Hi! I’m Alex
A creative director and designer with a decade-plus of experience shaping brand identity, visual systems, and storytelling in higher education.
I’m the creative director in Pacific University’s marketing and communications department, where I work with a team of creatives. We handle everything from brand work to everyday storytelling, and I love the mix of collaboration, problem-solving, and visual thinking that comes with it.
I got my start in design while studying fine art, art history, and graphic design. An internship in Pacific’s marketing office connected all of those interests and showed me how design and strategy can work together. That experience set the direction for my career.
Since then, I’ve grown through several roles, earned a master’s degree in strategic communication from Washington State University, and shaped an approach to creative direction that’s thoughtful, practical and centered on clear, purposeful design.
Experience
June 2022 to Present
Creative Director
- Lead the development, implementation, and management of the university’s visual brand strategy across print, multimedia, and digital platforms, supporting student recruitment, retention, alumni, donor, and community engagement.
- Provide art direction for all university visual communications, encompassing graphic design, photography, video content, and web design/UX for integrated marketing efforts, event materials, and alumni outreach.
- Lead designer for the Pacific University 2025 website redesign, collaborating with an outside agency for the Drupal migration (from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10). Defined layout and content blocks and ensured brand alignment to optimize user experience and visual consistency.
- Manage direct mail campaigns for fundraising, engagement, and recruitment, overseeing strategy, design, and execution to drive donor support and increase student interest.
- Designed a high-conversion three-piece admissions mailer campaign that contributed to the highest number of undergraduate applications in the university’s history.
- Implemented a university-wide digital asset management system (Brandfolder), making brand assets, marketing photography, and brand templates available university-wide. Internal stakeholders now have the tools to be brand ambassadors for the university, helping spread Pacific’s message and story.
- Art directed the calendar year-end campaign, 24 Uplifting Moments of 2024, resulting in over $152,000 raised for CYE giving.
- Serve as the managing editor of Pacific magazine, coordinating content planning, publication schedules, and vendor relationships for print and distribution.
- Redesigned Pacific magazine to align with the university’s visual identity and messaging goals.
- Manage third-party product and brand licensing partnerships, educating internal stakeholders
on branded product processes to ensure proper use of Pacific’s registered marks and protect brand integrity. - Manage a creative team of designers, photographers, and videographers, ensuring efficient project workflows, deadline adherence, and budget management, while onboarding direct reports and mentoring student design interns.
- Design environmental graphics, interior and exterior building lettering, and wayfinding signage to enhance navigation, reinforce the university’s brand identity, and foster school spirit and brand loyalty.
August 2019 to June 2022
Associate Creative Director
- Visual design for the Pacific University website 2022 redesign
- Design and layout of Pacific magazine in collaboration with Creative Director
- 18 Pacific magazines and two Philanthropy Edition inserts
- Art directed photo shoots for print and digital projects, including Pacific magazine, Annual Giving appeals, and university marketing imagery
- Design of virtual Commencement event and program (2020 and 2021) for COVID-19. Live streamed on Pacific’s YouTube channel.
- Designed event collateral for signature university events.
- Designed Pacific University Press book covers
- Designed and produced branded event signage within a brand system for on-campus university events.
April 2014 to July 2019
Graphic Designer
- UX and UI design for the 2017 Pacific University website redesign
- Saved Pacific University over $92,000 by working with colleagues to redesign and relaunch the website in-house
- Featured on the Adobe Blog for UX work on pacificu.edu
- Designed and managed the production of signature event collateral for Homecoming,
- Athletic Hall of Fame, Legends, Boxer Giving Days, and the Performing Arts Series
- Illustrated for the three-part animation series “Now What?” – produced in-house
- Illustrated university buildings for use in event promotion, campus banners, a university coloring book, and a commemorative metal bookmark given at the naming ceremony for the Tran Library.
- Lead designer for the Pacific University cross-channel integrated marketing strategy campaign
- Out of home – exterior bus signs, bus wraps, and interior MAX train signs
- Print ads for Portland Monthly, Willamette Week, Portland Mercury, assorted Pamplin Media newspapers, and university student newspapers in Oregon
- Online display ads
July 2013 to April 2014
Marketing Coordinator
- Managed the student intern budget
- Pulled data expense reports to balance the marketing and communications budget
- Designed postcards, rack cards, note cards, print advertisements, and branded product
- Managed university branded product inventory and distribution
July 2013 to Present
Freelance
- Logo design and brand identity development including product packaging and apparel design
- Wedding collateral including save the dates, invitations, programs and wedding favor items
- Brochure layout and design
- Map generalization and layout from an ArcGIS Pro geolocated map
Education
Master of Arts
Strategic Communication
Murrow College of Communication
Washington State University
Bachelor of Arts
Majors in Fine Art & Art History
Minor in Graphic Design
College of Arts & Sciences
Pacific University
Awards
2021 CASE VIII Bronze Award
Category — Cover Design
American Dreamer
A novel by Tim Tran ’74
2019 CASE VIII Silver Award
Category — Electronic & Digital Media: Overall Website
Pacific University Website
2018 CASE VIII Gold Award
Category — Low Budget Publications
Color Your Campus: Pacific University Coloring Book
2017 CASE VIII Silver Award
Category — Special Event, Invitations & Collateral Materials
Legends 2016 Invitation, Name Badge & Auction Packet
2016 CASE VIII Bronze Award
Category — Special Event, Invitations & Collateral Materials
Legends 2015 Invitation, Name Badge & Auction Packet
Alex Bell 