

Eric "Zeeky" Gross


Eric "Zeeky" Gross
visual communicator · social commentator · hip-hop artist
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A LITTLE Bit About Me.
My name is Eric "Zeeky" Gross.
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I am a Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware native. At 9 years old, my mother enrolled me in the Christina Cultural Arts Center where I studied visual arts with Mr. Milton Downing. For Middle School, she enrolled me in Cab Calloway School of the Arts where I majored in Visual Arts and minored in Performing Arts. So with the help and encouragement of my loving late mother, the foundations to my artistic career began in Wilmington, Delaware.
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In 2016, I started out by doing really bad logos for my friends and family. Dissatisfied with my lack of skill and knowledge, I enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online. Soon after, I landed my first Graphic Design job at Brick Warriors, a company that designs and manufactures custom mini-figures and accessories for Lego. This was hands down the most creatively fulfilling job I had ever worked. Ultimately, life changes lead me to withdraw from school before I could graduate. However, I never stopped learning. I used any and every online resource I could in order to learn more and more about Graphic Design. I learned from Chris Do of The Futur and Blind LA. I learned from James Martin of Made by James. I read books about Brand Identity, Typography, and the Design Business such as "The Brand Gap" and "Zag" by Marty Neumeier, "Made By James" by James Martin. Any content creator in the industry who's voice resonated with me and was offering free information, I followed religiously, and it helped me grow tremendously.
I believe that visual communication plays such a major role in society. One that goes far beyond simply aesthetics. Design captivates the human psyche in a way that most of us are never aware of. Because of that, I have a passion for showing small businesses and upcoming performing and visual artists the importance of branding. I want to educate my community and raise the value of branding and creative services in their hearts and minds. I want the "little guys" to grasp how important investing in the look, texture, and voice of their brand is to reaching their goals and being competitive in a saturated market. I try to keep culture, beauty, simplicity, and functionality at the heart of everything I design.
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I continue to learn, grow, be inspired, and reach for new heights on my creative journey. The saga continues.
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-Zeeky
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
I was invited to DETV to promote an MC Showcase I curated and marketed for the Queen's Live and Local Series.
I successfully marketed, curated, and headlined a Hip-Hop MC Showcase for the Crown Room at The Queen, in Wilmington, DE. This was apart of their Live & Local series.
The good people at the Wilmington Public Library honored me with the opportunity to moderate a public discussion with the Legendary KRS-ONE.
Work Experience
September 2024 - Present
Youth Program Facilitator
April 2024 - June 2024
Youth Program Facilitator
January 2024 - Present
Wellness Associate
January 2024
Web Design
January 2024
Promotional Material Design
January 2024
Graphic Design Youth Instructor
November 2023
Promotional Material Design
August 2023
Visual Identity (logo) Design
May 2023
Visual Identity (logo) Design
May 2023
Promo/Marketing Material Design
November 2022
Visual Identity (logo) Design
August 2022
Visual Designs for Album Release
August 2022
Visual Identity (logo) Design
July 2022
Billboard Design
June 2022
Promotional Material Design
May 2022
Visual Identity (logo) Design
April 2022
Visual Identity (logo) Design
April 2022
Promotional Material Design
March 2022
Visual Identity (logo) Design
March 2021
Visual Identity Design
July 2019 - April 2021
Lincoln Property Company
September 2018 - July 2019
Cardinal Group
May 2017 - September 2018
BrickWarriors
June 2013 - August 2017
Primary Residential Mortgage
Culture Restoration Project. Facilitated culture-centered youth programming for Culture Restoration Project at Thomas Edison Elementary in Wilmington, DE.
Culture Restoration Project. Facilitated culture-centered youth programming for Culture Restoration Project at Bancroft Elementary in Wilmington, DE.
Your CBD Store Worked as a Wellness Associate, consulting and assisting customers with the purchase of medical grade CBD products.
Wilmington Public Library's Dancing With the Delaware Stars Website.
Designed and maintained the website for the Wilmington Library that would allow sponsors to purchase tickets and be informed on the Gala commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the illustrious Library.
