Steven Rankin, MAE

Building the technical infrastructure that connects Chicago's independent film community and empowers emerging storytellers to showcase their work, collaborate with peers, and access industry opportunities.
The Scene bridges the gap between emerging talent and the film industry through purpose-built technology and authentic community engagement. What started as a local initiative is evolving into a scalable platform that gives independent filmmakers the visibility, tools, and connections… Show more

Building the technical infrastructure that connects Chicago's independent film community and empowers emerging storytellers to showcase their work, collaborate with peers, and access industry opportunities.
The Scene bridges the gap between emerging talent and the film industry through purpose-built technology and authentic community engagement. What started as a local initiative is evolving into a scalable platform that gives independent filmmakers the visibility, tools, and connections they deserve.
Key Contributions:

Architected community platform combining filmmaker profiles, project showcases, and networking tools
Developed event infrastructure launching with Silent Film Competition at Public Works Gallery
Created technical systems enabling content discovery and cross-collaboration
Designed scalable framework transitioning local community to global network

The independent film industry lacks the infrastructure that mainstream cinema takes for granted. The Scene is changing that—one filmmaker, one story, one connection at a time. Show less

Results-driven Digital Content Manager specializing in ongoing website content management and updates for the Suycan Tribe. Responsible for executing weekly website updates that keep the community informed and engaged, including cultural programming, events, news, and tribal announcements. Skilled at maintaining content accuracy, ensuring cultural sensitivity, and presenting information in accessible formats that serve diverse community members. Proven ability to manage editorial calendars… Show more

Results-driven Digital Content Manager specializing in ongoing website content management and updates for the Suycan Tribe. Responsible for executing weekly website updates that keep the community informed and engaged, including cultural programming, events, news, and tribal announcements. Skilled at maintaining content accuracy, ensuring cultural sensitivity, and presenting information in accessible formats that serve diverse community members. Proven ability to manage editorial calendars, coordinate with tribal departments, and maintain website functionality while preserving the tribe's voice and mission. Experienced in balancing timely content delivery with quality standards, ensuring the website serves as a vital communication hub for tribal members and stakeholders.Retry Show less

Anthropic needed clear, accessible content to help users understand and adopt the core features of their chatbot, Claude.

As a contractor working with the education team, I managed this project end-to-end — from scripting and stakeholder collaboration with product, marketing, and brand teams, through production and publishing. The goal was to make each video feel approachable and genuinely useful, not just a feature walkthrough.

Spending this much time inside Claude.ai gave me a… Show more

Anthropic needed clear, accessible content to help users understand and adopt the core features of their chatbot, Claude.

As a contractor working with the education team, I managed this project end-to-end — from scripting and stakeholder collaboration with product, marketing, and brand teams, through production and publishing. The goal was to make each video feel approachable and genuinely useful, not just a feature walkthrough.

Spending this much time inside Claude.ai gave me a real appreciation for how thoughtfully it's designed. It's one thing to make content about a product — it's another to come away genuinely impressed by it.

Metrics coming soon!

More details can be found at https://custompinyatas.com/portfolio/anthropic-edu-videos/ Show less

I'm excited to share a major project: the "Empathy in Nature Workshop Series" project has been successfully completed. It was a privilege to support the client's mission of connecting communities with the environment through their full four-part workshop series.

The client needed comprehensive design, web, and video production services to support their entire "Empathy in Nature" workshop series, which spanned from 09/2024 to 04/2025. The goal was to provide high-quality materials for all… Show more

I'm excited to share a major project: the "Empathy in Nature Workshop Series" project has been successfully completed. It was a privilege to support the client's mission of connecting communities with the environment through their full four-part workshop series.

The client needed comprehensive design, web, and video production services to support their entire "Empathy in Nature" workshop series, which spanned from 09/2024 to 04/2025. The goal was to provide high-quality materials for all four workshops while also establishing a permanent online resource hub.

