RESEARCH STATEMENT

Four components inform my design research:

1. Creating thoughtful and well-designed projects that meet my client’s goals.

2. Exploring emerging print technologies and specialty printing.

3. Creating networking opportunities for myself and other designers.

4. Accept new challenges that push my skill sets.

1. Creating thoughtful and well-designed projects that meet my client’s goals.

My client roster is diverse: education, mental health services, energy companies, and luxury goods, but the goals remain the same. To create unique design solutions that fit their desired outcomes. To do that, my clients and I explore and define: What are the deliverables, budget, target audience, desired effect, timeline, etc? Sometimes this is completed through an online design questionnaire or a Zoom/ phone conversation. Finally, I communicate the design process so that expectations are clear. This honest and authentic approach has created solid long-term relationships with my clients.

2. Exploring emerging print technologies and specialty printing.

During my tenure at StoneHouse Marketing as the Director of Graphic Design & Creative Services/VP of Communications, I was fortunate to be introduced to the Scodix digital spot UV and foil variable press. This equipment is considered the new frontier for foil and spot UV enhancements. The ability to create design work that doesn’t have to utilize a static and expensive die offers the opportunity to explore variable data is a game changer. The designer can change the tone through image selection and foil/uv decoration. Using this technology, I created the marketing collateral for StoneHouse and acted as the Scodix educator for their client base. Currently, I am the preferred contract designer for Scodix USA. These experiences have taught me two things: 1) while still a premium product, the cost of specialty enhancements will be accessible to all designers at a reasonable rate, and 2) that designers must know how to design for variable data incorporated into design work. With digital variable enhancements, print design can be more fluid and offer a unique experience customized to meet clients’ target individual demographics. It’s a game-changer.

3. Creating networking opportunities for myself and other designers I interact with.

“Teamwork is the dream work.” I am most proud of having positive relationships with a diverse set of collaborators, designers, printers, and industry professionals. I enjoy meeting new people and making professional and personal connections. There is a reason that I have worked with the same clients and designers for years. No competition. I’m not out to steal a client. I love to work in tandem with other designers. I’m not going to take a client to another printer. My trustworthiness as a partner and teammate is of utmost importance to me. When you adopt the mantra of “teamwork is the dream work,” you stop being on an island and discover a large community of like-minded people willing to help each other succeed. That can include professional recommendations, sharing printing knowledge, client relationship building, or general knowledge and experiences in a classroom setting. THE ONLY PERSON YOU ARE IN COMPETITION WITH AS A DESIGNER SHOULD BE WITH YOURSELF. WE ALL HAVE OUR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND INTERESTS.

4. Accept new challenges that push my skill sets.

I have the drive and desire always to push myself creatively and from a technical perspective. Once you understand the design process (broken down to the basic steps of Question, Plan, Create, Revise, and Finalize), you can design any project whether or not you have experience in a particular medium, etc. For example, I am developing a set of murals for a client. Have I designed murals before? No, but I understand how to create large format pieces; I have the materials and printing knowledge from different experiences and a fantastic team of printers to pose questions to and who will print and install the final solution.