Sonya Mendeke
Graphic Designer with 30+ Years of Publishing Experience
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About
Graphic designer with more than 30 years of experience in publishing design and production. Skilled in developing visually engaging layouts, managing print production workflows, and collaborating with editorial and creative teams to bring publications from concept to final printed piece. Extensive background in typography, photography direction, illustration integration, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Experience
Art Director - The Chronicle of the Horse - Austin, TX – Remote
(2012-01 - 2025-01)
- Directed design and production for The Chronicle of the Horse and Untacked magazines.
- Worked closely with editorial teams from planning and layout stages through final press-ready files.
- Designed page layouts integrating typography, photography, and illustration.
- Maintained visual consistency and overall design direction across print and digital publications.
- Managed production schedules and prepared files for final printing.
- Edited and prepared photographic assets as needed.
Senior Designer - The Format Group LLC - Austin, TX
(2004-01 - 2010-12)
- Designed and produced educational publishing materials for major textbook publishers.
- Developed page templates, design systems, and sample chapters for large publishing programs.
- Collaborated with editors, illustrators, and production teams to maintain visual consistency.
- Assisted project managers with scheduling and workflow coordination.
- Organized and tracked image assets across multi-book programs.
Designer - Holt Rinehart and Winston - Austin, TX
(1998-01 - 2004-12)
- Lead designer for the six-book Holt Science and Technology program.
- Developed chapter prototypes used for national market research.
- Designed master page systems and layout templates used across the program.
- Directed selection of photography and graphics.
- Art directed studio and location photo shoots.
- Managed freelancers and designers.
- Implemented improved production workflows and coordinated with editorial and image services teams.
- Conducted press checks to ensure final production quality.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Fine Arts - The University of Texas at Pan American
Web Design and Digital Imaging - Austin Community College
