Abraham Garcia ============== Designer • Creative Director Charleston, South Carolina | abe@wrkhrs.co | https://www.wrkhrs.co | https://linkedin.com/in/thehonestape ABOUT -------------------------------------------------- Interdisciplinary designer, artist, and educator based in Charleston, South Carolina. Since 2014, director of Workhorse — an interdisciplinary design studio headquartered in Washington, DC, providing integrated branding and design services to experts and entrepreneurs. Deep practice spanning brand strategy, creative direction, photography and video production, web design, and AI-integrated workflows. Track record of launching products, brands, and institutional events with founders, cultural organizations, and mission-driven clients. EDUCATION -------------------------------------------------- Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Graphic Design Baltimore, MD | 2010 – 2012 The University of Texas at Austin Bachelor of Science (BS) in Human Biology, Social Aspects of Health and Disease Austin, TX | 2000 – 2005 The University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate Certificate in Public Health Communication Austin, TX | 2005 – 2006 CERTIFICATES -------------------------------------------------- • Design Teaching Certificate - Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) (2011) Coursework and practice focused on pedagogy, theory, design thinking methods, and research. • Public Health Communication Certificate - The University of Texas Health Science Center (2005-2006) Accelerated graduate certificate in epidemiology, biostatistics, health behavior, environmental health, and health policy. EXPERIENCE -------------------------------------------------- Workhorse Collective — Design and Technology Director, Managing Partner Washington, DC & Charleston, SC | Apr 2014 – Present Leading end-to-end brand strategy, creative direction, and design for an award-winning studio serving cultural institutions, educational organizations, and founder-led brands. • Launched Workhorse with a pioneering distributed talent model, activating and sustaining a network of elite experts. • Led a strategic merger to build a unified, design-led digital marketing studio serving emerging lifestyle brands; integrated teams, process, and pipeline to drive sustained growth. • Positioned Workhorse as a key collaborator during the 2020 pandemic, guiding clients through digital transformation, remote operations, and process and systems modernization. • Directed integrated campaigns with agile teams, coordinating UGC, influencer programs, design and development, photography, retouching, motion, and video editing to deliver cohesive social media brand experiences. • Directed brand identity, website design, and content strategy for DC/DOX and Double Exposure film festivals, unifying advertising, campaigns, web design, and live event marketing. • Directed digital strategy and design for the National Women's History Museum, strengthening engagement for the world's largest online museum dedicated to women's history. • Designed and developed interactive e-learning websites and web applications, including projects for PBS Learning and the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT), requiring specialized scientific knowledge, technical expertise, and developer collaboration. • Designed and developed the brand and product prototypes for Neurogazer, a neuroscience and AI startup, including identity, product design, and original portrait photography. • Led design for 'Up from the People: Protest and Change in D.C.' — the permanent installation at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. • Partnered with advocacy organizations including ADL, Giffords, and the American Immigration Council to deliver pandemic-era digital transformation, producing online galas and campaigns that maintained donor engagement. Bloompop — Designer, Frontend Developer Washington, DC | Apr 2013 – Apr 2014 Launched the 'Etsy for Florists' as an integrated brand, product, and content system. Comprehensive product and go-to-market design for a seed-stage floral business startup. • Developed an integrated brand, product, and content system from zero to launch for a seed-stage floral business startup based out of the 1776 incubator in Washington, DC. • Designed and produced the viral 'My Fake Valentine' campaign, leveraging product features to drive national press and brand recognition (NPR, The Washington Post). Genius (Rap Genius) — Designer, Frontend Developer Brooklyn, NY | Jul 2012 – Dec 2012 Culture-forward design and development at a fast-growing music platform. Helped evolve the product from a lyrics site into a headline-grabbing annotation platform. • Led early product and brand design as Genius evolved from a niche lyrics site into the internet's annotation platform. • Collaborated with artists and creative partners to develop viral content and branded experiences that fueled viral moments and cultural relevance. CP+B (Crispin Porter + Bogusky) — Design Intern Longmont, CO | Jun 2011 – Aug 2011 Fast-paced branding and design at