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Contact Information: (click here for more options)
Postal Address:



Telephone:

E-mail:
510 Broadway, Apt. #11
Saratoga Springs, NY
12866-2223, USA.

1 (518) 306-4521, home, (after 1pm, EST)

justin [at] justinwest.com
Education:
Skidmore College - Saratoga Springs, NY • Bachelors of Science Degree, 2001
While at Skidmore I participated in several extracurricular activities; from the Advertising Club to being a staff photographer and cover art illustrator for the Skidmore News. Major in Business Administration, with a heavy focus on advertising and marketing, and a minor in Studio Art, with an emphasis on Graphic Design and Multimedia.
Saratoga Springs Public Highschool - Saratoga Springs, NY • Diploma, 1993
Major in Science, specifically Biology, with a minor in Studio Art, heavy emphasis on Graphic Design and Photography.
Work History:
Saratoga's Job Fair - February 2008 - ongoing
Website design and programming for a large public job fair. I worked closely with several local entities and people to make this site as lush and yummy as possible while adhereing to the previous branding efforts. It is viewable by clicking here. Please bear in mind that it is a work in progress, and is far from 100% functional as of this post, more info to come.
Tech Valley Code Camp - February 2008
Logo design and typography for a local, Tech Valley code camp. Click here to view their website with my logo. This began as I had been working on a logo for one of the principle's start-up companies, Higher Efficiency. Possibility that my services will go to the winner(s) of a contest, more info to come.
Docsup.org - January 2008
Logo design and typography for a Google API start-up in California. The idea was to create a colorful logo that went from "Duck Soup", and the Marx Brothers to Google Docs in a play on words. To view my logo click here to view as a .png in a new window.
ENT, Ear Nose Throat & Audiology Associates - January 2008
A medical office in Raliegh, North Carolina. Randi Leonard-Holmes wanted a newer, fresher, logo for the new offices. We worked together for a little over a month to combine the old logo with a fresh fresh more feminine face, as they were just beginning to provide cosmetic outpatient laser treatment. To view the new logo click here to view as a .png in a new window.
SaratogaRenter.com - January 2007 - ongoing
I am currently responsible for creating both their print and online advertising. The first web ad is viewable online by clicking here. The first print ad I created has run in the March 2007, issue of The Saratoga Business Journal, click here for a pic. I've also done other print ads which were published in Saratoga Today, and the 2007 Ballet Booklet.
AlbanyRenter.com - March 2007 - ongoing
Aside from the SaratogaRenter.com work, I've been brought in with regards to their second project. I've already completed one ad, and had it used in print and online by Metroland magazine, you can click here to view it as a .png.
Tracy Buyce Photography - November 2006 - ongoing
Worked closely with Tracey to design and implement a web-based portfolio to assist her with lead generation and publicity for her photography business. I've also recently designed business cards for her, click here to view as a .png. The recently, (01/01/2008), site is currently online at: http://www.traceybuyce.com/
Movie Magic - July 2006 - August 2007
I was selected to BETA test the latest version of their Screenwriter 2000 software package. While testing and reporting on any bugs/errors, I also contributed several ideas which have since been implemented in the final release version of the application.
Niki Rossi Photography - Fall 2004
Worked closely with Niki to design and implement an online portfolio of her best work to date while providing her with a revamp of her identity system. The version I created is no longer available online.
Saratoga Direct Inc. (SDI) - Summer 1997
Worked as an interactive design team member to produce the long since lost Ronald McDonald House of Albany web site, as well as a series of banner ads for BMW of America.
Skidmore College - Summer 1991
Worked within a freelance capacity as an illustrator to created a series of T-shirts for the various Summer Six athletic camps and programs. A few of my original designs are still in use today.
National Parks Service - 1990-1999
Design and illustration of various promotional, and informational materials, including the 200th anniversary memorial postal cancel, (I got to sign autographs when the design was released to the public, and got my picture on the front page of The Saratogian Newspaper). To view art for the more recent 225th anniversary special envelopes, click here to view as a .jpg in a new window.
Exhibition and Creative History:
Obi Das - Daily Alarms - March 2005
While tinkering on the Strange Attractors files, I began to create a collection of gradual, (10 minute), alarm clock type sounds, and to put them on CD, which I did. Obi Das is my stage name with regards to all music and audio production.
Obi Das - Strange Attractors, Volume One - December 2004
A full length album I created using found and manufactured sounds. The title for the album comes from my interest in sub-atomic particle physics, and describes the attraction of “strange” quarks to other “less strange” sub-atomic particles.
Resonance - Solo Exhibition • Starbucks, Saratoga Springs - April 2000
20 Dye sublimation prints of digitally manipulated photographic images taken in Thailand over the course of my first trip to the Kingdom, (02/00).
Parity - Group Show • Uncommon Grounds, Saratoga Springs - May 1999
25 Dye sublimation prints of digitally manipulated photographic. Images created for this show from scratch in less than three weeks.
Silvers - Solo Exhibition • Starbucks, Saratoga Springs - December 1998
20 Dye sublimation prints of digitally manipulated photographic negatives taken during the years between 1987 and 1995, during various trips across the United States with my father.
Skills, Abilities, and Interests:
Computers and Software...
I have used and rebuilt Apple Macintosh computers since 1989, when we got our first Mac SE. I am familiar with and have experience removing/installing RAMM chips, CPUs, Hard Drives, and PCI cards of all sorts. I currently have and maintain a wired ethernet network between 2 computers and several peripherals in my studio. I am also a full member of ADC, or Apple Developers Connection.

