Services

Areas of Expertise

Graphic Design

Deep and wide experience in a variety of things related to the field of Graphic Design. Areas I have experience in include digital, print, environmental, illustration, and informational graphics. Animation is an area I have less experience (at least from an advanced level perspective), but I'm a story teller and this is an area I'm working to grow in becuase of how useful it is.

I am a systems thinker so I design with the future in mind... including how my projects can work with other team members, i.e., creating in-depth templates that work well over time because they are tested before launching, using design programs efficiently so that other designers can use what I build with ease. Systems/Process thinking for effective collaboration.

Brand Development

Brand is more than a logo and some design touch points. I've worked in brand development for most of my design career, be it developing a brand from the ground up, developing brand deliverables with set standards, and advancing a brand to grow beyond a current set of limitations.

Strengths

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Logo

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Print

I once read that print was dead... it may act like it's dying from time to time, but printed materials seem to have an uncanny ability to stay alive. I once thought I would switch to reading only books on Kindle and journaling only on a digital device because I thought of the perceived efficiency I would get from having fewer physical objects to store. Well, I read a lot, and digital devices, while they have many advantages like being able to search notes and provide quick links to references, are missing the tactile feel of real paper.

I still read things on a digital screen and I do use a digital journal (Day One app), but if it is something beyond a couple of pages in length, I prefer printed material. I often print out long newsletters I read so I can write notes in the margin areas to record a thought I have. I can do this in digital form, but pencil in hand making contact to paper seams special… I still do it when I have the space for it. I jump between the analog and digital world, never leaving either, using each from time to time. So, I believe printed materials still have a place in our increasingly digital world. Below is a sampling of past print projects. These are projects in which I played the role of Art Director and Designer.

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Web / App Development

I think of website and app development like the physical world, but with a variable canvas. I come from a mobile first mindset and believe in testing. SEO is a constantly changing field that I am aware of but not an expert.

Strengths

  • I'm currently working in Webflow, but in the past I've worked with Word Press using plugins like Divi and Elementor.
  • I work in Figma to plan and design. In the past I've used InVision, Sketch, and XD.

Pitchdecks / Keynotes

As a designer, I never thought this area of design would be one I work in often and end up having a very strong skillset when it pertains to making presentations. I even made a presentation using Power Point for an IDEO story-telling class titled, The Tail of the Reluctant Designer, that tells the story of my journey from hating Power Point to seeing it as just another story telling tool with abilities far beyond what most people use it for. But Power Point is only one of a list of tools that can be used in this field. I'm highly competent with Keynote as well.

Strengths

  • Building deck systems for companies to use that are very flexible and easy to use across a team.
  • Teaching teams how to use the systems I build, including how to build libraries that other team members can use via platforms like Sharepoint.
  • User Experience / Testing. This is usually a term applied to applications or websites, but I apply this strategy to decks / systems so that the deliverables can be more than just one-off, custom decks.
  • Strong understanding of how to use Keynote and Power Point apps for animation. While tools like After Effects are much more powerful, you don't always need AE to tell great stories with effective animation.

Information

Conveying information in clear, affective and interesting ways is a challenge I am always up for. I particularly love diagraming and process flow charts, but this area of design is of wide interest for me, so I am always looking for new applications.

Strengths

  • Diagraming maps and flow charts in poster or PDF... but I am working on ways to branch into applications. I love logistical apps like marinetraffic.com. Seriously... LOVE stuff like this.
  • Flow charts are like mind maps to me, they are puzzles that I love to solve.

Environmental

Everywhere I go, I think of how information and directions are conveyed. I think dimensionally, physically and emotionally.

Strengths

  • I think through the experience and the space, not just design.
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Miscelanious

My curiosity is my super-strength. I don't limit myself to what I've done before, but rather approach everything with a mindset bent toward exploration. Explore, build, test, repeat.

Strengths

  • Always willing to try something new.
  • Inquisitive by nature.
  • I sweat the details.