Nice to meet you!
Hello! I’m Amanda and I‘m the senior design manager for Disney Publishing Worldwide/National Geographic Kids in Washington, D.C., where I have art directed and designed more than 100 books. Previously an English major and former editor, I was a self-taught designer before heading back to graduate school for an M.A. in Publications Design. I specialize in leading and mentoring in-house creative teams while providing art direction and design for print and digital products, corporate communications, editorial design, and branding and identity. I also enjoy creating custom stationery and have created products for Minted, Snapfish, and MyPublisher. I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, son, and our Labrador retriever. I’m a lacrosse mom, animal lover, golfer, pickleball player, and love all things related to HGTV and interior design.
Feel free to reach out at: design4larsen@yahoo.com

skills
Creative Direction & Strategy
Art Direction
Brand Development
Design Development
Editorial Strategy
Branding & Marketing
Creative Operations
Management
Cross-Functional
Collaboration
Publication Design
Corporate Communication
Print & Digital
Relationship Building
Vendor Management
Team Leadership & Mentoring
software
Adobe Indesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InCopy
Adobe Acrobat
Microsoft Office
Sketch
HTML (working knowledge)
Elementor
WordPress
select awards
2023 Kirkus Starred Review
2022 Bank Streets’ Best Children’s Books
2018, 2021 Green Earth Book Awards
2018 NCTE Award for Excellence
2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Book
2016 SLC/ARBA Best of Reference Awards
2015 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
2015 CBC Children’s Choice Book of the Year (5th/6th Grade)
2015 Eureka Honor Awards
2015, 2016 Publisher’s Weekly Starred Reviews
2012 26th Annual New York Book Show Merit Award
2010 Eagle Publishing Employee of the Year
2006 Art Directors of Metropolitan DC Annual Show
2007-2013 American InHouse Graphic Design Awards
2004, 2006 Washington Book Publishers Award
2002 American Graphic Design Awards