I have a habit of noticing what matters. I've learned to trust my instincts. Sometimes I know something is right or that something is off, long before I can explain why. I also try to get outside of myself and think about the person on the other end. How will they see it? How will it make them feel? I like things that are beautiful, but I need there to be a reason behind the beauty. The idea and the way it looks should belong together. I'm always looking for the human part of things. I try to clear away what's getting in the way and leave something that feels simple, meaningful, and worth noticing.
I've been creative director at Grant Design Collaborative since 2000, which is a long time to spend thinking about why some things just feel right, and others don't. My career before Grant took me from Chicago to Miami and gave me the chance to work across just about every scale of design. In Chicago, I was part of a three-person team that branded Motorola Cycling, a professional road racing team, creating everything from the identity to vehicle graphics and communications for a team competing on the world's biggest stages, including the Tour de France. Later, in Miami, I led the rebrand of the Miami Art Museum, with work spanning identity, exhibitions, environmental graphics, campaigns, catalogs, and membership. Since joining Grant, I've continued that range of work, including creating the identity for the renowned Blackberry Farm and leading a broader rebranding effort for the Relais & Châteaux resort through seasonal campaigns, photography, publications, and other guest experiences.
My work has appeared in AIGA 365, Communication Arts, STEP, Contract Magazine, Graphic Design USA, HOW, Interior Design, Metropolis, and Print. I've picked up two IIDA Creative Excellence Awards, two GlobalShop Best of Show awards for exhibit design, and Best of Show in AIGA Atlanta's SEED Awards. I was also part of the work that earned Grant a 2023 GOOD DESIGN Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum, and an exhibition I designed for MUZAK was featured in The New Trade Show Design. Before Grant, I served on the AIGA Miami Board of Directors from 1997 to 2000.
When I'm not designing, I'm usually making something or staying active. I CrossFit regularly, road bike in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, and continue to make fine art, particularly assemblage work. My art has earned a Best of Show in Chattanooga, Tennessee, along with an Award of Excellence from the American Craft Council.