Art Director
Swim Nerd
“I try to be available to life to happen to me. If you're available, life gets huge.”— Bill Murray
Areas of Expertise
Art direction, graphic design, web design, web development, research, writing
Education
A.A. in Graphic Design Graphic Arts and A.A. in Web Development and Design from Kalamazoo Valley Community College, B.A. in Biological Science with emphasis on Plant Ecology and M.S. in Biological Science with emphasis on Plant Physiology and Biochemistry from Western Michigan University
Experience
With LKF Marketing since 2018; In graphic and web design, web development, and project management since 2015
Description of Duties
As Art Director for LKF, Allison creates visual concepts fueled by collaborations with internal team members and client input that appear to have come from a single creator. Her scientific background paired with an artistic sensibility make her a ninja when it comes to designing pieces that are informative and functional yet attractive and captivating. In the whole right-brained or left-brained debate, her answer is both.
She walks the walk when it comes to elevating her UX/UI expertise; for instance, by obtaining certifications from institutions like the Interaction Design Foundation and Smashing Magazine. By keeping a watchful eye on accessibility, function, and aesthetic design, Allison works collaboratively with our graphic designer and production artist Teri as well as our digital media designer Carrie to produce well thought-out and beautifully designed visual identities, marketing campaigns, and websites!
Planning her next adventure keeps Allison up at night. She is an active person who enjoys seeing and doing new things. Allison brings a calming presence into our sometimes chaotic agency.
Fun Facts
Originally from Mount Pleasant, Allison now lives in Kalamazoo with her husband, Doug Knudsen, and their two kids, Eddie and Claire. The McKenna-Knudsen household is also home to two dogs, two rabbits, and a crested-gecko.
Allison is a long-distance swimmer and has completed the Mighty Mac Swim and Mackinac Bridge Swim. She also solo swam the Mackinac Island Swim which is a circumnavigation of Mackinac Island.
While Allison thrives on a busy schedule and squeezing in recreation activities where possible, extra physical clutter in her life has got to go. She's an aspiring "Marie Kondo disciple" on a mission to eradicate unnecessary objects from her home as a way to live more simply and efficiently.