Mrs. Rhonda Starks Crowder Campaign Materials. Design winning campaign materials for The Links Incorporated's National Recording Secretary,
Culture Restoration Project. Facilitated a Graphic Design workshop, assisting children in the Claymont Community Center in designing a billboard and signage combatting smoking/tobacco use.
Richard Raw's The Crown Album Release Party. Designed promotional materials including flyers of varying dimensions for various usages (print, social media platforms).
HOTC, LLC Logo Design. Crafted a unique logo word mark with longevity, scalability, and functionality.
B-Wellz Logo Design. Crafted a unique logo combination mark for the visual identity of a local Hip-Hop Artist.
Zeeky El's MC Showcase. Designed multiple promotional and marketing material for a live Hip-Hop performance at a major concert venue (The Queen Wilmington). Deliverables included promo videos, on brand individual flyers for each of the musicians, social media reels and other visual communication content.
Believe414 Kitchens Logo Design. Crafted a meaningful and functional visual identity mark for an online cooking channel and courses.
GRAPES + SORBETTO. Designed visual materials around a Hip-Hop project for Zeeky El. Deliverables included album cover art, social media content and promotional materials. Artist logo marks, and merch designs were also crafted for this project.
Sabor Latino Logo Design. Designed a vintage engraving inspired logo mark for an entrepreneurs brand of homemade sundried tomatoes and sofrito. Deliverables included labels for the lids of product jars.
KELZtango Billboard Design. Collaborated with Nadia G Photography to design a billboard layout design for a local Hip-Hop artist. Communicated with Times Square ad company for billboard design particulars to ensure proper sizing and layout for specific real estate.
Late Nites at the Den. Designed a unique custom event flyer for a local Hip-Hop show.
Blessed Bones Logo Design. Designed a visual identity/logo family for a local small business that produces healthy homemade dog treats. Deliverables included Facebook and Instagram profile pictures, and Facebook page cover image. Brand Style Guide also provided.
Secnetic Logo Design. Designed a unique and functional visual identity/logo family for a cyber security company. Brand Style Guide also provided.
Late Nites at the Den. Designed a unique custom event flyer for a local Hip-Hop show. Designed a logo mark for the event venue.
KELZtango Logo Design. Designed a unique and meaningful visual identity (logo family) to communicate the personal brand of a local Hip-Hop artist.
Uncle Aaron Grooms Visual Identity Design. Designed a unique and meaningful visual identity to communicate the personal brand for a local pet grooming salon. Deliverables included a logo family, brand style guide, stationary design, and custom merch.
Leasing Consultant. Conducted apartment tours. Engaged in sales calls of apartment real estate. Conducted market research for pricing of local competition. Assisted with customer service issues for residents. Created marketing materials for promoting the rental property.
Leasing Consultant. Conducted apartment tours predominantly for students. Engaged in sales calls for new leases and lease renewals. Conducted market research for pricing of local competition. Assisted with customer service call issues for residents. Participated in street marketing on University of Delaware campus.
Graphic Designer. Product photography. Designed social media banners. Designed promotional materials. Designed website graphics. Design custom Lego mini-figure designs. Designed retail packaging. Designed custom stickers, t-shirts, trading cards and other merch. Video editing.
Marketing Representative. Designed and upgraded promotional material, both print and digital. Created and edited client review videos. Edited informational videos for the Loan Officer. Created various print materials including flyers, post cards, and educational handouts for real estate agent courses. Designed large banners and signage. Facilitated First Time Homebuyer Seminars.
education
January 2016 - August 2017
Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online
August 2002 - May 2006
Hodgson Vo-Tech High School
Area of Study: Graphic Design
Area of Study: Technical Drafting. Received High School Diploma
skills
Adobe Photoshop · Adobe Illustrator · Adobe InDesign · Adobe Creative Suite · Microsoft Office · Google Drive Suite · Graphic Design Principles · Branding & Identity Design Creative Design · Public Speaking · Client Presentation
Digital Designs and Illustrations · Typography · Visual Resources · Concept Development · Creative Problem Solving · Art Direction · Marketing Media Design · Image Editing · Visual, Verbal, and Written Communication Skills · Stationary and Print Material Design
Landing Pages and Web Design · Problem Solving · Editing · Style Guides