Kara Spreng

Graphic Designer & Digital Marketing Strategist
Michigan  ·  karasprengdesign@gmail.com  ·  517-898-8404  ·  karasprengdesign.com
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Professional Summary

Communications and design professional with 3+ years of experience leading multi-channel content strategy, brand-consistent design, and digital marketing for mission-driven organizations. Skilled at translating institutional priorities into high-impact print, digital, video, and social content across concurrent client accounts. Proven track record of driving measurable growth in audience engagement, email performance, and event visibility through data-informed content strategy, project management, and cross-functional collaboration.

Professional Experience
Graphic Designer & Digital Marketing Strategist — Chicago Association Management
October 2023 – Present
Serve as lead designer and content strategist for six client associations, managing content ideation, production, and distribution across print, digital, social, and video channels.
  • Content strategy & multi-channel design: Plan, design, and produce social media graphics, email campaigns, digital newsletters, video content, and event slide decks/looping videos for six professional and trade associations, aligning each piece with brand standards and audience goals.
  • Social media growth: Directed social content strategy for a trade association client, driving a 644% increase in impressions, 391% increase in engagement, and 35% follower growth across Facebook and LinkedIn (Jan–Dec 2025).
  • Email & newsletter performance: Designed and produced quarterly digital newsletters and email campaigns for multiple clients, sustaining a 49% average open rate for one client's newsletter in 2026, well above industry benchmarks.
  • Event & video production: Produced and edited 72 videos for a client's flagship annual awards event, including judging, recap, promotional, and testimonial content; designed and edited looping video slide decks (17–24 slides) for use at live events.
  • Print & event materials at scale: Led design and production of print and digital materials for 18+ events in a single year for one client, including program books, signage, certificates, and 40+ individualized project posters for an annual awards program.
  • Cross-functional & vendor coordination: Manage relationships with printers and outside vendors, coordinate project timelines and deliverables, and maintain consistent brand and accessibility standards across all client touchpoints.
  • Website & digital platform support: Maintain and update client websites in WordPress with a working understanding of HTML, publish video content to YouTube, manage digital program books and membership platform content (MembershipWorks), manage social media scheduling using platforms like Metricool and Sendible, and integrate AI tools into design and content workflows to improve efficiency.
  • New program launch: Led design and content development for a client's first-ever multi-day conference with 11+ speakers, from concept through on-site execution.
Graphic Design Freelancer — Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University
2022 – 2023
  • Designed promotional posters advertising Business School study abroad trips using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, establishing a consistent, visually appealing design framework.
  • Applied design and typographic hierarchy to highlight key information and incorporated authentic trip photography from faculty to boost visual impact and program appeal.
  • Aligned all materials with MSU brand and typography standards and prepared production-ready print files, earning positive faculty feedback and repeat design assignments.
Graphic Design Intern — Michigan State University (MSMR Program)
2021 – 2022
  • Edited course videos in Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, enhancing audio clarity and adding closed captions to improve accessibility.
  • Sourced and incorporated stock photography, video, and data graphics to strengthen student engagement and comprehension.
  • Redesigned PowerPoint presentations to align with MSU branding and animated a branded video bumper used across course videos; received faculty commendation for design quality and mentorship from a data-visualization specialist.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Graphic Design
Michigan State University
Skills & Software
Design & Video: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Canva, Figma, CapCut, baseline HTML/CSS
Marketing & Platforms: WordPress, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Metricool, Sendible, MembershipWorks, Microsoft PowerPoint, Asana
Core Strengths: Content strategy, brand/accessibility compliance, social media management, event marketing, cross-functional & vendor collaboration, video editing, AI-integrated workflows, data-informed optimization