I like to create designs that express a brand's core vision.
Design Philosophy
I like to get to the bottom of a project and discover the real heart of a brand in order to represent that brand to its fullest potential. I believe that every branding should not only appeal to the business' audience, but should also give off a distinct impression.
Design is a way to make everything we see beautiful and maximize a brand's appeal. Just as a great painting will brighten up a room or a new plant makes a space more homey, graphic design makes the world a more beautiful place, for the benefit of consumers and businesses alike.
Biography
I am originally from Northern Virginia, about 15 minutes outside of Washington D.C. I made my first logo when I was nine for a fictional business called "Amber and Hannah," where my friend and I sold walking sticks we found in the woods. When I was ten I began working with Adobe Photoshop and my dad gave me this very website as a gift. I have been working on it ever since, and it has evolved from a place to put pictures of my cats into my professional portfolio.
After I started working with Photoshop, other programs soon followed. When I was in middle school, I found myself playing around with Flash (back in the Macromedia days) and even tried to make a simple music video with it.
When I was thirteen I found a digital artist named Sandara, who inspired me to create digital paintings with Photoshop. Soon afterwards I found a network of art sites dedicated to making website layouts and photomanipulations, and I immediately began learning as much HTML and CSS from my dad as I could. I borrowed his big, heavy coding books and started creating my own website layouts. It was around this time that I realized my passion for web design.
Since then, I have always tried to learn more about web and interactive design, updating my skills and mindset as new technologies arose and new techniques were developed. I began attending Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California in 2009, where the Web Design and New Media department fit my passions perfectly. I immediately molded into the curriculum, refining my skills and developing new interests. The New Media department created such a great level of community; without my wonderful teachers and fellow students, I doubt I would be half the designer I am today.
Today, I continue to expand my knowledge of graphic, web, and motion design through fellow designers, articles, and seminars. I believe that perfecting one's craft is a lifelong endeavor, and I intend to be enjoying design for as long as possible. Throughout my life I've devoured almost every design related skill I've found out about, from Photoshop and Illustrator to web coding, to animation, to even photography. I believe that all of these are interconnected because one needs to understand the other components involved in design and create with them in mind. Also, I find it all fascinating!
Contact Me
Feel free to contact me to give feedback on my website, inquire about my availability, or just say hi!
Email:
Resume:
Portfolio:
Download interactive portfolio
Achievements
1st Place Academy of Art Spring Show in Web Design New Media for Motion Graphics piece “Human Anatomy”
2nd Place SAIC Technology and the Arts Competition 2008 for Digital Art piece “Renewal”