Brandi Ortega
Southern California, CA · Say Hello
Creative who brings multidisciplinary experience to branding, digital content, design, social media, public relations, and print projects. I intersect where editorial, creative, and tech meet. I create stories using code, colors, data, typography, words, images, ideas, and enthusiasm. I like white space, sans-serif fonts, and the Oxford comma.
Experience
My career path has been a winding road to say the least — editorial to design to marketing and back again — but the underlying connective tissue through each stop is content. It's about building from each step and pushing forward.
Designer
Financial Services
April 2020 — Current
Responsible for multi-discipline content design (web, email, print) for a solutions-based global financial brand.
- Maintains website by updating content, establishing performance metrics, and refining usability. Areas of focus include:
- Conducting ongoing UX research (personas, discovery interviews, journey mapping) to improve the site.
- Wireframing designs based on research and creating layout templates.
- Establishing a design-pattern library and system that aligns with the brand guideline.
- Learning Webflow, the no-code content management system used by the firm..
- Produces video content, including live and recorded webinars and social media clips. Cleans up audio and creates motion graphics as needed.
- Creates email templates for direct-mail marketing.
- Maintains brand consistency with style guide across marketing and research materials.
- Distills sometimes complex financial concepts into easy-to-read visuals via graphics and layout.
- Provides editorial support through copy editing and proofreading materials.
Digital Content / Marketing Manager
Custom Brands Group
March 2018 — May 2019
- Created digital resource centers for two private label brands: Alta Window Fashions and Enlightened Style.
- Created first website using WordPress for Custom Brands Group.
- Updated, created, and maintained content on three sites: Custom Brands Group, Alta Window Fashions, and Enlightened Style.
- Designed for print, social media, and web, including forms, surveys, ads, and newsletters.
- Created social media calendar. Maintained and created content for Instagram and Facebook, focusing on brand awareness and growing follower base organically.
Digital Content Designer / Editor
IEEE Computer Society
September 2005 — March 2018
- Designed and built standards-compliant, responsive web pages.
- Analyzed and reported on Web traffic using Google Analytics and server logs.
- Member of the UX team that redesigned the Society’s 2,000-plus page digital experience.
- Conducted UX research (personas, discovery interviews, journey mapping).
- Wireframed designs based on research and created visual design layouts.
- Contributed to the design-pattern library and brand guidelines for tone, voice, and images.
- As the final part of the process, created HTML and CSS templates based on UX research and feedback.
- Created HTML and social content templates.
- As a proof of concept, successfully moved 13 magazine websites to the WordPress multisite platform. Included cataloging content.
- The successful completion of the project spurred the Computer Society to adopt WordPress as its content management system and saved the company in licensing fees and development time.
- Determined key performance indicators (KPIs), scheduled company-wide social calendar, and created content for social channels.
- Trained selected staff on analytics, editorial strategy, and best practices.
- Edited (developmental and copy editing) articles and columns for three magazines.
- Wrote news pieces focusing on security, privacy, and industry.
- Coordinated the news, interviews, podcasts, and book reviews for three magazines.
- Reviewed pitches, set budgets, assigned stories and deadlines, and edited and packaged copy.
- Edited podcasts, updated RSS feeds, and maintained podcast series across distribution platforms.
Skills
These are some of the tools, programs, and methods I use to create content. I'm constantly learning and improving. JavaScript is my focus this year.
Web
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript (basic)
- Bootstrap
- WordPress
- Webflow
- MailChimp
- SEO
- UX design + research
- Mobile-first design
- Responsive design
- WC3 Web Standards
- ADA compliance
Design / Prototyping
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Sketch
- Adobe XD
- Invision
- Zeplin
- Asana
Social Content
- Gifs
- Cinemagraphs (the gif's sexier cousin)
- Stories (Insta, TikTok)
- Community management + engagement
- Social listening
- Facebook Ads Manager
Video / Audio
- Adobe Audition (basic)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (basic)
- Adobe After Effects (basic)
- Codecs and formats
- RSS creation and maintenance
Editorial
- Copy editing
- Developmental editing
- Interviewing (this has helped with UX research)
- Fact-checking
Portfolio
Some of my work, past and present.
I built this site using HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Fancybox, and Isotope.
Education
I survived the 10 series.
University of California, Los Angeles
English, Bachelor of Arts
Freelance Projects
Current projects, either for freelance or passion, sometimes both. I love to work on projects outside of the 9-to-5 because 1) it gives me a chance to work in other industries and with other people; 2) keeps me and my skills sharp; and 3) challenges me. I'm listing the following here because of their relevance and they offer a terrific showcase as part of my portfolio.
Editor / Social Media Admin
Our Game Magazine
Current
- Launched print subscriptions in 2013 and transitioned to digital subscriptions launched in October. Subscriptions ceased in 2016 and subscribers were transitioned to the newsletter.
- Writes and edits content, assigns articles, sets editorial and social calendars, and oversees freelancers and budgets.
- Content updating that consists of moving old articles from Our Game's wordpress.org site to its wordpress.com site. This includes revising outdated info using Editor's notes, linking to relevant content, copy editing, fact checking, and appropriately tagging with keywords.
- Created in-house style guide, and developed visual style and tone of the brand.
- Edits monthly newsletter with more than 17,000 paid subscribers.
- Creates, edits, and plans targeted content for X and TikTok channels based on demographics and analysis. Main focus is on brand awareness and organic growth.
- Increased X.com following from less than 5,000 to more than 22,000 followers.
- Live tweets games and events, producing high-quality gifs within seconds as needed.
- Created tumblr account and added more than 2,500 followers.
- Launched limited paid social on Instagram and Facebook to coincide with launch of newsletter. Note: we don't focus on Instagram or Facebook any longer.
- Dipping our toes on TikTok. Experimenting with the types of posts our community wants but growing organically at more then 1,300 followers.
- Set up and oversaw e-commerce shop in Shopify. (The shop is now closed.)
Freelance: Strategy + Design
Team Krieger
2016–2019
- Created Olympic colorway for AK11USA t-shirt that complied with Team USA and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee brand usage guidelines and signature snapback
- Brought the AK11 snapback into production by tweaking logo for production and creating prototypes.
- Designs camp posters, flyers, and signage.
- Strategizes and creates content for Team Krieger AKFC social accounts and website.
- Set up initial Shopify store and provided draft copywriting for several pages, including FAQs, AK11 Snapback, and AK11 Krieger Fever t-shirt.
Say Hello
You can find me online at any of the links below. Fair warning: I tweet mostly about soccer on my personal.
Personal
Our Game Magazine