Education Western Washington University Graduated June 2005 Degree: BA Major Areas of Study: Automotive Engineering, Anthropology, and Marketing Professional Experience 14 yrs. freelance design & marketing 8 yrs. sign industry Large format printer & CNC router operator Personal Check out my Facebook profile here. "On multiple occasions I have had the pleasure of working with McKenzie. Each experience has had similarities including; his attention to detail, his exceptional customer service, and his innovative approach to meeting his clients needs. In addition to having these similarities, each experience has had it's differences. These differences are due to the fact that McKenzie covers such a wide array of services in marketing. He has designed signs, graphics, web sites and marketing strategies, all of which have been unique and extremely insightful. He takes his knowledge of marketing and his clients business and using traditional marketing techniques, varies them to catch the attention of the target market in new and enticing ways. I highly recommend McKenzie to anyone with marketing needs of any kind, especially those who want to see results." Nicole Chatfield ShipShape Yachts Owner "Got two custom hats & stickers very nicely made by McKenzie. His communication was excellent and his design skills are amazing. Very pleased with the finished products & will be happy to do more business with him in the future." darthripley Alltrac.net Board Member

My parents are both creative people and constantly encouraged creativity in our household when I was growing up. I’ve always felt most comfortable thinking “outside the box” and making my own way through life. In middle school and high school while most of my friends were mowing lawns to make money, I was busy teaching myself HTML and learning the basics of graphic design. At the age of thirteen I built my first commercial web site and quickly learned the value of programming and design skills. Little did I know that designing that first website nearly fourteen years ago would lead into the career I have today. I decided against pursing a degree in graphic/web design in college to chase my love of the automobile. I moved to Bellingham in the fall of 2002 to attend class at the Vehicle Research Institute, Western Washington University’s automotive engineering program. During my tenure at the VRI, I participated in many of the clubs such as Formula SAE, Mini Baja, and the Hybrid team. Many late nights were spent in the VRI playing with racecars and building cool stuff. It was during my time on the hybrid team (Viking 23), that I accidentally stumbled upon the sign industry. I had taken on the roll of marketing for the team and was tasked with acquiring graphics for the car. I was able to secure sign sponsorship though a local Bellingham sign shop, which opened up a whole new world of design I didn't know existed. After school ended later that spring, I went back to the sign shop that had supplied the graphics for Viking 23 and applied for a part time summer job. It was the beginning of many crazy adventures in the wonderful world of signage and I ended up working there until I graduated from college. During my experience at this shop I learned "the ropes” of the sign industry, working on both retail and large commercial jobs. Casino themeing and signage was a mainstay of this company and, as such, I was lucky enough to travel following projects from beginning to end. I learned to operate a large format printer (an Encad 880) and learned to operate a CNC router table used for making dimensional signs. In addition to the new technical skills I acquired, I also expanded on my creative abilities as a professional designer. I graduated from Western Washington University in June of 2005 after focusing on many areas of study including Automotive Engineering, Anthropology, and Marketing. Shortly after graduation I was offered a position at a new startup sign shop in Bellingham as a production manager and operator of a Mimaki JV3-SP160 large format printer. I was in charge of the entire shop and oversaw nearly all aspects of its operation. I maintained everything from the production and install of signage to the marketing and promotion of the company. Everything positive that the shop became was the direct result of a lot of hard work and long hours on my part. Unfortunately, there were issues with the company management that were beyond my control so I decided to strike out on my own. In December of 2007, I left the world of employment to take on the challenges of self-employment and started Ideation Design Group. The transition to self-employment, while intimidating at first, has turned out to be a natural progression for me. I made it my mission to fill what I consider to be a huge void in the local design, marketing, and signage community. Many local shops lack the service, the experience, the knowledge, and the honesty to properly service their clients. IDG reflects my own values as a consumer and I strive to conduct my business in an ethical and honest way providing my customers superior quality matched with unrivaled service. I owe a great deal to the family, friends, associates, businesses, and loyal customers that have supported me throughout the years. The future of Ideation Design Group looks promising and is full of opportunity. The IDG moto, "to form and entertain new ideas," is a philosophy not lost in a time of great change and uncertainty in our ever-changing world. Creativity is a wild ride chock-full of challenges and finding solutions to those challenges is why I love my job. ~McKenzie Spoor Designer/Owner Ideation Design Group