independent web & graphic designer

about allison

I am a web & graphic designer who graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Web Design & Interactive Media in December of 2008 from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh! I've had many diverse design experiences including visual and developmental design in both office and at-home environments. Currently, I my full-time job title is Sr. Web Designer for MGM Mirage Information Systems as of September 1st, 2009!

Although I have many diverse digital media skills, I am most experienced in front-end web development and aspire to one day be a lead designer or art director for a multimedia firm. As for now, I am strengthening my portfolio by bringing creativity to all of my projects and managing them to efficient and sucessful conclusions.

Flexibility, versatility and an open mind are always my top priority in any project. I strive to be able to learn new skills and stay open to the latest trends & technology in the world of web marketing & communication. I currently specialize in WordPress development, making blogs and dynamic websites with usable CMS structures that make it simple for my clients to manipulate their websites even after my contracted work is finished.

I focus on meeting my client's every need and giving them products and services that they can be proud to have represent their businesses. I love networking and creating positive relationships with those who I work for (and with) to positively impact the world we live in! If you are interested in discussing future projects, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email at support@allisonbowlus.com. Have a wonderful day!

contact me

The most reliable way to contact me is through email. I check it constantly throughout the day!
support@allisonbowlus.com

recent work

To view some of my most recent web & graphic work, check out my profile on Behance.net

professional testimonials

Contract Web Designer/Developer, Blogmaster & Marketer

JusticeWorks YouthCare

"It is with pleasure and great confidence that I provide a Letter of Recommendation for Ms. Bowlus.

As I considered designers for my company's website, I was referred to her by an artist friend who had retained her to design his site. I confess to being somewhat skeptical about using someone still in school, but was intrigued because his site was exceptionally well done and when I looked at her own site, it became clear that she had the ability to tailor her work to suit her clients.

From my initial contact with her and throughout the process of designing and upgrading our site, I was impresed with her professionalism, poise, intelligence, and responsiveness. JusticeWorks is a fairly unusual company, a for-profit contractor with governments to provide social services to youth and families. We wanted our website to communicate quality and credibility but not be too glitzy.

Allison was able to quickly grasp our situation and understand the goals for the site. She quickly presented a couple of alternatives and when one was chosen did an outstanding job of implementing it. She was able to update and incorporate, without complaint!, Outcome Studies which add to the company's credibility. She found the photos for the site and included a 'randomizer' (which I didn't know existed) which makes the site more lively and interesting.

We have gotten uniformly rave reviews from our customers, colleagues and employees. Several people have asked me to refer them to Allison and she has gotten additional work and performed admirably.

It is easy for me to give her the most profound endorsement and would welcome a cal to discuss further my professional experience with her."

Dan Heit

President CEO

Contract Web Designer/Developer

AngeloCiotti.com

"I have found Allison to be an outstanding designer, as well as her ability to work on the computer. She has proved herself countless times in her assistance in working with me on my website. In my 36 years of teaching at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh I would rank her among the top 10 students. She is the kind of person that will give 120% , and still question the outcome. She truly will be a very positive asset to any company or client."

Angelo Ciotti

Reclamation Artist, Retired Art Institute of Pittsburgh Instructor

Contract Web Designer/Developer & Marketer

Photographic Memory

"Allison is attentive to detail and knows how to design websites for ease of use for the business and the consumer. I highly recommend her for designing websites. I love my updated websites and encourage everyone to look at them."

Rose Hendershot

Owner/Photographer

Front-End Web Designer/Developer Intern

Buzzhoney LLC

"This letter is my recommendation for Allison Bowlus. Allison has joined Buzzhoney as a visual and technical design intern for the past 4 months. Her responsibilities have included visual design and front-end web development.

As Allison's supervisor for only 4 months, I have seen many examples of her talent and have been impressed by her diligence. She is very creative, well organized, hard working and strong focus. She has the desire to finish every single stage of projects as good as she can. She did excellent job for presentations as well.

Allison is well-presented and able to work both independently and as part of a team. She is highly respected by her co-workers for her great personality. She has successfully developed great relationship with clients and co-workers.

I highly recommend Allison for employment. She would be a tremendous asset in any organization. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me."

Edwin Tsui

Lead Designer

Web & Interactive Media Design Student

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

"Allison is one of the best all around students I have had the pleasure to work with in the past years. Her ability to take any project to a higher level is a pleasure to see happen. Her abilities are constantly improving because of her desire to make projects to the highest standards. She is constantly a source for comparison with in the class her work was constantly pushing the class to make their work better. She would be an asset to any team or project which needs a strong all around programmer and designer. She will pour her heart into all her work and you will never be let down."

David Barton

Instructor

Student Public Relations Print Designer

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

"Allison was an excellent designer while working for The Art Institute of Pittsburgh's Public Relations department. She is extremely focused and detail-oriented, and she followed each project through with an enthusiatic attitude though demands were high. It was always a pleasure to work with her, and i would recommend her for any position requiring an aesthetic eye."

Angela Jedrzejek

Design Coordinator

Web & Interactive Media Design Student/Classmate at AiP

ChrisShuknect.com

"Although I didn't meet Allison until we were both concluding our studies together, both she and her work impressed me immediately. She is an extremely creative individual, with a solid grasp of typography, visual design, and color theory. She is able to extend these talents in multiple mediums, including print and web development. Allison is also a highly motivated individual with an uncanny ability to multitask. She was successfully working with multiple clients and varying projects well before graduation and continues with that success today. I have every confidence in Allison as a person and as an artist. Any client or company would be fortunate to work with her."

Chris Shuknecht

Classmate

Web & Interactive Media Design Student

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

"Allison is an excellent designer. As a student, she produced work of the highest quality and maintained a high GPA while working on a number of freelance projects. If you are looking for high-quality graphic and/or web design and exquisite attention to detail, Allison is the designer for you."

William J. Moner

Instructor

Contract Web & Print Designer

PrakPrint.com

"Allison is a rarity in the design industry. She knows how to pull out some killer designs, and be on time with them. On top of that she is very personable and is just plain fun to work with. I highly recommend her."

Justin Richards

Design Coordinator

education

  • The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Bachelor of Science in Web Design & Interactive Media
  • July 2006 - December 2008, Cumulative 3.6 GPA
  • Graduated early with Honors

recognitions

  • Member of the National Technical Honors Society
  • Student of the Quarter, Summer '07
  • Deans List Recognition
  • Commencement Speaker
  • Gave Student Address at Dec. 2008 Graduation

software

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Flash
  • MySQL
  • phpMyAdmin
  • WordPress
  • Dreamweaver

other skills

  • Project Management
  • W3C Code Validity
  • XHTML/CSS
  • Marketing Analysis
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • ActionScript 2 & 3
  • JavaScript/jQuery/AJAX
  • WordPress Custom Theme Development
  • Video Editing
  • Journalistic Photography
  • Digital Illustration
  • Identity Development