A Little About Me

Hello, I'm Dishal Shah, a creative illustrator, graphic artist and web designer currently based in Chicago. Growing up in Kenya raised by Indian parents I was introduced to different cultures, arts and music. Having realized, not to late that technology goes hand in hand with design I made the decision to push my technology training into the realm of design . As a young designer my influences are vast and ever changing. Alot of my inspiration comes things I see around me. Identity is a powerful thing. A distinct, authentic personality that flows out of even the tiniest details of a product is what brings it to life and makes people believe in it. I have focused on putting my skill set and intelligent ideas at the very heart of everything I do – striving to create outstanding work that is distinctive, engaging and above all, memorable. Everything boils down to one simple idea: to provide the client with the best visual solutions that I can.

OBJECTIVE

Deliver creative, innovative and engaging solutions to communication problems across brand identity, print, packaging, environmental and digital. Immersed in all aspects of culture through my travels and multicultural background.

EDUCATION

  • Jan 2011 – May 2014: Certificate in Graphic Design and Web –
    College of Dupage | Glen Ellyn, IL
  • Sep 2001 – Aug 2002: Information Technology, MSc –
    DeMontfort University, Leicester, UK
  • Sep 1997 – Jun 2001: Management Science, BSc –
    DeMontfort University, Leicester, UK

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & AFFILIATIONS

  • GPA: 3.88, Academic Honors
  • Honorable Mention for Best Portfolio at College of DuPage Portfolio Night 2014
  • AIGA Chicago Chapter Member
  • AIGA College of Dupage Student Group Member
  • ADC, Member
  • STA, Member

EXPERIENCE

Freelance Graphic Designer
Jan 2013 – Present

Web & Graphic Communications | Asli Fine Foods, IL
Jan 2011 – Present

E-Communications Officer | AMREF Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya
Feb 2005 – Jan 2007

CREATIVE SKILLS

  • Well versed in print and web design
  • Imaginative thinker, aware of current design trends, and developments in the field of graphic design
  • Successful design and development in brand identities, brand collateral, advertisements, marketing collateral and project schedules for clients

COMMUNICATION & CLIENT RELATIONS

  • Experience in cultivating rapport with clients
  • Exceptional customer service by listening and engaging to clients needs
  • Confident and concise communicator able to accept and learn from criticism
  • Articulate multilingual languages

MANAGEMENT

  • Motivate, inspire and communicate specific goals to the department
  • Supervise and train team members and delegate tasks to ensure timely completion
  • Collaborate with clients and team members to successfully deliver results within timelines

PERSONAL SKILLS

  • Detail oriented, excellent organizational skills and dependable in every project
  • Fluent in English, Swahili, Gujarati and Hindi language

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, Premiere Pro, Bridge, Acrobat Pro), MS Office, HTML, CSS, OS X and Windows operating systems.