John
Ayotte
8191 Morse Road
New Albany, Ohio 43054
Cell: (614) 216-3777
Home: (614) 855-7690
john@jmadesign.com
http://www.jmadesign.com
OBJECTIVE
Creative Management
Create new products, identities, and communications that promote brand loyalty;
identify potential new product directions; test market potential, nationally
or internationally; support product rollouts. Hire, train, and evaluate diverse
creative talent with complementary skills and abilities and develop them into
a cohesive team, with a strategy to achieve marketing goals in seamless coordination
with management, design, marketing, production and distribution.
STRENGTHS
Creativity
Product design and development, identifying new product opportunities and markets,
developing selling tools, trouble shooting.
Client Service
Ability to partner with clients to help sell and market to end users.
Management
Identifying needs, creating solutions, organizing staff, follow through.
Computer Applications
Applying systems to existing practices, creating new applications and processes.
Product Knowledge
Thoroughly investigate function and future of products, product evolution and
production requirements.
QUALIFICATIONS
Seasoned professional with proven reputation for leadership in creative design,
sales support, staff development and marketing based on:
o Creating Excitement
o Analytical Skills
o Planning/Prioritizing
o Research
o Risk Management
o Budgets/Cost controls
o Documentation
o Database Analysis
o Teaching/Mentoring
ACHIEVEMENTS
Create something from nothing
o Created 3-dimensional test products in consumer and durable goods that facilitated
marketing efforts, product concept development, and production budget forecasting.
Products and brand/corporate identities created excitement for consumers and
corporate staff.
o Initiated innovative problem solving process that extended the traditional
written/verbal scenario report into a 3-dimensional, product presentation for
analyzing future needs and product development directions.
o Led Concept Design Team in creating 10 new product directions for Frigidaire/Electrolux
within six months, incorporating projected technological innovations and consumer
needs.
Create order from chaos
o Implemented progressive program of brand differentiation and positioning.
Program repositioned product as high-end, premium product, which increased margin
five percent and stimulated new advertising programs.
o Researched, selected and installed computer design hardware and software.
Trained designers. Documented productivity increased 200% in graphic design
and nearly as much in product design. Translated increased productivity into
higher quality assurance and more concept options.
o Led team in concept presentation demonstrating brand differentiation for consumer
products with the use of color, graphics and interchangeable parts. Presentation
succeeded and earned additional $4M contract work with Sears.
Create clarity from ambiguity
o Directed $2M consumer research, concept development, final design and implementation
of name and identity change when White Consolidated Industries became Frigidaire
Company.
o Created corporate identities for Midway Airlines, Federal Express, and SimuFlite
Training International.
o Created print and exhibits for Huntington Banks, Bacik Karpinski Associates,
Fairchild Aviation, and many of other clients.
Create structure where none exists
o Established Concept Design Team within Frigidaire Design which provided trend
and consumer research. Hired international staff and managed long-range (as
short as five years and as long as 20 years) product development. Created workspace
that stimulated creative process of team.
o Created job descriptions and promotion chain for rapidly expanding design
department that addressed advancement/compensation issues for 34 U.S. designers
along parallel technical and management paths.
1. The restructuring required progressive change throughout interlocking departments.
2. Standard employee evaluations followed
3. New system adopted by Electrolux for 70 more designers located internationally.
EXPERIENCE
Eric Silver Consulting 98-01
Consulting services focused on improving the profitability and productivity
of the creative professional in the marketing, advertising and design environment.
Consulting has included, but not been limited to, workflow analysis, technology
assessment, asset management, collaboration, communication, network analysis
and workspace design. In addition technical support for connectivity, Macintosh
systems, networks (LAN & WAN), Internet, web access to databases, dataflow,
servers, hardware and software has been provided to our clients.
Frigidaire Home Products 89-98
Manager of Industrial Design/Design Futurist. Responsibilities and accomplishments
included trend analysis (social, technological, environmental, etc.) for input
into product development process, creation of Concept Design Team, extensive
interaction with customers, and strategic design planning. Managed corporate
identity, design center, and development of design families. Worked extensively
with European parent company, Electrolux, in the computerization of the global
design process and in the creation of the Concept Design Team. Started in 1989
as a graphic designer, and introduced computer technology to the design process.
Iconics 88-89
Clients included WCI Major Appliance Group, Broadview Mortgage, Air Enterprises,
and Degnan Associates.
Dave Ellies Industrial Design 81-88
Project Director - Began in 1981 as an Associate Designer. Managed projects
from conceptual development through final execution, including proposal writing,
budgeting, scheduling and the supervision and hiring of personnel. Projects
included corporate identity programs, brochures, signage systems, exhibits,
specialized interiors, packaging, consumer and industrial products, and product
graphics. Served as account representative for Federal Express, dealing with
signage, vehicles, and corporate image issues. Major clients included Midway
Airlines, SimuFlite Training International, and many others. Responsibilities
also included implementation and management of Computer Aided Design and Electronic
Publishing services.
Design Collective Incorporated 77-81
Managed and executed graphic design projects including brochures, corporate
identity programs, signage systems, displays, and supported of interior design
projects.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design/Visual Communications 1976 The Ohio
State University
Frontline Leadership Training Program
Producing Results with Others
How to Become a Better Communicator
Kaizen Basics
Integrated Product Development
Leading Groups (Storyboarding and Compression Planning)
Advanced Leading Groups
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The World Future Society
Color Marketing Group
Industrial Designers Society of America
Columbus Society of Communicating Arts
