matthew crespi

Owner, Lead Designer · Neat Mfg.

Los Angeles, CA

In My Own Words

Graphic Designer with 6+ years of experience spanning apparel manufacturing, custom design work, and printing operations. Leverages holistic knowledge of end-to-end design and production to seamlessly translate artistic visions into fresh, brand-faithful products. Brings an authentic, functional design style born from a strong mechanical intuition and a background in construction. Ventura native who draws constant inspiration from art, music, and California culture.

Work Experience

Owner, Lead Designer

Neat Mfg.

2017 – Present

Partnered with product line manager and boxing promoter to develop a merchandise line, ecommerce platform, social media presence, and event vendor set-ups for World Champion Boxer Gennady "GGG" Golovkin. This is a my personal entity offering a wide range of services including Graphic Design, Merchandise solutions, and brand consultation.

Graphic Production Artist, Press Operator

Pacific Imprints

2016 – 2018

Applied a wide range of specialty printing processes and unique product concepts to deliver strategic branding for key clients, including Super Duper Kyle, Futuristic, James Ennis, and Kid Super. *Supervised all production, including press-ready design formatting, print worksheets, and on-press quality control *Mastered specialty printing processes, including simulated process, water-based inks, foil applique, and high-density inks

Graphic Production Artist

Streamline Design, Inc.

2018 – 2018

Delivered custom artwork to leading domestic and international clients across the Surf and Outdoor industries, with a focus on typography and color matching to support cohesive branding. Key clients included Ron Jon Surf Shop, Quiet Storm, Spyder, Old Guys Rule, Iron & Resin, and Coastal Classics. Created design catalogs for in-house lines. *Formatted Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator artwork files for pre-press production; color separated and simplified detailed artwork files for printing on 12-14 color presses *Ensured production to exact client specifications by developing spec sheets and communicating changes

Owner, Product Designer

Vulgar Villains

2010 – 2016

Created this niche men's lifestyle brand from the ground up, drawing inspiration from emerging trends in streetwear, music, and skateboarding. Managed overarching design direction, concepts, and end-to-end production for all products, including a collection of themed quick strike capsules. *Despite limited resources, garnered features in High Snobiety, Baller Status, and Yo!SnapBacks, distribution in Southern California lifestyle retailers (e.g., Karmaloop, Tradition Beverly Hills, Fuzion) and attention from hip-hop artists (e.g., Wiz Khalifa, YG, Danny Brown) *Launched brand social media presence by shaping seasonal design direction around market research on top brands *Developed design direction, garment sourcing, and unique product concepts for each seasonal release; leveraged market analysis to build brand plan *Experimented with diverse printing processes, unconventional design placements, and unique fabric usage

Lead Graphic Designer, Production Manager

Images of Inc.

2013 – 2016

Grew with company from an entry-level employee to an owning partner. Created custom branded apparel and produced high-quality graphic prints with an in-house silkscreen production facility at this in-printable sportswear company. Supported annual doubling of sales by driving every stage of the client servicing process. *Developed artwork for nation's top high school athletic programs with GameBreaker and Rocksolid helmet sales team *Colored separated vector designs, implemented new product ideas, and re-colored artwork for major companies, including Canterbury Rugby, Haas Automation, Legendary Pictures, Nestle's Nesquik, Saliva (music), Neff Apparel, and Sunkist *Handled start to finish production quality control on up to 1,500 imprints daily, including PMS Pantone color matching, screen selection/preparation, and packaging finished products to exact client and retail specifications *Developed alternate logos, seasonal promotional products, merchandise packs, and special media marketing tools *Gathered client requirements for logo design; developed new client evaluation process to optimize revenue by identifying clients most likely to provide repeat business *Mastered a variety of printing processes and media, including fabrics, paper, wood, metal, and vinyl