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John Kurtz

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SUMMARY

Cross-disciplinary creative, designer, and builder with 20+ years of experience spanning branding, UX, front-end development, QA, and communications. I’ve led branding initiatives, refactored enterprise software UX from the ground up, created illustrations for Fortune 500s, built dynamic CMS-powered sites from scratch, and written copy that people actually read. I thrive at the intersection of design and function, rolling up my sleeves to QA a build just as readily as I’ll whip up a logo or code a responsive layout. Whether I’m working solo or with a team, I bring order, clarity, and and a little lightheartedness to every project.

EXPERIENCE

Web Designer

→ Revolution 4 Ventures|2024–Present

Revolution 4 (R4) is a VC group that invests in startups leveraging AI to improve business. I designed and coded their website using an LLM, both as a showcase and to demonstrate their commitment to the technology itself.

  • Designed, built, and deployed the full company website using a custom-coded front-end synced with Sanity CMS.
  • Created all branding elements, including the company logo (with light AI input) and custom iconography.
  • Integrated dynamic content loading and AI-generated code for flexible, scalable design.
  • Developed mobile-first layouts and responsive animations.
  • The result: a responsive, CMS-driven site purpose-built to reflect the firm’s positioning at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Design Lead, UI/UX/QA Lead, Client Service

→ Square Lines Design|2013–Present

Square Lines builds custom, web-based, full stack applications. I work directly with the principal to stand up and support online projects across public and private sectors. Clients include Kansas State University, University of Louisville, Oregon Health and Sciences University, the American Ambulance Association, and Acaville.

  • Co-led the Kansas State University (KSRE) project: managed branding, wireframes, UI/UX design, and QA.
  • Conducted exhaustive testing across devices and modules, tracking bugs and reporting to dev team.
  • Served as direct liaison between stakeholders (like KSRE’s director) and agent-level users, helping balance field needs and system feedback.
  • Supported projects for the American Ambulance Association (AAA) and Cook with What You Have (CWWYH) with graphic design, branding, and UI/UX/QA.
  • Delivered every project on time and within budget while adapting to evolving requirements.

Graphic Designer

→ Intel Corporation|2006–2024

Intel first approached me to polish a product overview deck, which spun into doing infographics, executive presentations, marketing collateral, custom illustrations, corporate signage, website layouts, and the occasional good-natured photoshop gag. Most of my work supported the Wireless Marketing Group (across multiple rebrands), with additional spot projects for other groups as needed.

  • Created clear, visually engaging materials that bridged technical content and executive storytelling.
  • Maintained strict adherence to Intel’s evolving brand guidelines while delivering assets that felt fresh, relevant, and team-specific.
  • Translated dense or messy slide decks from stakeholders into polished presentations that helped visualize and simplify complex data and ideas.
  • Engaged in iterative reviews of all work to ensure informational accuracy and clarity.

Creative/Art Director

→ Sunfare|2013–2024

Sunfare prepares and delivers fresh-made, personalized meals for people who want to eat healthy. Most recently I led brand continuity across design, communications, and database marketing—and worked with leadership and an offshore team to modernize and scale their proprietary business management platform.

  • Crafted marketing and customer-facing materials including brochures, postcards, flyers, direct mail pieces, article layouts, website graphics, and business systems.
  • Built and maintained brand consistency across all touchpoints: online, offline, in print, and across departments.
  • Established creative direction and collaborated with internal teams and external agencies on campaign development, packaging, and presentation design.
  • Oversaw freelance designers and contractors when projects scaled beyond internal bandwidth or experience.
  • Served as UI/UX lead on an enterprise platform redesign—mocked up interfaces, clarified system workflows, and collaborated with developers through multiple QA cycles.
  • Conducted hands-on QA for a web-based interactive meal customization tool—tested logic, UI flows, edge cases, and usability across devices to ensure a seamless user experience.

Design Lead

→ IGNW|2016–2020

IGNW exploded into the automation and digital transformation space and brought me on to provide ongoing graphics support across teams. My work spanned brand development, web design, sales decks, marketing collateral, and original iconography.

