DESIGN AND PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE
Creative Leadership / Studio Direction / Design Direction
- Developed and executed a strategic plan for design studio that delivered up to $1.2m annual revenue in design projects, with consistently high profit margins.
- Hired, trained, and managed a team of permanent staff and freelancers to design and art-direct multiple concurrent themed attractions, corporate events, tradeshows and show sets, from concept design through supervision of onsite installation.
- Created workflow standards and training systems to ensure that projects were executed efficiently with consistent, high-quality deliverables.
- Developed and maintained client relationships to generate new and repeat business for the studio.
Design and Art Direction
- Designed scenery for productions including attractions, ice sculpture exhibits, corporate events, tradeshows, and theatre
- Created computer-generated renderings and animations to help clients and fabricators pre-visualize designs
- Drafted detailed construction drawings and prepared bid and design development packages
- Worked with scene shops and other fabrication vendors to specify materials and establish budgets for custom-builds
- Art directed scenic fabricators and sculptors to ensure that fabrication and installation met design intent and brand guidelines.
- Designed graphics for exhibit booths, branding, and signage and created print-ready / cut-ready files using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
Project Management
- Worked with clients to determine design needs and establish budget, scope and schedule
- Used project management software to create project schedules and gantt charts, manage resource bookings across concurrent jobs and track time, expenses, tasks, progress and deliverables
- Estimated costs and provided quotes for design services, rental items, custom builds, and installation labor; Obtained bids from vendors and negotiated discounts and terms
- Created project workflows; Programmed and managed databases to track inventory and projects notes
SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE
Work Experience
2020-Current
Design, Art Direction, & Project Management
Carrie Sefcik Design (freelance)
Eatontown, NJ
2021-2026
Executive Director of Design
MDSX
Orlando, FL (remote)
2015-2020
Design Director / Studio Director
Hotopp Associates
San Diego, CA
2012-2015
Scenic Designer / Project Manager
Hotopp Associates
Seattle, WA (remote)
2001-2012
Scenic Design, Rendering, Drafting & Art Direction
Carrie Sefcik Design (freelance)
Santee, CA
2009-2010
Art Director (freelance)
Hotopp Associates
Seattle, WA (remote)
2005-2010
Scenic Designer / Project Manager
ShowTec
Poway, CA
2000-2005
Assistant Designer / CAD Specialist
Nautilus Entertainment Design
La Jolla, CA
2003-2004
Instructor, Computer Aided Design
Design Institute of San Diego
San Diego, CA
1997-2000
Theatre Design and Scenic Painting
Freelance
New Jersey and California
Selected Credits
Permanent and Touring Exhibitions:
- Design Director for $5.3m “Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition” (opened 2026)
- Design Director (through DD phase) for “Earth Connections” (opening 2027) at The Franklin Institute
- Design Director for $8.5m “Wondrous Space” (opened 2023) and $8.3m “Body Odyssey” (opened 2024) at The Franklin Institute
- Exhibit design direction for refresh of “Electricity” gallery at The Franklin Institute – (opened 2022)
Themed Attractions:
- Brand approval management for Nickelodeon Universe Mall of China – 2021
- Concept design for International Special Attractions’ “Snow Carnival” – 2021
- Design Consultation for “Snow Factory” at Gaylord Palms – 2020
- Art Director for “I Love Christmas Movies” at Gaylord Texan and Gaylord Rockies
- Design Director for all ICE! attractions at all Gaylord resorts 2015-2019 (more than 20 total large-scale seasonal ice sculpture attactions over 5 years).
- Art Director for ICE! 2009-2014 (6 attractions)
Worked directly with IPs for branded attractions including:
- Nickelodeon (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, “SpongeBob” “Dora the Explorer”, “Paw Patrol”)
- Dreamworks (“Shrek”, “Madagascar”, “Trolls”, “Frosty the Snowman”, “Kung Fu Panda”)
- Peanuts (“A Charlie Brown Christmas”)
- Dr. Seuss (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”)
- Warner Brothers (“A Christmas Story” and “The Polar Express”)
- Character Arts (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”)
Design and creative direction for more than 200 corporate events. Selected end clients include Netflix, PETCO, Qualcomm, DIRECTV, Callaway, Ernst & Young, Glaxo Smith Kline, Pathfinder Camporee, Kawasaki, Chevrolet, John Deere, Cetera, American Express, Golden Corral.
Selected tradeshow end clients include: Walt Disney Internet Group, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Hyundai
Attractions clients include: SeaWorld San Diego, Marriott International, Venetian Macau, The Queen Mary Hotel