David Millar
Puzzle Creator & Graphic Designer
Contact
Objective
To create logic and word puzzles for print publications or other puzzle media and submit works via e-mail or other electronic means.
Skills
- Quick Turnaround
- Page Layout
- Raster Graphics
- Vector Graphics
- Sudoku
- Latin Squares
- Crosswords
- Word Searches
- Kakuro
- Cross-Sums
- Story Logic
- Matrix Logic
- Mazes
- Custom Puzzles
- Custom Design
Experience
Publications International Ltd., Chicago, IL
January 2007 - CurrentCreates puzzles for use in the Brain Games magazine and book series which is sold throughout the United States as well as online.
- Work appears inside 12+ issues from the magazine series plus some front and back covers.
- Work appears inside 7+ editions of the book series plus some front and back covers.
- Work appears inside special topical puzzle books and magazines, including sports and "glam" themed puzzle books and magazines.
- Work includes hundreds of individual puzzles.
Sudoku Xtra
November 2009 - CurrentWorks as Community Puzzles Editor and created puzzles for inclusion in Sudoku Xtra Magazine.
- Contacts other puzzle authors and works with them on content to include in Sudoku Xtra.
- Work includes test-solving and redrawing puzzles submitted for use in the magazine.
- Puzzles created appear in many issues from the magazine series, dating back to the first few issues of the magazine.
- Puzzles created sometimes also appear on the author's web site (The Griddle).
Trapdoor Books, Lyons, CO
April 2010 - January 2011Created puzzles for a weekly feature on the company's blog.
- Work consisted of topic specific puzzles based on books published by the company.
- Work includes artwork to accompany puzzles.
- Work also appears on the author's web site (The Griddle).
Croxword Corporation, Taiwan
June 2009 - July 2009Created puzzles for an expansion card pack to accompany a puzzle toy/solving board.
- Work includes more than 20 puzzles.
Davenport University LInC, Grand Rapids, MI
December 2006 - August 2010Tutored students in math and technology while working on assorted projects for staff at the Library Information Commons (LInC).
- Tutored and troubleshooted homework assignments with students in a variety of web design, web development, and math related topics.
Total Life Ministries Inc., Scottsdale, AZ
January 2007 - January 2008Created puzzle pages for Prison Living Magazine, a faith-based magazine for prisoners distributed in the United States of America.
- Work appears in 3 issues from the magazine series.
- Work also appears on the publisher's web site and the author's web site.
Education
Computer Information Systems (Web Design Specialty) - B.A.S.
Davenport University, Grand Rapids, MIAugust 2006 - December 2009
Studied project management and web design skills.
- Graduated with highest honors — with a GPA of 3.9.
Accomplishments
Holds an Adobe Certified Associate certification for Visual Communication with Adobe Photoshop CS3.
Intereviewed about puzzle creation by a representative from the William Paterson University Math Club for their newsletter.
▶
▶
Created puzzles and designs for use in the Logic Masters India monthly sudoku competition, titled "Sampler Platter", held in August 2010. Later did the same for the November 2010 monthly puzzle competition, titled "FLIP", and contributed puzzles and designs for use in the 2011 Indian Puzzle Championship and its instruction materials and preliminary rounds.
Additional Interests and Volunteer Projects
▶ Works in design, scripting, and programming and has experience in Windows and Linux support. Uses web design experience to develop and maintain The Griddle (thegriddle.net).
Puzzles created for use on The Griddle have been featured in several puzzle and game web sites and blogs.
▶
▶
Created the puzzles and graphics for the iPhone/iPod Touch app "Haunted Mirror Maze" and puzzles for the Flash game "Haunted Mirror Maze".
Crossword puzzles created for The Griddle have been featured in the (now defunct) iPhone/iPod Touch app Crossword Book Lite.
Has created layout, cover design, and styled typography for the 2008 and 2009 editions of the student literary and creative arts publication at Davenport University: From the Panther's Paw.
▼ Has designed flyers and posters for the Davenport University chapter of Student Veterans of America.
Has designed promotional/business cards and given presentations on using Google web applications and Facebook apps to enhance studying and schoolwork for Davenport University's PASS initiative, including a crossword puzzle based on presentations given.