Sean Patrick Forsythe

Sean Patrick Forsythe

Designer & Educator in Portland, OR, He/Him

About

I'm a designer and (design) educator with a 20+ year mishmash of self-taught, formal, and practical design experience and education. From murals to modals, my diverse skillset is driven by a love of creativity, and the thrill of exploration.

To me, the most worthwhile projects are those that use joyful, beautiful design as a conduit for community-building.

Work Experience

2023 — Now
Senior Instructional Associate - UX Design at General Assembly
  • Leads lectures and acts as a subject matter expert for Figma design software, delivering high-quality visual design-focused lessons.
  • Designs and delivers workshops utilizing custom Figma files to give students hands-on experience with UX and Visual design concepts. (View workshops on my Figma Community page HERE)
  • Mentored and provided design guidance to 100+ student designers on client capstone projects.
  • Earned company-wide recognition in the monthly employee spotlight program based on positive feedback from co-workers and students.

"I love picking Sean's brain! His passion for design and Figma is so deep, and it's so exciting to watch him talk and work. Also, he has a huge heart, and is always someone students feel like they can rely on. He consistently makes himself available to students for questions, suggestions, tutorial lessons, etc. He shows that he is invested in the students and in the class."

2022 — 2023
Instructional Associate - UX Design at General Assembly
  • Collaborated with a co-instructor to deliver a dynamic, 12-week online User Experience Design Immersive certification course.
  • Mentored and supported junior designers through personalized instruction, critiques, and hands-on practice exercises in various aspects of the User Experience Design process.
  • Coordinated lesson plans, schedules, and instructional resources to optimize student and instructor performance.
2022 — 2022
Portland, OR
  • Established comprehensive branding guidelines that ensured cohesive visual representation across various projects and mediums.
  • Managed the design of cafe signage, environmental elements, and product packaging, guaranteeing high-quality execution.
  • Collaborated with copywriters to maintain consistent brand messaging and immersive storytelling across all channels.
  • Worked alongside agency partners to direct web design and drive strategy.
2022 — 2022
Design & Story Director at Mike Bennett's Wonderwood: The Scourge of Castle Maplehold
Portland, OR
2022 — 2022
Lighting Designer at Mike Bennett's Dinolandia
Portland, OR
2021 — 2022
Designer (Contract) - Great Minds at OrangeYouGlad
  • Produced high-fidelity UI mockups using Figma, resulting in successful handoff to the client's development team.
  • Adapted desktop product designs into mobile and tablet versions, meeting technical requirements.
  • Maintained adherence to the product's design system while ensuring accessibility standards were met.
2021 — 2021
UX Designer at Everlaunch

- Lead writing and implementation of inclusive design guidelines, resulting in a more accessible user experience for Everlaunch's diverse audience.
- Created updated product dashboard wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and prototypes through rapid iterations based on user testing, accessibility standards, and game-like interaction concepts.
- Conducted research and analysis to develop highly effective user personas, user flows, and competitive assessments.

2021 — 2021
Lighting Designer at Mike Bennett's Crypto-Zoo: Museum of Mysteries
Portland, OR

Projects

2020
"She Flies" Mural at Portland Thorns FC

In 2019, I worked with Portland Thorns FC, and their non-profit Stand Together, to design and paint a mural on the concourse of Providence Park based on the state of Oregon's motto "She Flies With Her Own Wings." The goal was to create mural that not only engaged fans on match day, but inspired them.

While the outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic caused some bumps along the way, I was able to complete it before the start of the Thorns' 2020 season with the help of friends and loved ones.

The final version of the mural, featuring three pairs of wings, are meant to symbolize the growth of life. They stand on a field of inspirational words, like " Fearless", "Brave", "Kind", and "Tough" - which were all submitted by the Thorns players themselves.

Side Projects

Ongoing
Various Poster Designs

Posters created largely as personal projects and design explorations

Volunteering

2018 — 2022
Portland, OR
  • Designed and created technical specifications for merchandise including scarves, t-shirts, outerwear, patches, and more

  • Led the branding design for the Thorns Crosscut Collection, a successful collaboration between the Rose City Riveters and Portland Thorns FC.

  • Conducted market research with customers alongside the customer service team, resulting in improved merchandise sales.

Education

2021 — 2021
UX Design Certificate at General Assembly
2012 — 2015
BA Theatre with a Concentration in Lighting Design at University of Maryland
College Park, MD