I am familiar with and use on a regular basis the following software applications on the Mac, (latest versions of each), for which I own a full commercial use license: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Adobe InDesign, Adobe GoLive, Adobe After Effects, Apple Quicktime Pro, Apple Logic Pro, (including many plug-ins), Apple iWork Bundle, Apple iLife Bundle, Pyrus Scanfont, Pyrus FontLab, Microsoft Excel, Extensis Portfolio, Dainippon Color Genius EX, and Bias Peak. All web-browsers, and all FTP applications.

I am also a skilled .html coder, having been hooked by the web back when Yahoo! was no deeper than a couple of pages. My processes have changed with the advent of what-you-see-is-what-you-get, web site creation software, most notably Adobe GoLive, and now Adobe Flash, but I know my way around BBEdit too. I also am knowledgable when it comes to javascript, php, ajax, ruby, actionscript, and applescript, web based architecture, and W3 usability standards.

Language and Travel...
Excellent English language skills, read/write/speak/understand. I also learned a decent amount of conversational Thai, and local customs, on location over the course of four trips to Thailand, Laos and Singapore. I spent a full year in Mexico in 1983 with my father, and have a basic read/write/speak/understand Spanish skill set. I also have learned to a lesser degree, (in order of most to least by spoken fluency): Russian, German, Japanese, and Chinese.
Other Interests...
I am profoundly interested in the human mind, and creativity. I have studied psychology, hypnosis, and dreams. I am an almost Buddhist, pseudo agnostic and enjoy the paranormal/metaphysical, without being "into crystals". I am also interested in the natural world, (geology, biology, chemistry, astronomy), mechanical physics, (why "a" is better than "b"), theoretical physics, (why "a" is "a"), and quantum particle physics, (what is an "a" anyway?).
My Current Work Status:
My Disability and Availability for Employment...
I am able to work anywhere in the US, and am a citizen of the United States of America. I would seek to incorporate my love for travel in my work.

I believe in full disclosure. Therefore, I believe it is in the best interests of any/all potential employers to know that I am disabled, but not severely. It was thought that I was/am suffering from a rare degenerative neurological condition called Freidriech’s Ataxia, however this was recently disproved via genetic testing. So I’ll just describe the obvious symptoms; the first being, difficulty walking, poor balance, and an occasional side to side head and neck tremor, and several more technical, less obvious symptoms.

Fortunately my mind functions at the highest level when developing functional work arounds. The degree in which my condition may be seen as a limitation varies from day to day, but is functionally minimal. I have had this disorder as long as I can remember, and so have become used to its symptoms, and have learned how to deal with them so as to remain unaffected for the most part.

This page was last updated on: Sunday, March 16, 2008
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