My role as lead Designer was to deliver collateral, including four unique field guides and multiple handouts in both English and Spanish. Additionally, I was responsible for building a robust online Learning Hub, curating and surfacing all educational video content on the website and the client's YouTube channel, and ensuring all assets were ready for each of the four workshop dates.

During the project, I successfully designed and delivered all field guides and handouts, ensuring each was tailored to its specific workshop—from "The Nature of Play" to "Making Your Business Stand Out by Nature." I built the full Learning Hub on WordPress from the ground up, creating a user-friendly platform for all their educational resources.

A key part of this process was curating all video content, including the 1.5-2 hour workshop videos and the shorter resource videos, ensuring they were correctly formatted with subtitles and accessible on both the new website and the client’s YouTube channel.

The project is now complete, with all four workshops successfully delivered to the client's audience. The client has a full suite of professionally designed materials for their entire workshop series, and a fully functional digital platform that will serve as a lasting resource for their community. The Learning Hub is now live and populated with all the finalized content, ready to be a powerful tool for years to come. Show less

Client: The Big West Conference
My Role: Lead Designer (Custom Piñatas Design)
Project Date: Effective June 5, 2025
Deliverables: Comprehensive set of championship logos in vector (.ai, .eps, .svg) and high-resolution image formats (.png, .jpg)

Project Goal & Challenge
The Big West Conference sought a complete redesign for the logos of their 2025-2027 Championships. The primary challenge was to create a cohesive, versatile branding system that would unify all specified… Show more

Client: The Big West Conference
My Role: Lead Designer (Custom Piñatas Design)
Project Date: Effective June 5, 2025
Deliverables: Comprehensive set of championship logos in vector (.ai, .eps, .svg) and high-resolution image formats (.png, .jpg)

Project Goal & Challenge
The Big West Conference sought a complete redesign for the logos of their 2025-2027 Championships. The primary challenge was to create a cohesive, versatile branding system that would unify all specified championship events under one approved style, ensuring the new marks are modern, dynamic, and reflective of the conference's competitive spirit.

Our Design Process
Our approach was structured to ensure clear client communication and a focused design direction:

Initial Concepts: Presented three (3) distinct logo style options for the Client's review to gauge overall aesthetic direction and visual goals.

Style Selection: Collaborated with the Client to successfully select one preferred logo style from the initial concepts.

Logo Creation: Developed the full, comprehensive set of championship logos, ensuring consistency and adaptability across all required sport marks in the approved style.

Refinement: Conducted one (1) dedicated round of comments per logo to incorporate specific feedback and finalize the designs.

Final Delivery: Provided the final logo package, including ready-to-use vector and high-resolution files, following the Client's approval.

Outcome & Impact
The project resulted in a new, cohesive branding system for the Big West Championships across the 2025-2027 seasons, delivered on time and within the projected budget of 20 hours at a rate of $75 per hour, for a total of $1,500. The streamlined design process and clear deliverables ensured a successful project completion with client satisfaction. Show less

My child's school needed new furniture and equipment for its classrooms, so I was asked to set up and lead a fundraising committee to support the school's goals.

The school and committee set a goal to raise $25,000 for the new items. After seeing the community's incredible enthusiasm, we set a stretch goal of $37,500 to fund a new classroom.

My role as the chair of this fundraiser was to provide a clear vision and empower our team. I focused on building a strong committee… Show more

My child's school needed new furniture and equipment for its classrooms, so I was asked to set up and lead a fundraising committee to support the school's goals.

The school and committee set a goal to raise $25,000 for the new items. After seeing the community's incredible enthusiasm, we set a stretch goal of $37,500 to fund a new classroom.

My role as the chair of this fundraiser was to provide a clear vision and empower our team. I focused on building a strong committee, delegating key responsibilities, and ensuring we had the resources to succeed. We worked together to coordinate every aspect of the event, from securing generous sponsors (e.g., The Big Shoulders Fund) and soliciting auction items to managing logistics and promoting the fundraiser across the school community. This collaborative approach, combined with a shared passion for our goal, was the driving force behind our success.

