About Me

As a kid, I was struck by the realization that so much of what I interacted with was designed by someone. Having grown up in an artistic family surrounded by beautiful things, it occurred to me that maybe I could be that someone, the person who designed things people loved to interact with. In pursuit of that idea, I studied Design | Media Arts at UCLA. The program fueled my passion for clear communication and expanded my understanding of the ways effective design can make our lives better.

I figured out pretty quickly that I didn’t want to do just any design work. I didn’t want to contribute to the visual clutter we deal with every day, and I didn’t want to sell products that people didn’t need or would quickly discard.

For me to pursue a career in graphic design, I would need to support companies that were doing good things in the world. I wanted to help them get their ideas out in a way that was both beautiful and functional.

For me, beautiful means there is a visual flow, and while artistic illustrations and renderings can contribute to the beauty, so can visual space, clear hierarchies, and copy that perfectly fills (but doesn’t over-fill) the space it occupies. (Note: I do not write copy, but I do help organize, edit, and hone content to clarify the message.) These design choices should be invisible to the audience, but the experience should allow them to relate to the material in a way that is impactful and helpful. I love thinking through these things with my clients!

I have worked professionally as a graphic designer since 2008, when I started my small freelance business here on the Mendocino Coast. I have had the extreme privilege to work closely with many local, mission-driven companies and organizations, helping them create compelling visual identities with branding and logos, illustrations, as well as informational graphics for interpretive panels, brochures, and annual reports. I have been collecting different art medium skills my whole life, and love incorporating a sense of hand-made art into my graphics.

Since 2010, I have also served as the creative director for a national education non-profit that hosts a conference for thousands of attendees. I rebrand the conference every year to keep it fresh and exciting. The creative work includes online graphics; a printed program and other documents for attendees, speakers, and others; graphics for digital signage and session screens; and environmental graphics for registration booths, author counters, and directional signage in the conference center. I also design internal documents and forms to help streamline in-house procedures–when people can see their colleagues’ ideas displayed visually or a visual representation of where various projects stand, it’s easier to collaborate. This work gives me the opportunity to use design to help our team do their jobs more efficiently.

I love to work intimately with clients, to brainstorm ways we can use good design to help them do their work more effectively and communicate with their audiences in a meaningful way.

I love working with clients who share my values, including a love for nature, science, farming and food, education, and in general, being considerate human beings who care for each other and the planet.

I also love designing maps and charts.

I take my job as a designer seriously. My work comes in on time and on budget. That said, creativity is often most abundant when there’s a sense of play, humor and fun–and I welcome any chance to share this with clients.

For clients who haven’t worked with a designer before, it’s important to understand that design takes a lot of creative energy, which often requires a little space and contemplation time. I co-create project timelines with clients so we all get what we need to do our best work (including timely responses on both sides to keep the project moving).

At this point of my career, I have the freedom to be selective about who I work with. I seek clients who enjoy the collaborative process and work with mutual admiration and respect. I love working with all of my clients and consider our ongoing relationships a gift.

Every client and every project is different! I do not have a one-size-fits-all approach. I am happy to have a conversation to see if I’m the best designer for your project, considering the creative needs, budget, timeline, and any other project requirements.

Please be in touch if you're interested in working together!

You can contact me at noedesigns@gmail.com.

BA DESIGN | MEDIA ART
UCLA