Thank you for your interest in my journey.

 

I began my career as a Production Designer, working in pre-press. I spent my day finding errors in
other designer files, editing copy, adjusting placement and layout, and retouching images to be
print ready.

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With my pre-press skills down I wanted to learn more about post-production. I got my chance when a deadline came up, by the end of the project my cutting, mounting, and laminating skills improved. After that project I was regularly asked to lend a hand.

 

I got an opportunity again, when working for a large format printing company, one of the installers got sick, and a city bus needed to be wrapped in vinyl. I offered to help, that was the first time I applied adhesive vinyl. A few more buses and I became part of the installation crew.

 

I took my production skills and strong understanding of design to an international licensing, design, manufacturing, and sourcing company. There I started as a Graphic Designer and left as the Creative Director of Special Brands.

During those years, I designed packaging, catalogs, presentations, as well as digital illustrations. One
of my favorite projects was creating the Weebok by Reebok catalogs. I helped select the child models, styled their hair and outfits, scouted the locations of the photoshoots, assited in directing the photoshoots, designed the catalog around the seasons shoe collection and photography, negotiated with the printers, and handled the shipping of the final piece. It was a lot of work but it was very satisfying when the sales team saw the final pieces. This was my first experience being an Art Director.

 

After being at the company a couple years, I went from being an Art Director to adding project manager to my list of responsibilities. I was asked to manage the building of two trade show booths: Weebok by Reebok and Polo Ralph Lauren children's shoes. These were fully built booths, one the size of a small office, and the other a large office. This was my first experience with interior design. We came away with first prize for both booths.

 

 

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The following year, we won again for the winning booth we created for Rockport Kids. We had a stellar team. One of my proud moments was when a retail fixture I helped design for Ralph Lauren Kids got placed front and center in the Macy's Herald Square store.

 

Also, during this time, I got a chance to work alongside some very talented photographers. They taught me so much about fashion and product photography, the importance of lighting, and how to frame a shot among other skills. My love of photography grew from all the photoshoots, sets, and locations that I was on or scouted. 

 

When I moved on from there, I worked as a Senior Graphic Designer for a multi-service advertising agency. It was here that I honed my skills in retouching. I learned how to create pitches and campaigns for a variety of clients. 

 

Next, I worked for a large public corporation in their visual merchandising department, designing
in-store signage, plan-a grams, and displays. This was my first time working in-house for a company
of this size. It was a completely different workflow than I was used to.

 

 

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However, here you are a part of a big team and everyone has one piece of the puzzle. You focus just on your piece and then pass it on to someone else to do their part. It taught me to be even more meticulous on how I set up my files and save my work, so that the next person could jump right in without a lot of explanation or questions. Every project was a team effort, it wasn't all riding on all on my design alone which was less stressful and it allowed me to be more creative. 

 

After this experience, I was ready to do something completely different. I took on a position at my church as; the Director of an elementary school Bible study program. I stayed there for three years,
I used my design and marketing skills to rebrand and update the program.

 

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I enjoyed teaching, learning and collaborating with my team. With the help of my volunteers, we implemented a brand-new curriculum, increased participation and revenue, and grew the number of volunteers from 2 to 20. I knew making this choice to work for a church would come with a reduction in income. Therefore, to make up for the difference, I started a freelance business, mainly doing branding and illustration work in the evenings. I also volunteered at my local elementary school, where I progressed from designing flyers to eventually being the PTA president. That is a long story,
but I will spare you the details.

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Feeling re-energized to get back to being a full-time designer, I applied to be a Senior Designer for a nationwide restaurant franchise. When I first started, I designed menus, in-store signage, circular ads, landing pages, help with the creation of thier new website and email blasts. As it had happened at other times in my career, there was a need, and I was willing to step up and help get it done. I enjoyed these opportunities because they usually meant a challenge, a project that would stretch me and grow my skills. It certainly did.

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The project was a concept restaurant that needed to be redesigned to be able to be franchised.
A prototype store had been built and was operating. Unfortunately, (for them) the designer and team who had started it no longer were with the company. Fortunately for me, I got to step in and make magic. I redesigned not just the physical space; but also the brand as a whole. This project required all the skills I had learned over the years; packaging, illustration, marketing, project management, and leadership. I learned a few new ones as well, like the principles of UX design which I used to adjust the flow of the restaurant and some operating processes. I opened three more stores for them with a talented team of professionals.

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Not long after the last restaurant was complete, there was an offer made to buy the whole company. Word came down that no employees were staying,  just a transition team. Since the current owner appreciated all the work I had done for him, I continued to work with him on other projects. Once the company was sold. He set me up to open my own business, and he was my first customer.

I still own my own freelance design business today. I have a diverse array of clients from different industries. One of those industries handles sewing and needlecraft supplies. I design packaging and products as well as create surface patterns for them. Designing patterns never crossed my mind until I started working with them. After some time and a good deal of research, I have a new passion, surface design. Recently, I started working on building a pattern collection of my designs, when I can find some time of my own that is.

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I was lucky enough to keep a couple of my clients during covid but I loss some of the others. It has been a whole new landscape now, post covid. Working from home used to feel so liberating but once we were made to stay home for so long it lost it's charm and I am ready for a new adventure. Also personally things have changed in my life and I have more time to devote to a new chapter. 

 

With that being said, I would like the opportunity to connect and work with other professionals, be it on a temporary project or a full-time position. I am open to small studios or big corporations depending on the position.

If you are intrested in working together click the contact button below and leave me a message.

Thank you for your time!