We are absolutely thrilled to report that we surpassed both goals, raising an incredible $41,000 (the largest in the school's history)! This result will not only provide the new furniture and equipment we originally planned for but also allow us to add an additional classroom, making a significant and lasting impact on our school. As a bonus goal, using the work done on this initial fundraiser, we created templates for future fundraising efforts. Show less

I've supported and mentored students while providing comprehensive support for "Big Chicago" and Summer Documentary Projects, including preparing course materials, coordinating logistics for film shoots in diverse Chicago neighborhoods, and troubleshooting equipment. My constructive feedback on student projects, combined with my dedication to fostering an inclusive learning environment, contributed significantly to their education.

I'm excited to announce the successful launch of the new EquipTec website! This project was a complete overhaul, and I'm proud of the results we achieved in modernizing their online presence.

EquipTec's existing website was outdated, affecting its visual appeal and user experience. The client needed a comprehensive refresh to enhance their brand image, improve navigation, and boost online visibility. This required a full migration from WordPress to Wix and a complete redesign to better… Show more

I'm excited to announce the successful launch of the new EquipTec website! This project was a complete overhaul, and I'm proud of the results we achieved in modernizing their online presence.

EquipTec's existing website was outdated, affecting its visual appeal and user experience. The client needed a comprehensive refresh to enhance their brand image, improve navigation, and boost online visibility. This required a full migration from WordPress to Wix and a complete redesign to better showcase their services.

My goal was to lead the entire redesign and launch process. This included selecting a new Wix theme, redesigning the site layout and navigation, migrating all existing content, and optimizing the site for search engines. The final task was to ensure a seamless launch, providing EquipTec with a professional and fully functional new website.

Over the course of the project, I collaborated closely with the client to bring their vision to life. I selected a modern Wix theme and customized it with new fonts, high-quality photos, and a streamlined layout. I migrated all existing content and reorganized the site’s information architecture, including updating their project portfolio to better highlight their specialties. The site was optimized for SEO by incorporating relevant keywords and creating a sitemap. Finally, I conducted thorough testing across different devices and browsers to ensure a flawless user experience before the official launch.

The new EquipTec website is now live! The site is visually appealing, responsive, and easy to navigate. The improved design and updated content better reflect the company's professionalism and expertise. EquipTec now has a powerful online platform that enhances their brand image, provides a better experience for visitors, and is easily updatable, ensuring their digital presence remains strong and current. Show less

During a period of organizational transformation, I spearheaded the development and implementation of a comprehensive educational program for the Google Ads Scaled Content team within gTECH Ads. This program aimed to address the need for structured learning pathways within scaled support, empowering users to enhance their capabilities and drive advertising success.

Key Achievements:

• Program Establishment: Developed a comprehensive educational framework aligned with user needs… Show more

During a period of organizational transformation, I spearheaded the development and implementation of a comprehensive educational program for the Google Ads Scaled Content team within gTECH Ads. This program aimed to address the need for structured learning pathways within scaled support, empowering users to enhance their capabilities and drive advertising success.

Key Achievements:

• Program Establishment: Developed a comprehensive educational framework aligned with user needs and product features.

• User-Centric Approach: Conducted in-depth user research to understand learning preferences and behaviors.

• Targeted Content Development: Created visually engaging and interactive learning content tailored to user goals.

• Strategic Content Distribution: Leveraged relevant surfaces within the product ecosystem to deliver just-in-time learning opportunities.

• Data-Driven Optimization: Established KPIs to track program effectiveness and iteratively refined based on data insights.

Impact on Google Ads Performance Max:

The program significantly enhanced user outcomes for the Google Ads Performance Max product. Through targeted initiatives, such as a troubleshooter, design sprint, and content creator education program, we achieved substantial improvements in user engagement, knowledge acquisition, and product adoption.

