Chris Harvan - Designer & Fabricator

About

If the universe has a reason for its existence, it is far too mysterious for me to attempt to define it.  There is one constant I am sure of.  I have been put here to make connections between ideas, history, culture, and the natural world while producing objects of aesthetic value and possible functional use.  Benefiting individual’s daily lives with ease of use, increased functionality, and hopefully uplifting visual and tactile experience is my ultimate goal, joy, and purpose.  Any social, political, or spiritual commentary or benefit garnered along the way is a bonus.

Early in my formal training as a visual artist, I discovered I am a designer/fabricator/sculptor rather than a sci-fi/fantasy illustrator.  After art school, I became a designer and fabricator of websites using Photoshop and Illustrator while coding HTML and CSS by hand.  These skills translate well for providing print graphic design, PowerPoint presentations, and any other visual design need that my adventures have presented.

My entrepreneurial spirit has allowed me to turn relationships with employers into customers.  I have designed wireframes and mockups for hundreds of UI projects, either as a contractor or independent agency.  The advent of viable content management systems such as Magento, Drupal, Silverstripe, and WordPress (my preferred platform) has allowed me to bring great websites to very small to mid-size organizations.

I have simultaneously been developing a project to bring Art, Design, and Craft to Remembrance known as Aril Memorial.  This venture has involved everything I have learned as a web/WordPress developer but also forced me to grow as a small business owner, CAD designer, product designer, production engineer, and woodworker.  My products are in thousands of individuals’ lives, and thousands of individuals’ cremated remains are in my products.  Being there for their grief through the work from my desk, studio, and shop has been the greatest honor a craftsperson could hope for.

 

Roles I Have Served

Owner/Designer/Fabricator – Aril Memorial, 06/2012 – present – https://Aril.Memorial

  • Created a brand around bringing Art, Design, and Craft to remembrance
  • Ongoing design, deployment, and management of WooCommerce WordPress website
  • Implementing “Building a Story Brand” and “Endless Customers” marketing concepts
  • Conceptualizing, designing, engineering, fabrication, photography/retouching of cremation urn product lines of wood, metal, and other materials

Principal – Skipstones Media LLC, 12/2007 – 05/2021

  • Doubled project capacity by integrating WordPress and WooCommerce
  • Designed on-brand UI, graphic components, and interactions with XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator to produce thoughtful results for stakeholders
  • Functioned as project lead for Skipstones projects and as subcontracted designer and/or developer for multiple other teams and organizations
  • Integrated clients’ technical, trade-specific information into relatable, user-friendly web interactions

Partner – Stone Gears LLC, 4/2009 – 2/2010

  • Spearheaded business formation and coordinated approval as Apple Developer
  • Assembled team to concept iPhone apps and led brainstorming and development
  • Designed corporate/product logos and websites; coded websites launched on Ruby on Rails
  • Crash-coursed SVN, became familiar enough with C to handle all UI aspects of development
  • Successfully launched an iPhone app that encouraged interaction with the natural world (Fireflies) and was the most downloaded app in the category for one day

New Media Designer – Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, 10/2005 – 12/2007

  • Delivered web-based projects: client contact, site concept/map, UI/UX, product/location photography, image processing, HTML/CSS, SEO, quality assurance testing, launch
  • Instituted graphic quality standards, implemented compliant code, and delivered business-aligned solutions for this company, its spinoff startups, and clients
  • Revamped sales presentations for enhanced clarity and engagement using PowerPoint

Art Director – Universal Screen Arts, 05/2005 – 09/2005

  • Redesigned product catalog layout, enhancing visual appeal and user engagement
  • Collaborated with catalog buyer and design director to improve catalog aesthetics
  • Led photography shoots, coordinating with vendors to meet tight deadlines

Owner/Designer – The Alternative Object, 4/2003 – 4/2005

  • Design and fabrication of custom furniture and cabinetry
  • Specialized in non-toxic materials/finishes and traditional joinery

Senior Designer of UI and Contractor – AmericanGreetings.com, 10/2001 – 04/2003

  • Designed hundreds of AG.com internal and external banner ads (animated and static), graphic assets, and HTML code for various seasonal-based promotions AG.com properties
  • Coordinated copy, assets, and directives from half a dozen different marketing leads for various AG.com brands to implement their online strategies
  • Designed graphic elements of electronic greeting cards and hand-coded HTML and CSS for the choosing and delivery of them
  • Produced biweekly, seasonal graphic elements for the AG.com splash page, bimonthly email newsletters, and various promotional advertisements viewed by millions of users

Art Director/Designer – New House Communications, 02/2000 – 05/20013

  • Designed original web UI based on corporate branding for dozens of client websites
  • Hand-coded clean, cross-platform compliant HTML and processed low-overhead images
  • Created and refined UI, logos, icons, and email campaigns
  • Collaborated with project managers to coax verbal explanations of needs from clients

Study

Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) – The Cleveland Institute of Art 1997

  • Comprehensive foundation in classical art principles, drawing, painting, color, and design
  • Majored in Drawing with an interdisciplinary focus on 2D and 3D work in wood
  • Minored in Metalsmithing and Papermaking

JumpStart’s IMPACT Program Graduate – Cohort 12, 2021

  • Crash course in learning and practicing business skills from financials, financing, sales, and marketing
  • Culminated in pitch competition for the cohort and other opportunities for pitching