Marc Corbett is all about the BBQ and Blues while finishing up a web-design project for the Grant Park Conservancy’s Music Festival coming this May. Famous for a mustache that just won’t quit (think Matthew McConaughey circa Dazed and Confused) this hat-wearing designer and developer is looking to be L-I-V-I-N it up in the startup community so snag him while you can ladies and gentlemen.
What are you currently working on?
Over the past week I have been working on the overall design and website development for The Grant Park BBQ and Blues Music Festival. The festival is just around the corner (May 8th) so I’m helping the Grant Park Conservancy get the event ramped up! They needed someone to work on anything and everything, and with a background in both print and digital, I’m their guy.
What startup/tech/creative projects have you been a part of in the past?
Over the last year I’ve been working as the Senior Creative Designer at Make & Build, an innovative tech-based startup that wears a lot of hats. As a result, I was able to have my hand in the design of a couple really innovative projects.
One project that I was apart of, Myrch, is an application that we developed, that takes advantage of Apple Pay and Passbook. Myrch makes it easy to purchase goods by integrating with a true ecommerce engine and Payment Processing system. We worked on a unified account management solution that would support both the Point of Sale Clerk and the End Consumer resulting in a clean and simple experience. I worked with the front-end developers as the lead designer on the project and assisted in wireframes. Check out some screens from my designs.
Another project that we worked on was developing solutions with beacons. We placed Raspberry Pis (agents) all over the office and carried devices, such as iphones, that would project Bluetooth signals received by the agent. By connecting the agent to other devices (e.g. TVs and stereos), the possibilities are endless. In our case, the result was custom noises going off in rooms upon entering (mine was Mathew McConaughey from Dazed and Confused) and being able to track colleagues during office events on our TV screen in the Great Room. Overall, it was a blast learning about this ever-evolving technology and figuring out ways to visually relay it’s potential ability to an average consumer.
What tech/tools are essential to you?
As a designer, the Adobe creative suites are an essential on almost every project. Tumult Hype is a really cool tool for creating HTML 5 web content, when you don’t have the budget to hire on someone who is really proficient in it. Google Chrome’s “inspect element” is clutch whenever I’m doing any CSS. I’m also recently learning C4D, which is an awesome program.
How do you stay informed & on top of emerging trends?
Behance.net & Reddit.com
What are your strongest tech/creative skills?
I’m new to Wireframing but I’m patient and persistent as I grow on each project. I’m also proud of the fact that I can work on UX and move over to the role of the project that handles visual design and UI seamless.
What’s on your list to learn next?
I want to be proficient in After Effects by the end of the year. I’ve also always worked directly and indirectly with front-end development; which is encouraging me to further develop my skills with CSS.
Interested in working for a startup, mid-sized company, or a corporate giant?
While corporate giants are attractive for their ability to reel in large clients and big-budget projects, I’m more of a startup/mid-sized company kind of guy. I have found that in the past, startups have encouraged me to learn and evolve rapidly; so that I can help design a product that differentiates itself from the “big guys”. The same holds true for a mid-sized firm; I love to have the ability to flex my creative muscles and leave a positive mark in a company. That being said, a corporate giant with a startup culture would be pretty lethal and a happy home for me.
When are you available to start?
When do you want me to start? 🙂
