Background
Zachary "Xach" Allan is a dedicated designer and teacher. He strives to help others make the most of their talents by making sure they have the best workflow possible.
Xach began formal design training in high school attending the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative's "Commercial and Advertising Art" program. After high school he enlisted in the United States Navy and continued he design training by becoming a Mass Communication Specialist (MC), specializing in graphic design. He spent 3 years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) working in the ship's print and graphics shop, eventually becoming the assistant workshop supervisor. During his tenure on Ike, Xach was responsible for training new MCs that came onboard in graphic design. After his time on the Eisenhower, Xach served as the graphics supervisor for the now defunct pentagonchannel.mil. After that, Xach spent some time assigned to the public affairs office on Fort George G. Meade, as a means of rounding out his knowledge as an MC.
Xach finished his time on active duty and decided to continue his education at the Hartford Art School where he majored in Visual Communication Design. He was quickly recognized by his peers and professors for having expert knowledge in the use of design software. He joined Font Family, the school's graphic design club, and was immediately given the title of Head Instructor.
Creative/Technical Coaching
Because of his experience with mentoring in both the school and Navy settings, Xach has been pursued by companies to help brush up their design and marketing teams in regard to work-flow optimization and application usage.
He will give tutorials with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, as well as guidance on how to properly manage creative assets from one application to the next. Xach can also consult on the set-up of a physical creative workspace.
