MICHAEL DOMINE
I’m a visual journalist and designer with more than 20 years of newsroom and creative leadership experience, currently working at the The Washington Post. I specialize in turning complex and simple news and ideas into clear, compelling visual storytelling across print, digital, social platforms and off platforms in emerging media. Colleagues and clients describe me as a “working director”—someone who sees the big picture while also executing the work. I thrive in collaborative environments, solve problems quickly, and deliver high-impact visuals under tight deadline. I'm currently learning about the evolving Ai tools to help visuals, ideation, execution and effective workflows.
August 2022 to Present: As a News Designer in the Presentation department, I developed tone-driven visual storytelling for millions of viewers across print, web, and social platforms. The role required advanced problem-solving and adaptable design solutions aligned with institutional standards, including template systems, custom visual development, original artwork, and emerging media formats.
Roles: designer, art director, illustrator, developer, animator, graphics, project management, presentation
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Final Cut Pro, Figma, HTML/CSS, UX/UI, Visual Studio Code, Microsoft Office, Methode, Ai tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.)
Illustrations | Art Direction
Social Media | Content Creation
Development
September 2004 to July 2006 and April 2015 to August 2022: In my role as News Designer II in the Visuals department, I focused primarily on Sports coverage while producing original illustrations and visual assets for News, Business, Home & Garden, Arts, and other editorial sections across print and digital platforms.
Roles: designer, art director, illustrator, developer, animator, graphics, graphics editor, project management, presentation
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Final Cut Pro, Figma, HTML/CSS, UX/UI, Visual Studio Code, Microsoft Office, CCI Layout Champ, Ellington CMS
January 2006 to April 2015: I began as a Production Artist and Staff Photographer, contributing to the weekly slick stock magazine by producing layouts for main news sections and supplements while completing regular photo assignments for lead artwork across multiple sections. In 2010, I was promoted to Director of Art and Production, overseeing Creative Direction for editorial content, in-house collateral, marketing materials, and event visuals. I also managed a team of 2–3 designers and coordinated photo assignments with freelance photographers.
Roles: creative direction, designer, art director, illustrator, graphics, graphics editor, content management editor, projects manager, photographer, photo editor, videographer, video editor, advertising and marketing visuals manager
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Final Cut Pro, HTML/CSS, UX/UI, Microsoft Office, Ellington CMS
Freelance: With more than 20 years of freelance experience in design and photography, I’ve worked with leading organizations including BBB San Diego, General Atomics, the San Diego International Sports Council, the San Diego Chargers, San Diego Padres, EXPN, and other major media organizations.
Adjunct Professor: Palomar College, January 2019 to August 2022, instructor for California State University transferrable Photojournalism and Advanced Photojournalism classes.