Key Deliverables:

• Launched troubleshooter content for spend fluctuations
• Led task and adoption strategy ideation
• Established a content creator education program
• Created program templates for various educational initiatives

Quantifiable Results:

• Increased page views by 29.7%
• Reduced escalation percent by 22.8%
• Improved page rating by 7.8%
• Increased page rating surveys by 100% Show less

Following the public unveiling of Video Translator tool at Google I/O 2023, the Google Ads content and knowledge a team team collaborated with localization team to explore innovative applications of AI in video dubbing. This project leverages Google's most powerful AI models, developed in partnership with Google DeepMind, to enhance the efficiency and quality of language dubbing processes.

Project Objectives:

• Investigate and Implement AI in Video Dubbing: Explore and leverage… Show more

Following the public unveiling of Video Translator tool at Google I/O 2023, the Google Ads content and knowledge a team team collaborated with localization team to explore innovative applications of AI in video dubbing. This project leverages Google's most powerful AI models, developed in partnership with Google DeepMind, to enhance the efficiency and quality of language dubbing processes.

Project Objectives:

• Investigate and Implement AI in Video Dubbing: Explore and leverage GenAI capabilities, specifically those offered by Universal Translator, to improve various aspects of the video dubbing workflow.

• Collaborate with Localization Team: Foster a strong partnership to combine expertise and insights, ensuring seamless integration of AI solutions into existing processes.

• Enhance Efficiency and Quality: Identify opportunities to streamline video dubbing tasks, reduce manual effort, and improve the overall quality of dubbed content using GenAI technologies.

• Stay at the Forefront of AI Innovation: Contribute to the advancement of AI-powered language solutions within Google by actively participating in the development and application of cutting-edge GenAI tools.

This project represents a significant step towards harnessing the power of GenAI to revolutionize the video dubbing landscape, ultimately leading to improved accessibility and increased reach for multilingual content. Show less

Over a three-year period, I spearheaded the development and delivery of a comprehensive multimedia production program designed to enhance the user experience within Google Ads' scaled support platforms. By leveraging strategic frameworks and creating tailored multimedia assets, including brand-specific guidelines, I empowered users to independently resolve issues and optimize their Google Ads campaigns. This data-driven approach resulted in a substantial engagement metric gains, ultimately… Show more

Over a three-year period, I spearheaded the development and delivery of a comprehensive multimedia production program designed to enhance the user experience within Google Ads' scaled support platforms. By leveraging strategic frameworks and creating tailored multimedia assets, including brand-specific guidelines, I empowered users to independently resolve issues and optimize their Google Ads campaigns. This data-driven approach resulted in a substantial engagement metric gains, ultimately improving user satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Key Accomplishments:

Program Establishment: Successfully launched and managed a multimedia production program focused on creating high-quality content, including graphics and videos, to support Google Ads users.

Content Output: Delivered a significant volume of multimedia assets, supporting over 155 customer journey units (CUJs) with 5,100+ graphics and 121 videos.

Program Optimization: Streamlined workflows, improved efficiency, and implemented robust reporting mechanisms to ensure the program aligned with strategic goals and maximized ROI.

User Empowerment: Enabled users to resolve issues and optimize their Google Ads campaigns independently, reducing the need for high-touch support.

Impact: The program played a critical role in improving user satisfaction, reducing operational costs, and driving overall business success for Google Ads. Show less

I prepares a small blog infographic for article linked. I worked with a in-house blog writer at Symantec. The graphic ideas are generally mine, but we often collaborate towards a final product.

Part of a video create for Symantec's NetBackup product. I created and designed the static infographic in which this video was made. In addition, I storyboarded and designed the video piece.

Part of a video create for Symantec's NetBackup product. I created and designed the static infographic in which this video was made. In addition, I storyboarded the interactions in which this piece was created.