My path to design

The path is not always a straight line. Although I've always had an artistic side, it took me a while to realize that I wanted to make a career out of it.

Growing up, I learned how to draw from copying comic books and how to craft with other materials from watching my mother, a talented quilter. My first layout project was a single issue of a newspaper about my family that I produced to mail to my cousins. Despite my early love for art, I was sure law was in my future and I earned a degree in Political Science and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

After college, I moved to Boston and began to realize that at heart I wasn't a lawyer but a designer. While working full-time at a law firm downtown, I took evening classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I completed the graphic design program at SMFA in December of 2012 and never looked back.

My design career began at SHIFT Communications, and I also worked for several freelance clients. Next, I worked as the Art Director in Emmanuel College’s Office of Marketing Communications, producing major marketing pieces for Admissions, Alumni Relations, Althetics and the Office of the President. For the past five years, I’ve been leading design for the corporate brand as the Senior Communications Designer at Zillow.

The best feeling as a designer is the moment when you hand someone the visual manifestation of their concept and they say, "Yes! This is what we needed!" or even, "This is better than I even imagined." There is also nothing better than the feeling of mastering a new skill. Designing challenges me and makes me happy. I’d love the chance to take on your design challenges. Let’s talk!