an iconic advertising agency working on national and global campaigns. Lead design on new business pitches for Fortune 500 brands. • Owned story, creative comps, and presentations for Microsoft's Windows 8 launch pitch, which won the account and expanded CP+B's technology portfolio. • Supported integrated advertising campaigns for AmEx, Kraft, and Domino's, working across print, digital, and experiential channels. Innovative Solutions International — Designer Rosslyn, VA | Jul 2009 – Jul 2010 Strategic and technical design and illustration for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other government transportation agencies and initiatives. • Worked directly with engineers and scientists on communication and design projects related to Global Positioning System (GPS) and new technology initiatives, translating complex technical language into approachable, informative, and concise writing and design. • Produced high-resolution photography and designed high-quality, detailed, and accurate technical design, illustrations, catalogs, and exhibition graphics. La Clinica del Pueblo — Communications Officer Washington, DC | Jul 2007 – May 2010 Communications, design, and marketing for a non-profit clinic serving the immigrant population in NW Washington, DC. • Led new campaigns and initiatives to appeal to fundraisers while maintaining a brand that represented unity and strength in the community. • Collaborated across departments and disciplines and partnered with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign for events and fundraisers. The Media Network — Designer, Account Executive Silver Spring, MD | Jul 2007 – Jan 2009 Comprehensive research and behavioral design for Hispanic and Latino populations. Leading evidence-based creative strategy, research, and strategic insights. • Led evidence-based creative strategy, research, and strategic insights for U.S. federal agencies: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and more. • Managed cross-functional teams turning theory (self-efficacy, norms, perceived risk) into clear message frames, CTAs, and toolkits for Latino-focused health initiatives. • Built and managed a custom digital asset management (DAM) system to organize and distribute campaign materials across diverse projects and stakeholders. SKILLS -------------------------------------------------- Brand & Creative Direction: Brand Strategy, Identity Systems, Creative Direction, Campaign Development, Content Strategy, Visual Language Design & Visual: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch, Typography, Editorial Design, Exhibition Design Photography & Motion: Studio Photography, Portraiture, Retouching, UGC Production, Motion Graphics, Video Editing Web & Development: TypeScript, React 19, Astro, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, Radix UI, Framer Motion, GSAP, Payload CMS, Cloudflare Pages & Workers, Cloudflare D1, SwiftUI, Design tokens & systems, HTML / CSS / JS, WordPress, Webflow, Shopify AI & Automation: Claude Code, Cursor, Anthropic API, OpenAI API, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, Local model orchestration (Ollama, LM Studio), LLM prompt & tool-use systems, Agentic design workflows, AI-integrated brand delivery Leadership: Team Leadership, Studio Operations, Client Management, Distributed Collaboration, Mentorship AWARDS & RECOGNITION -------------------------------------------------- • Congressional Record 2024 (United States Congress) Creative direction and design for a pioneering music event hosted at the United States Capitol, which included bipartisan musical performances from sitting members of Congress. • DC/DOX Brand and Digital Design Led an integrated effort with festival founders to launch a culturally significant brand and documentary film institution in Washington, DC. • Core77 Design Award — Exhibition Design (Core77) For 'Up from the People: Protest and Change in D.C.' — the permanent installation at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. • AIGA50 Award for Investigative Film Festival (AIGA) Branding and design for Double Exposure: Investigative Film Festival. • Core77 Design Award — Public Health Campaign (Core77) For 'Status Update,' a Baltimore City Health Department public health campaign. • Type on Screen — Featured Work (Ellen Lupton) Design, writing, and research featured in 'Type on Screen' by Ellen Lupton. Completed at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). VOLUNTEER & COMMUNITY -------------------------------------------------- James Island Arts Council — Communications Officer and Designer Charleston, SC | 2018 – 2020 Communications and design for a local non-profit arts council in James Island, South Carolina. Redux Contemporary Art Center — Studio Artist Charleston, SC | Oct 2018 – Sep 2021 Showcased motion graphics, risograph posters, and zines. Final pieces sold at the yearly studio artist gala. Center for Design Practice — Design Fellow Baltimore, MD | Aug 2011 – Dec 2011 Led digital and interactive design for an award-winning Baltimore City Health Department health marketing campaign.