NICK
BARTELS
DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION
FEATURED
NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Hometown Headliners/Local Legends
A series of illustrations created for Norfolk International Airport showcasing celebrities and athletes from the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Displayed throughout the airport, the illustrations combine vexel and engraving-inspired styles with bold colors that align with the airport’s brand.
Name the Nonstop In-Game Promotion
A between-innings game designed for Norfolk International Airport and displayed on the largest video board in minor league baseball at Harbor Park. Played by a randomly selected fan, the game features a short video of the Norfolk Tides’ mascot, Triton, photographed in various locations in one of the many nonstop destination cities served by the airport across the country.
O is for ORF - A Kid’s Guide to Norfolk Airport
A coloring book with custom illustrations designed for young passengers at Norfolk International Airport, featuring the various airport employees who help keep every journey cleared for takeoff.
SMITHEFIELD FOODS
PorkForward Cook Off Posters
A series of bold, screen-printed posters designed to promote a pork-themed cook-off event celebrating a variety of pork products. Drawing from vintage poster design and hand-crafted print aesthetics, each piece uses strong typography, limited color palettes, and high-contrast illustration to create a distinct visual personality. The set explores multiple creative directions, from playful character-driven compositions to more dramatic, flame-filled imagery, while highlighting event details in a clear and engaging way. Designed to command attention both in promotional settings and when displayed in a frame, the posters balance graphic impact with a collectible, art-forward quality.
Social Hiring Graphics
A LinkedIn social media campaign designed to promote open positions across a broad range of career fields at Smithfield. Built as a flexible, cohesive system, the campaign uses bold typography, clean layouts, and simple visual metaphors to highlight opportunities in departments such as finance, human resources, information technology, operations, safety, and legal. Each graphic pairs concise, attention-grabbing headlines with career-specific imagery to create posts that feel both informative and approachable while maintaining strong brand consistency.
POLITICO
FOCUS
A selection of articles created for Politico Focus that combines illustration with responsive web design to create engaging, accessible editorial experiences. Each piece incorporates multiple interactive components designed to support the content and encourage deeper reader engagement across devices. Custom imagery is used not only to enhance the visual presentation of each article, but also to clarify complex ideas and help readers better understand the concepts being explored. The result is a thoughtful blend of editorial storytelling, digital design, and interactive media tailored to an online audience.
WORK
RESUME
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I am a creative problem solver from Omaha, NE with 20 years of experience in graphic design and illustration. I'm passionate about crafting beautiful and impactful branding and eye-catching illustrations to help businesses stand out. My experience is rooted in screen printing, for which I have a deep love and appreciation. In addition to screen printing I have worked in marketing and I've successfully collaborated with designers, developers, product managers, sales teams, and external agencies to plan, execute, and optimize campaigns across digital, social, search, email, and traditional channels.
I am constantly looking for new work and my brain is overflowing with ideas. Hit me up if you want to know more.
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2023-2026
Graphic Designer + Illustrator
Sway Creative Labs
2020-2023
Graphic Designer
Bergman Incentives
2018-2020
Graphic Designer
Midwest Impressions
2016-2018
Senior Graphic Designer
PLAY Creative
2012-2015
Associate Graphic Designer
Nelnet
2011-2012
Graphic Designer
Buckle Screen Printing
2009
Graphic Designer
Dmillaco Screen Printing
2007-2009
Graphic Designer
Shirts101
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Proficient Knowledge
Illustration
Screen Printing
Logo/Identity Design
Layout
Photography
Software Proficiency
Adobe InDesign CC
Adobe Illustrator CC
Adobe Photoshop CC
Corel DRAW X
Corel Painter 11
Figma
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Powerpoint
Software Knowledge
Adobe After Effects CC
Keynote
Webflow
Wordpress
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2009-2012
Visual Communication Design
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE
2005-2006
Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Design
Southeast Community College
Milford, NE
CONTACT