Mote Marine Laboratory

Lawson Mitchell is a creative graphic designer and detail-oriented digital pre-press specialist with more than two decades of experience incorporating graphic design and production skills in conceptualizing, consulting, creating, preparing, producing and proofing quality projects, including traditional print, large-format, and new media

His work at Mote Marine Laboratory includes the redesigns of Mote Magazine and the Mote website and the creation of advertisements, documents, exhibits, signage and other new media for both the lab and the aquarium. Work on Mote Magazine includes directing photography and overseeing design and production and training interns and volunteers on the correct use of digital cameras and drum scanners. Other work includes contributing to  rebranding for Mote’s 50th anniversary and creating design concepts for new fundraising efforts.

Previously, as owner of Local Color Ink, Inc., and Art Director at Color Central, Mr. Mitchell worked with customers to develop branding concepts and creative designs for a wide array of advertisements, documents, and new media. His work included photographing products for both digital and print output, using digital photography and designing and producing documents for print and short-run-large format output, as well as web and radio.

Other design, graphics and production experience includes maintaining WindowsNT and Unix servers for design and digital pre-press departments, working with a wide variety of documents for customers that included United Media, First American Real Estate Services and the Miller Brewing Company. Mr. Mitchell has also managed a graphics production staff of 14 and a design staff of six artists and has experience designing ADA-compliant architectural signage, kiosks and tradeshow exhibits

Mr. Mitchell also has extensive outdoors experience as a kayak coach and eco-tour instructor for Bill Jackson’s Inc. and has run his own outdoor outfitter operation, Sweetwater Kayaks, Inc.

Mr. Mitchell’s education includes coursework in Information and Computer Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology, coursework at Georgia State University, Dekalb College in the liberal arts, as well as technical training and certification in a wide variety of graphic software and hardware systems.

Department: Development & Communications