Rachelle Lenihan
Senior Designer
Senior Designer
Throughout my academic and professional journey, I've consistently demonstrated an engaged and conceptual approach to my work. I easily adapt to the demands of my roles, whether it's designing websites, developing brand identities, being a mentor, or contributing to brainstorming sessions, I’m driven by the endless possibilities that creative work offers.
My method is grounded in thorough research and careful analysis of project strategies, laying the foundation for innovative and impactful solutions that consistently meet and exceed client goals.
As part of my design journey, I've also engaged in nonprofit work, such as rebranding a local community centre, and co-founding a grassroots organization to connect student designers with small businesses. I'm also a current mentor for the Humber College Graphic Design program, reviewing portfolios and providing career advice for up-and-coming designers.
In addition to my professional pursuits, I find fulfillment and inspiration through various physical arts: drawing, bookbinding, sewing, knitting, crochet, film photography, ceramics, and painting. I also enjoy outdoor excursions and immersing myself in nature.
Experience
Senior Designer &
UX Specialist
Long Story Short
UX Specialist
Long Story Short
08.2022 to Present
My role at Long Story Short primarily revolves around graphic and website design, performing tasks such as conducting user interviews, website auditing, sitemapping, wireframing, creating responsive user interfaces, quality assurance, creating comprehensive brand identities and guidelines, creating print and sales material, creating templates for landing pages to social media posts, and finally, offering leadership and working with junior members of the team.
Graphic Designer
EZRA Coaching
EZRA Coaching
12.2021 to 08.2022
My role at EZRA involved creating landing pages for sales campaigns, creating social media posts, and taking the lead on guiding the marketing team through the web production for the new brand release. Created B2B campaign material and e-mail blasts.
Junior Designer
Art & Science Digital Agency
Art & Science Digital Agency
11.2019 to12.2021
At Art & Science I took on a multitude of roles, not limited to: designing responsive UI, style guide creation, brand identity, mood boarding, storyboarding, wireframing, QA, strategy development, sales pitch creative, social media content creation, illustration, image and video sourcing, performance marketing ads, client presentations, and actively contributing to the development of design processes to improve the efficiency and quality of design output.
Graphic Designer
Social Development Centre KW
Social Development Centre KW
09.2019 to 12.2020
Worked on a pro-bono basis to develop web design, production design, and social media outreach content to campaign for the organization and improve turnout at community events.
Co-Founder
Design.local KW
Design.local KW
07.2019 to 11.2019
Co-Founded Design.local with a small group of designers, strategists, and researchers to tackle problems for local businesses on a not for profit basis to nourish economic growth in the community.
Freelance Graphic Designer
08.2018 to 11.2019
Freelancing illustration, layout, production material, marketing material, logo design, brand packages for independent businesses as well as a financial holding company's innovation lab.
Website Coordinator Intern
University of Alberta eHUB
University of Alberta eHUB
09.2017 to 04.2018
Interned at eHUB, an entrepreneurship centre at the University of Alberta to update and design their Wordpress site.
Graphic Design Intern
Kreativ-Etage, Weimar
Kreativ-Etage, Weimar
05.2015 to 08.2015
Interned abroad in Weimar, Germany, assisting in the development of illustrations, creating graphics for use in instructional videos, print collateral, and research in environmental design and green product design.
Clients I've Worked With
Signal1
Rocket Doctor
Sabian Cymbals
Rogers Cybersecurity Catalyst (TMU)
Kingsway College School
EZRA Coaching
Duuo by Co-operators
Sagen Insurance
Eccelesiastical Insurance
Burgundy Asset Management
WPBS (a PBS member station)
Nightwood Theatre
Volunteering
Portfolio Mentor
Humber College
2022 to Present
2022 to Present
Co-Organizer
UX Book Club Kitchener-Waterloo
August 2018 to November 2019
August 2018 to November 2019
User Experience and Graphic Designer
CivicHub Kitchener-Waterloo
December 2018 to November 2019
December 2018 to November 2019
Vice Director
University of Alberta Student Design Association
September 2017 to April 2018
September 2017 to April 2018
Web Coordinator
University of Alberta Student Design Association
September 2016 to April 2017
September 2016 to April 2017
VP Marketing
University of Alberta International Business Competition
March 2017 to January 2018
March 2017 to January 2018
Exhibitions & Showcases
Skills
I'm an all-in-one designer, with experience in both web and print design programs. Additionally, after working both agency side and in-house, I'm also familiar with many different project management tools. All the things I have expertise in and familiarity with are:
Figma (design, auto-layout, development preparation, and prototyping), Sketch, Adobe Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Adobe Xd), Squarespace, Webflow, WordPress, Elementor, InVision, Zeplin, Basic HTML / CSS, Harvest, Parallax Forecast, Jira, Asana, Notion.
Education & Certificates
I have a 4-Year Bachelor of Design, where I majored in Visual Communication Design and Minored in Marketing. Since then, I've completed the UX certifications listed below, and in general I love learning new tools and techniques for the things I work with on the daily. Recently I've honed in on utilizing auto-layout in Figma.
Bachelor of Design
University of Alberta 2018
Major in Visual Communication Design
Minor in Marketing
University of Alberta 2018
Major in Visual Communication Design
Minor in Marketing
Associate RGD
Registered Graphic Designers of Canada
Presently Certified
Registered Graphic Designers of Canada
Presently Certified
Foundations of User Experience Design
Google Certifications
September 2023
Google Certifications
September 2023
Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate
Google Certifications
November 2023
Google Certifications
November 2023
Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Google Certifications
January 2024
Google Certifications
January 2024
Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts
Google Certifications
July 2024
Google Certifications
July 2024