About

As a graphic designer, I focus mainly on printed work but have experience with digital and web projects. Taking a special interest in publication and information design, I create more traditional formats with a modern twist. For example, I use a more historical serif and set the text right aligned. I tend to use soft colors throughout my work, saving brighter and bolder color to add emphasis. I am inspired by everything from Gale Towey’s use of imagery in her publication layouts and to Adrian Frutiger’s attention to detail in his typeface designs.

My design process consists of many steps, the first and foremost being research. This part of the process is important to understanding what the client wants. You have to become an “expert of sorts” in whatever you design. When I designed an infographic that discussed the outside factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes, it was imperative for me to comprehend the statistics and information in order to create an accurate final deliverable.

Conducting a competitive audit is another part of my research process. This allows me to understand what others within a field are making in relation to a specific project. Whenever I design a logo I always look at other companies within the same industry. An audit helps me find inspiration, but also insures that I am not just copying someone else’s work.

Initially, I make the conscious decision not to work with color. This forces me to have a solid design plan before moving forward; it also insures that the design has enough contrast to differentiate its components so it stands up in different situations. When I designed a map for the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library/ Learning Center at Colby-Sawyer College, it needed to include numerous elements that had to be distinguished from each other. This particular library had an odd floor plan that forced me to distinguish each floor from the other.

Though it was meant to be designed and printed in color, it also needed to be readable if printed in greyscale. This challenge forced me to think about color in more than one

way because I needed to consider how the map would translate from one format to another. I learned that using textures and varying saturations of colors made a big difference in presentation when something is printed in grayscale.

My next step entails making multiple iterations for each project. Depending on the project

I either work by hand or digitally. Even when working on web content, my initial iterations are usually done in hand sketches. This forces me to work out all of my ideas beforehand, rather than investing lots of time in digital work. No matter what method I chose to create these iterations, I show them to others and ask for feedback. This helps me proceed

and understand what people are responding to and helps me direct myself for further work.

While working on a large cookbook publication, I showed my work to other people to understand how the project would be used. Though their verbal feedback was helpful, watching how they interacted with my work helped me understand of what improvements needed to be made to make the book successful. After watching how people interacted with the cookbook, I decided that the book needed to incorporate a stand. If the book had to lay open on the counter it was not as convenient to use as it would be if the book was at an angle. Moving forward, I considered all of the responses people gave me before moving to a more refined iteration. After a final round of critiquing I presented a final copy of my work that I was satisfied with.

Learning about design has taught me how impactful designers really are. Good design is

apparent, but bad design is more obvious. Audiences receive lasting impressions by deliverables we present, making it vital that this impression is a good one. Realizing that I

had the impact to make or break someone’s impression of a product (or business) was powerful, and I knew it was vital to only produce work that made me proud and that did the client justice.