About
As I look back now, design has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember -- as a kid I would cut up my dad’s business newsletters and rearrange them so that the content made more sense. Although I didn’t initially pursue a career in design, my varied background in crisis intervention, higher education, and startup tech has helped me develop the soft skills I needed to approach design with empathy and understanding of others’ needs.
While I worked in these varied fields, I learned multiple skills but I couldn’t help and feel that I wasn’t following my true passion.
In 2018 I sold most of my things and moved into a campervan to work remotely and see all 50 US states in a year. Traveling from state to state, city to city, I was constantly experiencing new and different communities. This and the drastic change in my living environment gave me a new perspective.
I noticed the difference in design for utility; the kayaks used for navigating the Wailua River versus the Everglades – you really don’t want to risk tipping in the latter. I saw a difference in designing for communication; the change in layout of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum versus the Met in NYC. I recognized the power of design to translate the same message to diverse people using a variety of mediums.
I met people, a lot of different people. Jessie and Sophia from Mobile, Alabama who told me about their passion for travel and stigmas they faced in their own community against traveling. Phil from Indio, California, a teacher for underprivileged students that makes a killer sous vide steak. Karen from Juneau, Alaska who opened up about her battle with cancer and showed me how to forage for the right kind mushrooms. Dan from Salem, Massachusetts who taught me all of the Irish toasts I’ll need to know for a lifetime.
I love that design can be a communication tool that spans all languages and cultures. Even when I can’t read or write the local language, I can usually find out where the bathroom is from signage.
