Profile |
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Short version: |
Design samples... Writing samples...
Tanya Pretorius now works for herself under Thursday's Cat Media as a freelancer. She is an experienced writer, typesetter, designer and web developer, has been working in the industry for 22 years and has taught design-oriented software for the last 10 years. She loves the internet and social networking and has been published and self-published in both print (several schoolbooks on HIV and a supplement for Fair Lady on natural medicine) and virtual media many times. Tanya is a software expert and enthusiast, although mainly an Adobe evangelist, she is broadly versed in many different applications. Tanya is interested in the way the internet has changed society. She focuses on the Media. Tanya can work independently or in a team and is a life-long learner committed to self-development. |
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Career goals |
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My dream job would be to populate a website to do with education or any databasey type of info (putting my infoholism to good use), content that I research and write (putting my writing skills to good use). I would also want to go around hunting for documents online that I can improve googlability for people to repost to their own sites (putting my interest in layout to good use). I love to teach, so there should be a nook in my day where I can skills share. I love to see how people think and their pleasure in being able to do a job well - efficiently and technically correct and beautiful.
Tanya Pretorius loves social media. "It appeals to my sense of order and organisation to see all the bits collected and commented on and published and tweeted. I love the social engineering value of social media. I love watching social media unfold and change. I love exploring the changes and adjusting the info to suit the medium. I love the changes people make to their opinions through discussion and collaboration. I love to find ways to help South Africa grow into what she should be. I want to skills-share until everyone realises the value of social media and the internet culture in the broadest sense."
Tanya recognises the value of efficiency. "It tortures me, when I train people in word-processing (Microsoft Word) and layout (Adobe Indesign and the Suite), that trillions of man-hours are being thrown away by people not being trained, and even if they are trained, trained badly. So many times I have heard from students upgrading their skills, that they will now, after taking my course, be able to make it home to see their kids, their family. Love that impetus." |
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Compliments |
Compliments given to me from the references listed below, and others, can be found here. |
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Personal details |
Name: |
Tanya Pretorius |
Citizenship: |
South African |
Birthdate: |
26 September 1967 |
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Languages |
Proficient: |
English and Afrikaans |
Not proficient: |
French, Northern Sotho |
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Knowledge base |
• Typesetting and graphic design in all the popular desktop-publishing programs |
• English writing, speaking, proofreading, editing |
• Information architecture and interaction design |
• Font making |
• Web design, webmastery - css, html, content management |
• Search Engine Optimiser, rabid Google enthusiast |
• Teaching of English writing and speaking |
• Teaching of various desktop-publishing software packages, mainly Adobe |
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Key skills |
• Excellent ability to communicate through the written and spoken word |
• Willing and able to learn new skills |
• Ability to work with others in a multi-disciplinary team |
• Love learning new software |
• Proactive, creative-thinking problem solver |
• Good self-manager |
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Education |
Ongoing |
Self-training applications and webstuff |
1991: |
University of Pretoria, BA (Hons)
(Media, Feminism, Poetics, Shakespeare, Moderns) |
1991: |
Study Methods Study Course |
1992: |
Hirt & Carter, Quark Express |
1992: |
Hirt & Carter, Photoshop (advanced) |
2005: |
Paul Tosio, Juno Study Course |
2008: |
InDesign Certification
(may take a moment to load, valid for 3 years, Brainbench) |
2009: |
Leadership workshop by Jason Hartslief at Enhance |
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Computer skills |
Proficient: |
Quark, Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, Fontographer, Flash, Dreamweaver, MS Word, Gifbuilder, Adobe Acrobat |
Dabbled: |
MS Publisher, MS Powerpoint, Adobe Go Live, CorelDraw, Joomla, iPhone apps, and many others |
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Employment |
1991-now |
Jet Set Graphic Design |
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2002-2008: |
Vega, The Brand Communications School |
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Part-time, digital training: I develop and present my own digital training courses in Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Mac Basics, for adults.
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2009-2012: |
Studio Collective at the Arts Collective |
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2012-now: |
Self-employed at Thursdayscat.co.za |
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- Iranti-Org (non-governmental organisation on a skills-share basis doing their website)
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Web |
Webmaster: |
Iranti-Org |
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Thursdayscat.co.za (own website, and design) |
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BMI-TechKnowledge |
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Jet Set Graphic Design (and design) |
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Tanya Pretorius' Bookmarks (and design) |
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Christian Adventures Africa (and design) |
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Font creation |
2002: |
Created a font for Mac and PC for Wim Bosman (popular South African cartoonist) of his handwriting, in Adobe Fontographer |
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Speaking |
2005: |
Ansisters Creative Empowerment Forum on Business Writing |
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Published |
Magazine: |
2001 June: Fair Lady supplement on natural and food remedies for common ailments (57 000 words) |
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2005 August: Womyn magazine article about Annemarie de Vos and Suzanne du Toit, the lesbian couple who challenged the constitutionality of denying 'the other mother' adoption rights, and won. |
Non-fiction: |
2003: Language and HIV Grade 4-6
2004: Language and HIV Grade 7
2004: Language and HIV Grade 10
This was a series of books I developed for South African schools that combined language learning skills development with information about HIV. |
Television: |
2004: a TV series on HIV education for children and young teens -
Hi Thanu (produced by Eugene Botha Productions). |
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2005: Ansisters Creative Empowerment Forum on Business Writing |
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FeministsSA: Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - Bechdel fail |
Photographs: |
www.ioltravel.co.za
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Websites: |
Chehan Ideaneers |
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Tanya Pretorius' Bookmarks |
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VideoJug |
Language: |
Urban Dictionary included several words I coined. |
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Awards |
2005: |
Pica Award - Special Mention: for MIMS OTC for Johnnic Communications |
2006: |
Pica Award - Win: for MIMS OTC for Johnnic Communications |
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Interests |
Leadership, dog training, TV, reading, computer games, website, writing, feminism, information design, persuasion, media, contemporary culture, photography, ceramics, nutrition, Disobedience, web-anything |
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Community involvement |
2000-2004: |
Uthingo Women's Group (newsletter and website) |
2004: |
Participated in the Searching for a Savior art exhibition to support the empowerment of women that in turn would help prevent child abuse. I was invited to participate by Anni Snyman. |
2005-2006: |
Creative Activation Forum (CAR): We share skills and support each other in creative projects. |
2006-2010: |
Dog training, promotion of the relationship between dogs and owners. |
2006: |
Weekly writing group, the WA4: We talked about writing, brought writing and other contributions and shared. Bring and share. |
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Hillbrow Community Centre: Presented a web basics workshop |
2013: |
No Camp Chairs Required poetry group |
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Contact |
My e-mail: |
[tanya@tanyapretorius.co.za] |
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References |
Marius du Plooy
Tel +27-21 906 0123, [marius@fundipro.co.za] |
Thuso Nkosi
Tel: +27-11 482 7840 [creative@threedot.co.za] |
Lynette Strydom
Tel: +27-12 998-8794, [lynette533@mweb.co.za] |
Penny Baker
Cell +27 (0)82 325 3228, [pennybaker@icon.co.za] |
Tanya Taylor
[tanyataylor@mweb.co.za] |
... etc. |
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Updated: June 2014 |