakes. My record skid mark was nearly 18 feet—almost as long as I could wheelie.
I've always loved to ride a bike.
Then one day, I crashed. A lazy, looping turn to the left, a sharp wobble, then pavement. I hit hard enough to bounce. As I pulled myself from the wreckage, I saw my handlebars had a new kink in them. So did my right arm.
Six weeks in a cast is an eternity when you’re trying to learn cursive. Even longer when you can’t ride your bike. Frustration set in. I couldn’t do the things I wanted, and I felt stuck that way. But just when I started wondering if I’d ever have fun again, something shifted. “I can’t” slowly became “Why can’t I?”
Day by day, I found new ways to do things. Momentum built. Before long, there was plenty I could manage left-handed. Writing in my journal, petting Cleo the cat, even sewing a stuffed saguaro cactus from olive-colored felt. I had learned to adapt, problem-solve, and keep moving forward.
As I advance in my professional life, I think back to that moment, and more importantly, to the tools it took to overcome it. The nature of being a creative professional is to thrive in a dynamic, changing environment. It’s helpful to know I’ve been through that before. To know I can turn "I can’t" into "Why can’t I?" To look back and feel the relief of finally riding my bike again, better off for the growth it took to get there.
Keep the rubber side down,
Nate Ripley
