Based in Toronto, I am a graphic designer with 16 years' experience in corporate communications, marketing, freelance print and web design.
I have worked for a diverse range of companies and clients including small businesses, RFP bids and proposals, corporate marketing and communications to film and television productions. I enjoy each new challenge whether it's creating a powerful logo and brand, a fresh new website for small business, or wrangling the layout for a complex technical document.
Background:
My passion for layout and graphic design began in the Yearbook club in high school, preparing camera-ready pages with rubber cement and clip art (back when you literally clipped out the art). My side hobby of photography added spice to yearbook layouts with photos of school events.
I enrolled at Ryerson University and was among the first wave of students in Ryerson's "New Media" program. We were able to study photography, web design and graphic design simultaneously. It was heaven, learning to code HTML, creating photographs with real chemicals in a dark room and editing digital images with early Photoshop.
Technology and software continue to change and I enjoy testing out new features and capabilities as each new version is released. I also delight in working with my hands in cutting, pasting and crafting mock-ups.
I have a B. Ed in English and French which is the foundation for my skills in editing and communication.
Technical Proficiency:
Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Dreamweaver
Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, Open Office
Filemaker, Evernote, OneNote, Trello, Wunderlist
Outlook, Thunderbird, TeamViewer
WordPress, Shopify, SquareSpace, Weebly, Wix, HTML, CSS, SEO
Shannon is enthusiastic and energetic, and will tackle any task she's given with determination and attention to detail. I worked with Shannon in a fast-paced Creative Services team where she demonstrated professionalism when working with senior clients.
Shannon is quick to learn new technical skills and very proficient with software, especially Adobe InDesign. She taught me many of the time-saving techniques I use today for formatting and organizing large, complex documents. Shannon is also very resourceful and found ways to successfully produce things in-house that others might outsource, saving time and money.
Trista Chapple
Creative Services Manager, DIALOG
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Shannon Horton as her supervisor and know her to be dedicated, hardworking, and talented.
As a member of the 12+ marketing and communications team, Shannon provided support to our firm of 550 architecture, interior design, planning and engineering professionals. In her role, Shannon was called upon to collaborate with people from various disciplines and studios between Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Her technical skills have been well-honed in our multi-studio environment.
Shannon often demonstrated initiative outside of her job description, organizing and supporting external client events and community based activities, as well as internal social events and activities.
Naomi Minja
Director of Communications, DIALOG
I have known and worked with Shannon for more than a decade and I have yet to meet anyone as technically savvy. Extremely clever, effervescent personality and natural artistic flair makes her a triple threat.
Shannon was part of my full time team for over 3 years. During that time she was able to revamp our accounting system, manage client relations and at the same time rework our web site. I would endorse Shannon on any project; she simply makes things seem effortless.
Don Dixon
Director and Partner, Asylum Artists
Shannon started out as an apprentice to aid in the creation of graphics in my art department. Shannon displayed great skills in the area of photography and computer literacy, which advanced her to the level of second assistant art director by her second year.
Shannon was fastidious, cheerful and a joy to work with on a daily basis. Her can-do spirit and her ability to tackle any challenge made her a terrific asset to our team. She was reliable, adaptable and versatile. She was self directed and able to work independently. Her communication and organizational skills were very strong and in my opinion her most important assets.