Heather Lee
HEATHER ANNE LEE
5415 SW Laurelwood Ave
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 866–7039
SUMMARY
Imaginative, Multi–Disciplined Colorist/Designer with a unique background merging years of
hands–on experience in the design industry with a passion for color and materials, broad based product and
consumer insight knowledge. Skilled in the entire product development life cycle of moving research–concepts to
commercialization. Strong collaboration skills and proven dynamic design results that speak to consumers.
Expertise includes:
• Excellent collaborative skills in developing with overseas factories and material vendors to achieve desired results.
• Researching, forecasting, and presenting market specific color, material, design, footwear and lifestyle trends.
• Heavy focus on consumer research and insight.
• Creating interesting and original graphics, trim, textile and color ways on a broad base of products and lines.
• Adept at visualizing innovative color and material combinations and their final applications onto product.
• Creating and presenting professional presentation materials and trend boards.
• Extensive travel to industry specific trade shows.
PROFESSIONAL Collective Licensing Intl, Denver, CO 2013-2014
Color, Material & Trend Designer
EXPERIENCE
Provided trend reports, forecasting and design direction, for youth, sport lifestyle and a skate products. Created original
seasonal color palettes, stories, material development and application for all Collective Licensing brands.
• Determined and presented category trend strategy to support global color and material for licensing partners
and provided strategic creative trend direction for graphics department resulting in a highly merchandisable line.
• Improved consumer insight and identified new brand opportunities by analyzing color success, researching, and developing target consumer profiles for the Airwalk, Vision Street Wear and Above The Rim brands.
• Developed and designed the 2014-2015 color and material stories for the Vision Street Wear Footwear Line.
• Created innovative, retail-viable color and textile graphic stories on the 2014 Already Famous line.
(*Airwalk Gist and Harold Hunter Foundation shoe featured in Baller Status, Rad Collector, Sneaker Report blogs)
The Outdoor recreation group, LOS ANGELES, CA 2011-2013
Trend Forecaster, Color, Material, Trim Designer & Developer
Determined color direction, execution, material, graphics, and trim on all hardgoods and softgoods for the
Outdoor Products label and licensed brands.
• Collaborated with senior backpack designers on color, materials, pattern alteration, and trims to redesign the Outdoor Products Line creating an exiting new line of bags for the 2013 Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow
• Produced Back-to-School Trend and color reports to pitch to key retail partners such as Walmart, Kmart, and
Academy Sportswear resulting in repeat Back-To-School business.
• Developed color and textile graphic stories on the 2012 Body Glove bags for the 2012 Outdoor Retailer.
(* Body Glove bag recognized in the "Print Trend" section for Stylesite Outdoor Retailer Edition.)
SKECHERS, LOS ANGELES, CA 2010
Footwear Color & Material Developer
Women's and Men's Fitness and Shape–Ups
Conceptualized, designed and developed compelling material and color stories for Skechers Shape–Up footwear.
• Worked with senior footwear designers on color and material composition resulting in a fresh and innovative new line of running and trail shoes.
• Generated Media Buzz at the Spring 2011 Fashion Footwear Association of New York show with a progressive color and graphic story for a new line of sandals.
Nike Inc., Portland, Or 2004–2009
Global Accessory Color Designer, Packaging, Category Production Artist 2007–2009
Team Sports Equipment and Fitness Accessories
Designed and applied seasonal innovative color palettes, graphic retail–ready solutions, catalog illustration and
package design for 8 Global Nike Sports Accessory categories ranging from lifestyle to sport performance.
• Increased retail products adopted by using collaborative color stories to create a head–to–toe look on the retail floor.
• Designed color blocking for Nike’s 2009 Swingman Team.
• Strengthened in–store retail brand perception for Nike Men's Training by working with cross-functional teams to consolidate the color and material palette and create a highly merchandisable line.
Production Design Specialist 2004–2007
Sports Knowledge Underground (http://www.nikesku.com)
Supported Nike’s global e–learning sales training program for retailers with production design of seasonal product
sheets, as well as layout, publishing, promotional marketing collateral and graphics for trade show use.
• Developed an automated process for creating seasonal product sheets which increased productivity by 65%.
• Received the Nike Sales MVP Award.
• Expanded vendor marketing participation with supplemental podcasts and hands–on training collateral pieces.
EDUCATION
B.F.A. in Graphic Design, Portland State University, Portland, OR 2003
Pre–Architecture, and Sculpture, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 1995–1997
SKILLS
Strong Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Freehand skills. Other strengths include extraordinary sense of color and
material trends, presentation design, color merchandising, go-to-market strategies, creative collaboration, creative
concepting, illustration, technical drawing, 2D and 3D color CAD’s creation, pattern adjustments, material application
and development, shopping in overseas open material markets. Strong knowledge of product design. High attention to
detail and deadline. Ability to problem solve, strategic thinking, and multi task, with a focus on team work.
Other interests: hiking, dodgeball, kickball, surfing, biking, karaoke, sewing, DIY repurposing projects.
email: iamheather@myredgumball.com
portfolio: www.myredgumball.com