Nathan Hoste
Nathan Hoste  Senior Visual Artist

Dynamic and visionary Senior Visual Designer with 15+ years of proven exceptionalism in the areas of illustration, game design, e-commerce and education. Strong proficiency in Web, Mobile, and Game Design as well as UX/UI design. Creates simple solutions for complex architectures by discovering missed opportunities within the customer journey. Masterful interpersonal skills with a natural ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, understand the client’s needs, and deliver top-notch assets. Passionate about art direction, design principles, 2D animation, and creating a seamless visual experience that resonates profoundly with our target audience.

Education

University of Michigan Bachelor's of Fine Art 2006

Core Talents

  • lllustration
  • Concept Art
  • Art Direction
  • Mentorship
  • Graphic Design
  • Game Design
  • Brand Identity
  • Prototypes
  • Wireframing
  • 2D Animation
  • User-Centered Design

Learning A-Z  Senior Visual Designer

Ann Arbor, MI    Jul 2016 – Nov 2023

Designed high-quality assets for Learning A-Z, a SaaS-based EdTech company that supports teachers and classrooms with an online reading suite of products aimed at K-5 schools.

Honed a ‘paradigm shift’ in the problems we were trying to solve.

Invented a game as part of the recruitment program – designed, wrote requirement documentation for, and created all artwork assets and the overall gaming experience that won the engineers a Design Day Award.

Designed, wrote documents for, and populated a deep avatar system for children to spend currency earned through reading. Developed the concept of badges to support children’s good reading habits.

Partnered with UNICEF to develop a series for humanitarian aid projects supporting underserved children and those in conflict-stricken regions. Users were challenged to donate stars (in-game currency) that gave real-life beneficiaries in real life access to meals, clean water, and school supplies.

Analyzed the customer journey and improved the product strategy by focusing on the student side of the software. Improved the experience for young learners with reward systems, incentives, and immersion.

Collaborated with game designers, artists, engineers, and programmers to ensure a seamless execution.

Mentored young designers with constructive feedback and improved our efforts for synchronized workflow. Fosters an engaging and positive work environment with the goal of driving real impact.

Choon's Design Graphic Artist

Wixom, MI   Feb 2014 - Jul 2016

Supported graphic design and visual asset creation for Choon’s Design. The flagship product is the Rainbow Loom, an award-winning, international product (rubber band-like crafting tool) that is used by a surprisingly wide range of demographics. The product won Toy of the Year in 2014.

Oversaw the development of content across a large-scale social network of craft sharers. Having been awarded an international title, worked with distributors across Europe, Russia, Japan, the Balkans, and more.

Unified branded content and a community with the goal of engaging with an audience across Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Responsible for product design, logo design, and prototyping for online marketing materials and package design. Utilized Adobe Creative Suite and retouched product photography.

Launched a strategic design of 4 new products while modernizing the design but retaining brand recognition.

Developed UX/UI strategy built on usability/functionality, not solely aesthetics. Utilized data-derived insights to make intellectual decisions related to core, trends, and new functions.

AJM Packaging Corp Graphic Designer

Bloomfield Hills, MI   20122014

Created original designs and illustrations for a packaging and paper-product manufacturer. Worked for major clients including Meijer, Kroger, Jet’s Pizza, HEB, and Giant Eagle.

Designed plates, bags, and packaging, overseeing the process from conceptualization to print runs. Handled direct communication with clients, vendors, and managers. Developed follow-up campaigns to stay interactive with long-term clients and maintain strong relationships.

Responsible for color-matching ink to pantone swatches, and color-separations for production of printing plates.

QLT / Kabongo Artist

Ann Arbor, MI   20122014

Responsible for a flash-delivered social literary game for children ages 7-10. Responsible for owning the user interface design strategy, creating virtual goods, game design, and implementation.

Personal Projects & Freelance

Selections from 20 years of personal work and commissions. Illustration, digital painting, printmaking, logo design, album art, woodworking and more.