Outlaw Partners welcomes new designer
By Joseph T. O’Connor Explore Big Sky Senior Editor
Outlaw welcomed a new designer to the team this May. New to you, that is.
Taylor-Ann Smith started as a design intern with the Outlaw Partners in September 2012, and for the past year has worked with the firm as an independent contractor.
As of May 5, Smith is taking over for Kelsey Dzintars, who’s moved into the Creative Director’s chair. Smith, 22, is a recent graduate from Montana State University’s Arts and Architecture program and a native of Billings.
“Taylor’s a talented designer and we’re really excited to have her on board fill-time,” Dzintars said. “With such a small creative team, it’s a fast moving and challenging environment at Outlaw, but she’s proven herself over the past two years.”
Smith will be in charge of laying out the Explore Big Sky newspaper as well as some advertisement design for EBS and Mountain Outlaw magazine, and billboard ads. A segment of her client work will involve branding for cliental and implementing designs into business plans.
“This is an opportunity to excel and do what I’ve always loved,” she said. “I’m part of the community now, and part of a team that’s doing awesome things in Montana.”
During her final year of school, Smith acted as creative director for an elite, 13-student MSU team that won second place in its six-university district in a national marketing and advertising competition this April.
Part of a year-long marketing course that led up to the National Student Advertising competition, Smith was selected to present the class’s marketing plan to competition sponsor Mary Kay cosmetics at the University of Oregon in Eugene. The project taught Smith how to succeed in a challenging environment.
“The [marketing] industry is tough,” Smith said. “[I learned] not to take things personally and to consistently give your best, because in the end, that’s what will get you places.”
