About
Me.
And You.
And why we should work together.
Above, the pen store owner in Bologna is telling me that he files his customers’ fountain pens so the pens aren’t scratchy. He observes the angle at which you hold the pen and then personalizes the filing based on that.
A perfect fit.
That kind of detail and care is what I strive for in my work.
The Basics
I’m a freelance graphic designer with 5+ years of experience in design.
I live in Seattle. I like coffee and chocolate, dance, books, and my Pilot G-Tec-C4 pen.
I’m into the work. I like to laugh.
I don’t have a dog, or a cat, but I’m 99% sure I’ll adore yours.
Background
Some of my background experiences are described below,
but here’s the biggest one:
10 years as an editor, writer, and project manager in PR/Marketing.
Every day, every project,
I find some skill I developed in those years
that helps me deliver design that works.
And here’s some more background:
Italy
It’s where I grew up
From age 6 to age 13 I lived in Europe. I learned to navigate different cultures. I learned the rhythms of two other languages. I lived among buildings that featured the arch more frequently than the square. These things contribute to who I am and how I design.
Performing Arts
Dancing, Singing, Acting
As a kid, I adored the performing arts: I danced for 10 years, did theater summer camps and festivals, and sang in several choirs. And even in college, I took voice, acting, and dance classes. As an adult, when my jobs weren’t actually in the arts, I brought the arts into my job.
Linguistics
College Focus: Language
I got a BA in English & French from the University of Minnesota (magna cum laude). I also attended Paris IV (La Sorbonne) for literature classes for native French students. And the summer before I graduated, I attended the graduate program at Bread Loaf School of English to study with linguistics professor Shirley Brice Heath.
Teaching & Editing
Helping others gain access
I taught Language Arts for 7 years, mostly at Roosevelt High School in Seattle. I was Communications Editor at Seattle Opera for another 7. I wrote new-business proposals for NBBJ, edited publications for the Glass Art Society, and founded SeattleDances.com. It turns out that editing and writing is a lot like designing: same goal, different tools.
Working Together
What are you looking for? What would help you the most?
An engaged & effective team member?
An energetic, process-savvy leader?
Someone to re-think and re-vitalize?
Or someone to just go get the job done?
I’ve done all of these things for other people. I look forward to doing them for you!
The Fine Print
Technically, you’ll be working with Seattle Scriptorium, LLC, my one-woman design firm, founded in 2014.
Brands I’ve Worked With
Aladdin
Alaska Airlines
(through Paradigm Communications)
Angelique
BP & Associates
California Wedding Day
Center for Architecture & Design
(through The Portico Group)
Cornish College of the Arts
Dropped Aitch
Four Seasons
(through TCS World Travel)
Full Bloom Acupuncture
Glass Art Society
Holland America Line
(through D2 Studios)
John Curry Photography
Marcie Sillman’s blog
National Geographic
(through TCS World Travel)
NBBJ
Oregon Bride
Pacific Market International
Puget Sound Business Journal
Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra
Seattle Bride
Seattle Business Magazine
Seattle Magazine
Seattle Opera Young Artists Program
SeattleDances.com
Second Stage
Stanley
Starbucks
(through PMI)
TCS World Travel
The Gottman Institute
The Portico Group & MIG|Portico
UW Dance Program
UW School of Music
What They Say About Me
Nearly every gig I’ve ever had has resulted in an offer to renew my contract or to join the company as a permanent employee—
from my first job (at age 11, helping out in the English section of Libreria Feltrinelli in Milan)
to my recent work at Seattle Magazine (I started with the company as an intern) and
The Gottman Institute (where I was hired on for one project, 10 projects ago).
Here’s what a few folks over the years have said:
Chris McInerney
Art Director at TCS World Travel
A week into her contract, we could tell Rosie was a producer. Not long afterwards, we offered her a permanent position at TCS World Travel. She’s a reliable, responsive, upbeat team player who is sensitive to brand and messaging. She handled the complex versioning of our long-form luxury brochures with ease, organizing file layers and workflow to make the process more smooth and to cut down the risk of error. Our project manager adopted some of Rosie’s habits as best practice for the department. Rosie is eager for and appreciative of art direction, but if you’re short on time she can take the project and run with it. Basically, Rosie is one part lab, one part border collie: she has a happy disposition, she likes people, and she has a natural drive to bring projects in on time, neat and tidy, with no detail left behind.
Kate Diamond
Design Principal at NBBJ
Rosie was an outstanding markets manager at NBBJ who brought a passion and commitment to a high pressure role with tight deadlines and always followed through to deliver the tools we needed. Given NBBJ’s rich history and diverse marketing sectors there was so much to learn in a short time in order to create pieces that truly communicated our understanding of potential clients’ challenges and demonstrated through prior work that we could deliver. Rosie writes well, edits effectively and can produce quality marketing materials on tight schedules while juggling the personalities and styles of multiple principals each leading their own efforts.
Tina Ryker
Public Relations Director at Seattle Opera
Rosie Gaynor proved herself to be a highly skilled, conscientious employee who embraced the challenges placed before her with good cheer. I thoroughly enjoyed being her supervisor.
Rosie’s standards were extraordinarily high. She was never content with what was merely “OK” and often took on responsibilities far beyond those in her job description. A true team player attuned to the Opera’s needs, she was ready and willing to step in to help her co-workers. She was very well liked and respected.
Ana Pinto da Silva
Design & Technology Lead at NBBJ
Rosie Gaynor is a delight to work with. Intelligent, detail oriented, incredibly hard-working, creative, thoughtful and kind. She is a marvelous professional and an absolutely wonderful person. Her rich experience, imagination and energy are an asset to any team.