Marketing and Branding are important.

Don't think so? Check it. I find that many designers focus exclusively on visual layouts, interesting Photoshop techniques, slick UI and innovative functionality while creating a product that does not represent the client. Each of those elements are great, but in my opinion they are pieces that, together, have to deliver a larger marketing message. After working 3 years as the Marketing Director for Future Track Running Center, I have developed the ability to create focused designs that reinforce the brand through both images and typography. Understanding the brand image and message of each client is essential to delivering a quality product. I take the skills I gained during those 3 years and apply them to every freelance project; focusing on brand reinforcement when creating a website, a logo, or marketing materials for my clients. Many clients do not realize the importance that design can have on how their company is perceived by the public.  I spend hours meeting with clients to best understand their brand before I even pick up a pencil or hit command+N in Photoshop. Discovering the colors, images, styles and textures that capture a client's brand is a crucial step in the overall success of the project. It is my primary goal to create a design that speaks to the target demographic and reflects the personality and image of the client. Understanding a client's brand is one of the preliminary steps I take to ensure a quality product is delivered to the client. Once a solid brand understanding is established, concentration is moved to layout, user experience, focused calls to action and optimizing for search engines.