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