About me
I got my start in design at 16 in a vocational program, competing in SkillsUSA and placing 6th nationally. That early experience taught me something I've carried ever since: design is a discipline, not a decoration.
I went on to earn a BFA from UMass Dartmouth, where my senior thesis (a fully realized brand for a fictional confection company) confirmed my love of systems. Brand, product, type, motion, code. I've never been content staying in one lane, and for 16+ years that range has been my edge.
Most of my career has been spent as a first or founding designer: the person who builds the design function from scratch, shapes the visual language, and makes sure the work compounds over time. At Laylo I've spent the last five years as the sole designer across product, brand, marketing, and systems.
My philosophy is rooted in the Japanese concept of Teinei — doing things with care and conscientious intention. It's what separates design that merely works from design people remember.
Work history
Laylo
Head of Design May 2021 — present
Embark Veterinary
Design Consultant, Senior User Experience Designer, and Web Designer October 2019 — August 2021
Worldways Social Marketing
Creative Lead / Visual Media Designer August 2015 — October 2019
The ADK Group ›
Lead Graphic Designer August 2013 — May 2015
A few other things
Active mentor
I work regularly with emerging designers, especially those navigating the early career moments that tend to be under-resourced.
Media enjoyer
All visual storytelling- film, animation, theatre. If it tells a story through image I'm probably watching it or recommending it to someone who didn't ask.
Learning Japanese
Working my way through the language, mostly so I can enjoy the media I love the way it was meant to be heard.
SkillsUSA RI chair
I help judge and mentor student designers at the same competition where I got my own start. Paying it forward is non-negotiable.
Capabilities
- Brand Identity
- Art direction
- Product design
- Design systems
- Design leadership
- Creative direction
- Typography
- Front-end development
- Photography
- Motion & animation
- Metaphors
Why the lava-lamp?
The animated header of my portfolio is composed with a WebGL shader. I love axiomatic systems and ‘living design’. The smokey, plume-y, blobby forms are meditative to me. I’m fascinated with new tech and wanted to create something that visually represents how I see design- as a living and evolving flux that is visually compelling and dramatic, but also peaceful.