About

A friend once asked me, “Do you really want to go into design?” Whenever you start out in a creative field you have to know that what you’re doing has to be more than a hobby or something you’re good at; it must be your passion. For me, that question, “Do you really want to go into design?” opened the door to a long list of other questions such as: “ What do I want?” “How will I go after it?” and “Is this really what I want to do?” Design, for me, is more than merely making things visually appealing, or easily consumable, it allows for me to be a problem solver who cares about what people see and experience.

Being a designer requires more than just an understanding of Adobe products, it requires people skills, as you’ll need to talk with and listen to clients, consumers and team members. Business skills so that you can maintain excellent client relationships and keep documentation current. Project management skills are crucial to planning for proper design, build, review and change periods, so you don’t over-promise and under-deliver. Research needs a place as well, so ideas are bolstered by facts and technology is supported by testing. Plus, some raw talent and hard work are essential to a designer’s success overall.

Since the day I was asked about being a designer, it has become more and more evident that I can’t turn off my creativity, it’s a big part of who I am. It’s been my passion since I first discovered photography as a child (with a point-and-shoot Ninja Turtles camera no less.) I see things through the lens of design, noticing small details both good and not so good that jump out at me. This sensitivity combined with my desire to help people and make the world a better, more accessible place to live, motivate my design and its application in a variety of mediums from print to digital.

For me, I strive to continually evolve, learn, and do my best to not limit myself to one field or idea. I believe that my job is to help solve problems by crafting products and experiences that are useful, usable, appealing and that build loyalty. I am a resource to educate others if they have any issues/problems, and as a guide/sounding board to make sure that the team has what they need to complete the work in time.

I have a background in graphic/web and front-end application design and photography, holding a BA in Fine Arts from the Roski School of Art and Design at the University Southern California and an MFA in Graphic Design from the University of Edinburgh. Currently, I’m based in the greater Boston, MA area. I’m a Bethlehem, PA native.