Broad skills,
deep expertise.
I’ve done a lot, and I’ve learned a lot. Each job has taught me something, whether it’s how to prepare separations for T-shirt printing or how to make an “ice cream” that won’t melt under hot studio lights (Crisco!). I like to think that I’ve taken the most useful lessons with me and rolled them all together into a pretty diverse skill set. Nothing excites me more than a new challenge, though, so if I don’t know how to do something, you can bet I’ll figure it out.
What can I do for you?
Creative Direction
I’ve managed creative teams of 2 to 15 people, taken the lead on agency projects, and handled external collaborators. Great design work isn’t made in a vacuum, and I thrive on giving and receiving feedback.
Gamification
A lifelong love of video games and a 2,263-day Duolingo streak (and counting!) led me to seek out opportunities for game design in my own career. I successfully led the team developing Pear Practice, a gamified K-12 learning product, to 1.5 million practice sessions and 40% of students practicing on their own time.
Team Management
I take an empathetic, collaborative approach to management. Mentorship, fostering creative growth, and treating people like people are the ways I build highly effective, productive teams.
Inclusive Design
Good design isn’t good design unless it’s for everybody. From accessibility frameworks like WCAG to cultural and ability-related considerations, I bring deep intent and thorough research to representation in my creative work.
Product & Brand Design
I love shepherding a vision from Post-It Note to launch day. Working with a team to understand the mission, form goals, and alchemize those ideas into impactful products is my favorite creative challenge.
Print & Layout Design
My career began in print, merchandise, and editorial design sixteen years ago, and it’s still near and dear to my heart. I love designing a magazine spread, a covetable tote bag for an event, or the perfect postcard to promote a product.
Illustration
Illustrator, Procreate, Photoshop, or good old pen and paper — if I can draw on it, I probably will. While I specialize in digital illustration, I aim to bring an unmistakably human feel to my work, regardless of how it’s made.
Music Composition & SFX
Sometimes stock audio just doesn’t cut it. For the project that needs a really special sound, I compose and produce music tracks using Soundtrap and Adobe Audition. All music and sounds for Pear Practice were created right here in my home office (which is why my husband works from a coworking space).
Copy & Narrative Writing
Everything I do is about crafting a story. Sometimes it’s conveying the vision of a brand to its audience; sometimes it’s distilling complex financial information into three minutes of clear, accessible script; sometimes it’s writing dad jokes to accompany rewards in a game. Writing is my oldest love, and one I return to again and again.
Animation & Video
Animation is a natural development of illustration — if you like to draw, chances are, eventually you’ll want to see it move. I produce in-product animations in Rive, Lottie, and Spine, make promotional videos in Adobe After Effects and Character Animator, and use writing and storyboarding skills to bring stories to life.
Productivity & SaaS Tools
It’s all well and good to have a grand creative vision, but if you can’t stay organized, it’s not going anywhere. I have extensive experience in GSuite and Microsoft Office, HubSpot, Wrike, Jira, Confluence, Miro, Slack, and have been told by two separate coworkers that my Photoshop layers are the most organized they’ve ever seen.