Janet Hill
Design Research + Creative Strategy

Resume


DePaul University

Design Researcher (Technology for Social Good Research and Design Lab) 
January 2020 - Present

Conduct field research, collaborative workshops and propose design solutions for an out-of-school program (Digital Divas) that engages middle school girls in STEM related activities. Work with mentors, students, families, and other practitioners to better understand the impact of initiatives and learning environments by identifying critical practices to inform iterations of the online platform and communications. Contribute to academic papers for publication.

Graduate Assistant (College of Computing and Digital Media) 
September 2020 - Present

  • Spearheading development to revitalize DePaul’s School of Design brand to raise awareness and engagement with events, internships opportunities and design community.

  • Leading the communication strategy, scheduling and implementation of Design Talks series that invite leading designers who have created innovative responses to personal, local, and global challenges. 

McGraw-Hill Education

Creative Director  October 2009 - December 2017
McGraw-Hill Education is a leading education company that delivers experiences to accelerate learning.

  • Led the development of compelling product experiences and marketing communication that balanced customer and business needs for the K-12 market.

  • Developed the brand identity of key revenue driving products for global and national
    markets. Presented to stakeholders to communicate progress, process and solutions. Responsible for brand documentation and application across all media channels.

  • Collaborated closely with developers, content experts, research, and marketing teams to ensure a successful user experience across product and brand solutions.

  • Initiated ideation sessions involving cross-functional teams to develop product story and visual personality based on user needs.

  • Created internal design briefs and RFPs for outside agencies. Provided product vision to align communication and expectations with development team and stakeholders.

  • Actively participated in qualitative and quantitative user research, trend research, and secondary research. Developed and utilized storyboards, journey maps and personas to shape and communicate solutions.

  • Supervised in-house creative staff of 20+ in multiple-site locations as well as partnering with outside vendors. Developed goals, performance reviews and enabled training opportunities.

  • Facilitated the introduction of processes and software to help streamline communication in an agile work environment and manage resources. This included incorporating Basecamp for marketing development, Axure and Sketch for interactive prototyping and 10,000ft for transparency in staffing allocation.

Pearson

Design Director  2007-2009   Senior Designer 1997-2007
Pearson is one of the top three providers of educational material globally.

  • Led the creative development of print, packaging and digital products. 

  • Guided design within strategic partnerships – Smithsonian Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Discovery Channel, and Dorling Kindersley. Gained partners’ confidence that their content and brand was respected and well-recognized within Pearson products.

  • Led the branding development of the award winning reading program, Reading Street and managed all brand applications for this large literacy K-6 product line.

  • Managed creative staff in multiple-site locations through the transformation of the old economy of textbook business into the high growth of personalized technology.

Education

DePaul University (Graduated June 2022)
Master of Arts for Experience Design
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design