While I reside in the southwest corner of the U.S., I'm originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
 
I started my own practice in 2003.

Before I took the leap as an independent consultant, I was a designer and manager at ThoughtForm Inc., in Pittsburgh.

My customers value my approach. I have a friendly, unassuming style, but I ask challenging questions. I seek to understand the broader business context and goals of my clients, and then I tailor solutions that make sense for each situation. I have worked with a wide variety of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to small non-profits.
 
My client list includes:

• McDonald’s

• Steelcase Inc.

• Procter and Gamble

• Deloitte

• Gensler 

• UPMC University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

• RadioShack

• Carnegie Mellon University, School of Design

• Carnegie Museum of Natural History 

• Mount Lebanon Village

• The Source for Learning

 
Most of the corporate work I've done has centered on making complex information (often training material) easier to access and understand. I love the challenge of developing a strategy for a whole body of content and creating a system by which it is designed, deployed, and continually updated.
 
I am very interested in using design to help non-profits showcase their capabilities and create educational content for their constituents. I have a long-standing relationship with The Source for Learning in Reston, Virginia, where I’ve had the opportunity to consult on their strategic design process, branding, and wide array of educational products.
 
I’ve also worked with the scientists in the section of Invertebrate Zoology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History to showcase their work in a variety of ways, with designs for publications, brochures, and presentation. I believe there is a role for designers to work with scientists to better explain the importance of what they do, and how their work impacts us all.
 
I have substantial experience as a design educator. I have taught design at the college level, for undergrad and graduate students since 2008. I’ve been an adjunct instructor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design, and CMU’s Human Computer Interaction Institute for most of those years. More recently, I’ve also taught online courses for Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
 
I hold a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a master’s degree in public management, both from Carnegie Mellon University.