Creative professionals generally have a certain style that they encompase. I do not. I have a preference: a personal self image, but I do not limit myself. I love matching the style of the brand to the brand's audience. These are a couple of style explorations I've prepared. They represent two extremes. I have another that I plan on adding soon.
The Refined style is intended to show class and sophistication with a quiet confidence. Rich browns, paired with muted tans, magical cold greys provide a subtle but powerful contrast, enhancing photographic imagery and subtle script and serif heading fonts. Then, an apple blossom to accent the traditional hues in an elegant embrace.
The Vibrant style is intended to turn heads. It's inspired by the effort of finding a tradeshow booth among a sea of neutrality or scrolling through a list of profiles. It starts with a yellow and black combination, which statistially gets people to stop and look. Then an intentional variety of secondary and tertiary colors to show a multitide of exciting emotions. Vector imagery and special effects are used to enhance the vibrancy of the colors.
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My creative philosophy centers on intentionality—ensuring that every design decision serves a purpose and aligns with brand identity and market demands.
A professor and mentor in college decades ago taught me that the first rule of design is to "never design without a concept", and a second rule that I've included in my creative process is to "never build a concept without a purpose". From this, I have always had an aversion to "design for the sake of design". This applies to content as well...
With over 20 years in the industry, I've mastered the art of creating visuals that resonate deeply with target audiences and masterfully echo the brand.
Content creation is another cornerstone of my expertise. I've studied and practiced various content methodologies such as the "Pain Island and Pleasure Island" theory and the "StoryBrand framework" to ensure a solid "brand voice". I have a passion for ensuring that every element, from visuals to copy, tells a unified story.
Beyond my personal contributions, I take pride in mentoring creative specialists, fostering their growth, and building cohesive teams capable of delivering exceptional, purpose-driven work.
I approach brand as a living, evolving entity. By leveraging CRO principles and market trends, I optimize digital platforms to enhance user engagement and generate high-quality leads that turn into contacts.
I'm an advocate for refreshing outdated visuals and content and crafting new content flow and layout strategies. "Stay relevant and compelling as you grow." My work extends beyond aesthetics; it's about positioning the brand as a leader in the industry...
My recent CEO, on several occasions, described me as a "secret weapon," making the company appear larger than it really was. This interprets to creating lasting impacts in competitive markets.
As the top Atlassian Solution partner, the goal was to always stay on top. My initiative for all of our creative positioning was to keep us standing out among the competitors.
I'm a creative professional with a twist: I can code and have technical expertise. The ability to blend creativity with technology has always given me an edge. I love creating custom front-end solutions to ensure that websites are not only visually appealing but also strategically aligned with user interactions and styled with a consistent brand approach. Writing code that functions appropriately; designing custom modules for various platforms, CRMs, CMSs, and web apps; and executing full-scale website overhauls while maintaining functionality, I prioritize user experience and consistency. This aligns well with my CRO principles.
I also have hands-on experience with one of the pioneers of UX design that further informs my approach, as well as working with various other leaders in the industry. That, tied with my knowledge of the evolution of the user experience practice, ensures that every interaction is intuitive and impactful.
My specific blend of "jack-of-all-trades" applies to quicker and more integrated experiences without taking the time of other internal or external resources.
In my recent role with a top Atlassian Solution Partner, I've expanded my skill set to include project management and Agile methodologies. Managing projects efficiently while maintaining a high level of creative output requires a deep understanding of tools, processes, and the people I work with. I've developed a "results-driven mindset" that ensures goals are met with precision. This blend of creativity and operational excellence allows me to approach challenges holistically, delivering work that is efficient, innovative, and effective.
In this role, I've lead, planned out, and executed several large initiatives.
A sidebar note about AI:
As any realistic professional might agree, I can't ignore the potential of AI. I'm an advocate for functional code, flawlessly branded designs, and human-centric content. AI struggles significantly with these areas and that's not going to change. While we can't rely on AI to handle responsibilities end-to-end, it has the power to amplify productivity, effectively making one specialized individual as efficient as multiple... especially as a professional specializing in multiple areas.
I've been integrating AI into my workflow since it became widely accessible, and my previous company recently adopted it at scale. AI excels at streamlining tasks: from drafting content for refinement and proofreading to brainstorming design concepts and generating partially usable graphic elements. AI does not deliver perfect results (especially for brand-critical work), but it does provide a springboard that saves time and inspires creativity, essentially cutting out the boring parts.
With hands-on experience and continued education in AI applications and prompt engineering, I've mastered ways of thoughtfully leveraging AI's capabilities in virtually everything I do. I believe the future belongs to those who know how to use AI effectively to navigate their processes.
"AI won't replace jobs, but people who know how to use AI will replace those who don't."