Axel Gaona
Creative Director / Senior Graphic Designer
As a Creative Director, my expertise lies in the field of graphic design, where I am committed to crafting top-tier, quality design and compelling content. With a relentless dedication to producing exceptional work, I consistently maintain a positive attitude and excel under pressure, thriving in high-stakes environments and tight deadlines. My passion for creating outstanding designs and content is matched by a track record spanning over 10 years of professional experience. As a creative leader and designer, I bring a wealth of experience and a skill set that ensures not only meeting but exceeding expectations, all while fostering a collaborative and productive atmosphere. I am recognized for my reliability, responsibility, resourcefulness, quick learning abilities, punctuality, & work ethic.
Work Experience
Tandy Leather
Creative Director / 2021 - Present
As a Creative Director, I lead a talented team of designers in executing various graphic design projects, from re ning drafts to ensuring project quality to generating creative ideas. Overseeing design projects, such as packaging and traditional and digital marketing campaigns, has allowed me to e ectively execute a variety of initiatives, including product catalogs, direct mailers, signage, email communication, MMS, and social media marketing. Collaborating closely with my creative team, I am dedicated to preserving the integrity and heritage of the Tandy Brand through the production of high-quality graphic content. I am a natural partner and work closely with internal teams and stakeholders to bring ideas to life, while effectively servicing over 100 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada with marketing and merchandising materials.
Senior Graphic Designer / 2020 - 2021
My responsibilities include overseeing graphic design tasks, refining projects and drafts, and generating creative ideas. Collaborate with our creative team to maintain the integrity and heritage of the Tandy brand through high-quality graphic content.
Graphic Designer / 2019 - 2020
Form part of the marketing team with the responsibility to compose graphic designs to support ad campaigns, print collateral, signage, and digital design for over 100 stores located in the USA and Canada.
FastSigns
Senior Graphic Designer / 2014 - 2019
Lead a small team of designers to develop high quality print and digital graphics for various applications and media. Responsible for creating a high volume of layout, graphic and production design. Contributed to projects for local small businesses to Fortune 500 Companies and collaborated with owners, creative agencies and project managers.
Software Skills
Illustrator
Photoshop
InDesign
After Effects
Premiere Pro
Adobe Dimension
Microsoft Office
Wrike
Professional Skills
Art Direction
Visual Design
Print / Digital Design
Project Management
Basic HTML
Social Media
Videography
Photography
Personal Skills
Leadership
Creative
Attention to Detail
Communication
Team Player
Organized
Resourceful
Languages
English (Native)
Spanish (Native)

Recommendations
Laurel McEuen
Creative & Brand Strategist | Merchant Marketer | Shining Star & 32 Under 32 Honoree | Governor, AAF District 10
It's an honor to wholeheartedly recommend Axel—I cannot say enough great things about him! Axel was my first hire at Tandy Leather and he proved to be a trustworthy partner—he has a great eye, a strong aesthetic, and his character is beyond reproach. He always, always got the job done—and what's more is that he made the job feel easy (even when it wasn't). Axel is an outstanding creative problem solver; I loved giving him a brief and seeing what solutions he would propose. He always went above and beyond. He's an industrious self-starter and I admire his willingness to learn and expand his skill set. If you have the chance to work with Axel, take it!

Chelsea White, M.S.
Senior Communication Consultant
It is my great pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Axel Gaona-Rojas who was one of the best employees at our company that I had the pleasure to work with. I first became acquainted with Axel in the fall of 2018, when I was recruiting for Sign Shop Designer.
I came to know Axel as a truly valuable asset to absolutely any team. He is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard-working. Beyond that, he always manages his time effectively. He works tirelessly to not only complete the task on time, but to complete the task with accuracy. In my opinion, he is an excellent and flexible collaborator as well as an educator.
Axel always keeps very good relations with the people around him, such as his supervisors and colleagues. Our company is composed of members from different backgrounds with varying professional and educational experiences. I know that they all have very good impressions of Axel. His positive reputation within the diverse company should largely rely on his humility. Axel is a true team player, and always manages to foster positive discussions and bring the best out of others.
In my personal opinion, Axel is a trustworthy, reliable, mentor and friend who supports others on and off the clock. He is a pleasure to work with and his belief in himself and good sense of humor even when faced with adversity is an immensely admirable asset.
Overall, I am confident that he will continue to demonstrate the same diligence, perseverance, and optimism that he showed myself while representing his company. Seldom have I been able to recommend someone without reservation. It is a pleasure to do so in the case of Axel.

Matt Devlin, MBA
DFW AMA Marketer of The Year award winner. President with over 15 years of experience in marketing and leadership. MG Marketing
It's been a pleasure working with Axel as a professional freelance designer. He's a really talented creative with an eye for great looking design—something that is not easy to find. He shows a range of styles and capabilities across the Adobe Suite and always has a great attitude and "can do" spirit. We will continue to work with Axel and grow this partnership.
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