PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
I started out life drawing pictures based on observation, and I love being invited into new and different realms of creative industry.
Something wants OUT, something wants EXPRESSED. The terms, the craft, and the technicalities may vary…but the basic principles of creating anything don’t change much.
case summaryA system built to reduce bottlenecks
Klaviyo placed big bets on thought leadership content as a marketing strategy in 2023.
My team was tasked to design a visual system for the content hub that streamlined review cycles, reduced design oversight, met high speed with a low risk of quality reduction, and presented a visual departure from core branding in the social sphere. As a Director, my role was to guide the process from start to finish, and make sure the team was focused on the right things, from conceptual presentation stage, to the development stage, to launch.
Design lead: Kev Nemelka
Senior leaders: Allison Mack (Creative Director), John Goodwin (Executive CD)
Marketing leader: Tracey Wallace
Web/UX partners: Tim Rabb, Robert Yu, Tim Dwyer
case summaryOne homepage, 18 ways
Root’s new CMO was looking to gain a quick win for the Marketing department within his first 60 days.
There’s a juicy story here about how the CMO was simultaneously embezzling millions from the company (this project never went beyond a test and a win)… but let’s stay on topic. The hypothesis: if Root’s homepage gets an update, engagement will increase. The team was asked to pitch 18 unique options through 5 messaging lenses and move from concept to development for an A/B test in 14 days. As Co-creative director, I helped guide a task force of 15+ creatives (Web, Social, CX, and Campaign teams) through rapid iteration to get it done.
Co-creative director: Rachel Scherer (Creative Director, Copy)
Senior leaders: Jill Neely (Executive CD), Kelly Ruoff (Chief Brand Officer)
Design leads: Jes Martin, Rebecca McMillan, Kent Harris, Taylor Bohn, Trenton Brulport, Aaron Anderson, Connor McDunn, Wes Kull
Copy leads: Dylan Meister, Kat Kuchle, Matthew Lovett, Cecil Cross
case summaryNaming the spirit
My studio at Ologie was hired to name Middle West Spirits’ inaugural gin. This project was all hands on deck, and a designer’s crash course in wordcraft.
Our goal was to convey the contradicting qualities of strong and soft, masculine and feminine, spice and delicacy... in a harmonious way.
Tastings.com describes the flavor as complex: delightfully savory grain notes mix with understated juniper and flourishes of spice and herbs to create a culinary forward gin.
It took brainstorming outside my area of discipline, a willingness to throw unrefined ideas into the ring, and tapping into poetic insights.
Senior leaders: Kelly Ruoff (Creative Director), Adam Emery (ACD)
Label design: Cole Londerée
Copy lead: Chris Pederson
case summaryThe world in 3D
I spent four years moving fast, lean, and down-and-dirty in the world of overseas giftware manufacturing.
Designing for a company with an employee count in the thousands isn’t too far removed from this experience designing in a tiny garage studio—similar hurdles, smaller scale. I supported a very small team in tripling the product line and doubling down on sales. As a Design Director for a tiny operation, I was on the front lines of rapid connecting, vendor sourcing at trade shows in China, working white label deals, creating sales enablement materials, and overseeing production feedback.
VP: Paul Pearson
Admin: Mary Panayiotou
Sales: Becky Beebe, Cathi Hawkins
case summaryFirst-timers’ club
DSW made a bold PR play by publishing a 200-page book targeted for the NYT Bestsellers list.
Oh, and I was challenged to start designing without a manuscript or outline in hand.
The objective was to move from “We’ve never done this…we don’t know what we don’t know. Where do we even start?” to “We made this and we can use it. What did we learn, and what’s next?”
It took establishing direction and structure in an ambiguous scenario, moving forward on production without all the answers, learning to work with new limitations and specifications; plus deep listening, conversational mediation, and dot-connecting where multiple executive-level stakeholders had a say.
Senior leaders: Heather Marr (Art Director), Bryan Dow (Creative Director)
Design contractor: Barb Eicke
Marketing leaders: Kelly Cook (Marketing VP), Derek Ungless (CMO)
Publisher: Wiley
Reflection
The examples above were built under tremendous amounts of pressure.
Is it sometimes tough to distinguish helpful pressure from stupid pressure?
Yep. I have tricks for that.
A perspective shaped by many teachers
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Illustration
I began my career in retail catalog production as an assembly line illustrator, eventually growing into conceptual and layout designer for cookbooks and calendars.
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Workflow
I grew naturally into workflow management, but wasn’t great at all aspects of the role. I took that as a sign it wasn’t right for me, because I hadn’t yet learned that every natural gift comes with super wobbly spots and room for growth.
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Manufacturing
I fell into 3D giftware design and found out starting over could be invigorating. I learned about: visualizing design specs from multiple pov’s, rapid iteration, white label manufacturing, selling at trade shows, and working with overseas vendors.
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Graphic design
Next up: traditional graphic design. I fell into this, too, cutting my teeth on print and digital—from production to special projects. I DON’T love doing it all, but I sure know what it takes to switch gears.
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People management
I landed back into a managing role. Turns out I wasn’t uniquely bad at it…I just needed to practice. I feel most at home in a role that starts with the big picture, zooms down into the dots, then back out to connect them.
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Team leadership
Shifting from a managing director to an IC director has been amazing—allowing me to once again relate as a peer and lead casually by example. I believe in the efficacy of both managing and IC directors (especially when paired together).