  • Partnered with the CEO and CTO to shape IGNW’s brand during a major pivot into digital transformation and cloud services.
  • Designed branded assets across teams—from sales and marketing to internal initiatives—supporting IGNW’s identity during a period of rapid growth.
  • Played part-time marketing lead, responsible for communicating a new business model that helped IGNW reach acquisition by a Fortune 500 company.
  • Enhanced platform-based designs (Squarespace) with targeted code injections for improved layout control and brand alignment.

Director of Communications

→ Sunfare|2002–2012

A writing- and ideation-intensive position focused on defining and extending Sunfare's brand voice and mission. I authored comprehensive internal documentation, generated all marketing and client communications, and managed external partners—including advertising and PR agencies—to build and execute promotional campaigns and materials.

  • Defined the brand’s core voice and built a flexible communication framework used across teams and channels.
  • Wrote all customer-facing emails, weekly marketing blasts (with 40–45% average open rates), and long-form communications.
  • Produced internal documents including training manuals, onboarding kits, job descriptions, company guides, and crisis communication templates.
  • Served as lead writer and editor for business plans, investor decks, press releases, and external marketing collateral.
  • Acted as liaison to external PR and ad agencies, guiding message alignment and campaign positioning.
  • Collaborated with internal staff to ensure accurate content and consistent tone across departments.

Graphic Designer

→ Storms Consulting|2009–2011

Storms Consulting is a technology consultancy with a focus on database programming. They hired me to develop a business system for an online HR administration portal they were supporting, as well as assist with brand and collateral development for a Las Vegas-based pharmaceutical company.

  • Designed a full identity system for the HR portal client, including logo, business cards, presentation folders, flyers, and website.
  • Created UI/UX specs and designs for a SaaS-based HR portal, then handed off deliverables to a dev team for implementation.
  • Led brand development for a pharmaceutical client, producing logo design, print collateral, and identity assets.

VOLUNTEER

Graphic Designer

→ Portland Public Schools / Rieke Elementary|2018–2020

My PTA days… I was the media arm of our small-but-mighty group. Fun times and good memories.

  • Created promotional materials, flyers, and posters for school events, spirit weeks, and fundraisers.
  • Designed merchandise and targeted collateral for the 2020 school auction (which was sadly doomed by COVID).
  • Maintained and updated the school’s PTA website, streamlining event communication and parent engagement.

Graphic Designer, Copywriter

→ Generous Hearts Foundation|2018–2020

The Generous Hearts Foundation was a fundraising and resourcing non-profit with a mission to combat homelessness in downtown Los Angeles.

  • Developed full visual identity system including logo, typography, and color palette.
  • Designed and wrote informational collateral for donor outreach, events, and public engagement.
  • Created and managed the foundation’s website content and structure.

Graphic Designer, Copywriter

→ Pro Kids Foundation|2013–2015

Pro Kids was a non-profit that sourced sports equipment and field space for underprivileged youth and underserved communities.

  • Designed posters, flyers, and outreach materials promoting access to sports for underserved youth.
  • Crafted copy for web and print assets to support grant applications, donor campaigns, and events.
  • Helped shape a visual identity that reflected the organization’s mission and energy.

SKILLS & TOOLS

Design & UI/UX/QA

  • Graphic/Visual Design
  • UI/UX Strategy & Wireframing
  • Responsive Layouts & Mobile-First Design
  • Branding & Logo Creation
  • QA Testing: Manual, Cross-Device, Functional

Front-End Development

  • HTML / CSS / JavaScript
  • CMS Integration (Sanity, Squarespace)
  • Code Injection & Custom Styling
  • CMS-based Dynamic Content Workflows
  • Web Animation & Interaction Design

Tools & Tech

  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Sanity.io
  • NiftyPM
  • Squarespace
  • GitHub, Netlify, GoDaddy, AWS,
  • Google Analytics

Communication & Copywriting

  • Brand Voice Development
  • Marketing Copy & Email Campaigns
  • Internal/External Comms, Crisis Messaging
  • Presentation Decks (PowerPoint)
  • Style Guides, Training Docs, Product Copy

AI-Enhanced Workflows

  • ChatGPT (for code, copy, concepting & QA)
  • AI Image Generation (conceptual/branding)
  • Prompting for Dev & Design Solutions

EDUCATION

University of Kansas

BSJ, Advertising