Summary
Sign designer and production manager who ran design-to-fabrication workflows at two full-service New Orleans sign shops. Designs in Illustrator, CorelDRAW, and FlexiSign, builds 3D presentation models of monument and pylon signs in Fusion 360 and SketchUp, and takes a job from blueprint takeoff through ADA-compliant fabrication, printing, and install. Hands-on with CNC routers, channel letter benders, laser cutters, photopolymer and raster braille machines, and large-format UV, solvent, and latex printers up to 12 feet wide.
Core Skills
Design
Illustrator, CorelDRAW, FlexiSign, blueprint takeoffs, ADA and wayfinding packages, 3D concept models in Fusion 360 and SketchUp, awning frame engineering (beams, materials, custom extrusions), extruded box sign frames.
Fabrication
Channel letters (fascia and raceway, front-lit, halo), interior and wayfinding signage, traffic signs, acrylic, aluminum, ACM, HDU, flex-face, awnings with Cooley eradicable fabric graphics, LED illumination, neon coordination.
Printing
Large-format UV, solvent, and latex; flatbed and roll-to-roll including HP Scitex and 12-foot roll printers; prepress, substrate application, post finishing.
Vinyl
Plotting, production, and installation; car wraps and wall murals; pounce pattern making.
Machinery
CNC router setup and programming, channel letter benders, CO2 laser cutting and engraving, photopolymer and raster braille machines, plotters; maintenance, servicing, and repair.
Production
Ticket-to-floor scheduling against timelines and resources, fast-tracking rush work, purchasing including vendor plaques, public bid packages, QC, installer coordination.
Sign Industry Experience
Production Manager / Sign Designer
OPA Signs & Graphics, New Orleans, LAJAN 2016 - JUL 2019
- Ran production for a full-service sign shop: scheduled tickets into production against available timelines and resources, fast-tracked rush jobs, and distributed work across design, print, fabrication, and installation.
- Programmed, operated, and serviced laser cutting, photopolymer, and raster braille machines, producing ADA-compliant signage from blueprint takeoffs.
- Designed and presented client signage directly, including the iSeatz sign, engineered and fabricated within the client budget.
- Converted, nested, and prepressed files; large-format printing and post finishing; purchasing, receiving, and QC before every install.
Large-Format Print Specialist
Solomon Group, New Orleans, LAJUL 2015 - JAN 2016
- Print department of an AV production company: ran HP Scitex flatbed and wide-format latex roll-to-roll printers on a wide range of substrates.
- Produced exhibit prints for the National WWII Museum's Road to Tokyo galleries, plus event graphics and custom stage props for the College Football Playoff, Essence Festival, and BattleBots.
Production Manager / Sign Designer
Pro Signs & Graphics, New Orleans, LAJAN 2013 - JUL 2015
- Programmed, operated, maintained, and repaired CNC cutting machines and the channel letter return bender.
- Brought HDU monument work in-house: self-trained on a new CAM program, won the project, and delivered a double-sided carved sign in 2 weeks at half the outsourced quote.
- Designed and fabricated channel letter sets, back-lit and acrylic-faced signage, and extruded box signs.
- Engineered awning frames in SketchUp, measuring beams and specifying materials and custom extrusions; produced awning graphics on Cooley eradicable flex-face fabric.
Since 2019
IT career at Ochsner Health (Epic ClinDoc-certified analyst) and OnPath Credit Union (help desk manager), July 2019 to present. Fabrication skills kept current through independent CNC signage consulting and hands-on personal work: CNC routing, 3D printing for prototypes and custom components, carbon fiber fabrication, and woodworking. Current side practice: 3D printed LED lightbox signs at tran.design.lab.
Selected Projects
- Airport parking facility: full signage package from blueprint takeoffs to production, 150+ signs including ADA signage, clearance bars, and level identification signs.
- The Jung Hotel, New Orleans: sign and awning packages engineered from construction drawings before the masonry existed.
- Alarm Center, Baton Rouge: custom shield-shaped pylon overlooking Airline Highway.
- West End Plaza: sailboat-shaped tenant monument with interchangeable back-lit panels; frame design and fabrication direction.
- Audubon Zoo and Dallas Zoo: shade sail structures engineered and load calculations.
- Dat Dog, Frenchmen St: neon sign construction. iSeatz: designed, presented, engineered, and fabricated.
Education
Accounting coursework, University of New Orleans
Pre-pharmacy coursework, Xavier University of Louisiana
Languages: English and Vietnamese, fluent