• My design education at IWU stressed the conceptual side of design.
• My internship at Media Options under the wonderful art director, Michelle Chrisanti, really gave me a good understanding of pre-press and how the design system works.
• Then everything just busts wide open when I went to Sales Solutions. There I jumped in as an art director at this very small agency with big name clients. I have proven excellent conceptual and illustration skills that clients praise time and again.
• At Tribune Media Services has shown me how to work with many more people, bigger budgets_____
  

Many of the projects I've done begin with the concept stages. I enjoy hitting the ol' drafting board and sketchin' up a ton of ideas. Or gathering with others to have a brainstorm session. I will then carry them through the design stage while seemlessly incorporating my illustrations.

The digital age is awesome for what it has brought to us in design. Being able to blur the distinctions of designer, illustrator, prepress to achieve the highest quality and remarkably creative results possible.

I also embrace putting on non-design hats and being in new learning situations

When working for the small agency, it has really gave me an understanding first hand of how a business works as I have put my hands into every aspect of the infrastructure of a business such as:

• Developing vendor and client databases
• Developing in-house promotions
• Creating an archival and storage system for digital and paper files
• Helping input and organize financials
• Of course; design, illustration, concepts, prepress, client meetings and quoting hours
  

This blurring of distinctions in hats is a strong point to me not only at work, but also on my own personal projects as I am the founder, administrator, webmaster and president of Artiwu, IWU's young art alumni and student connection. This illustrates my love for really doing something meaningful with my talents in art, design, and coordination.

Also know your place and learning how to expand your responsibilities

At Tribune Media Services I quickly learned that in such a large organization it makes sense for every person to have their responsibilities, so the whole structure doesn't go hay-wire. Taking the proper protocol for proceding with developing projects to keep things on track and schedule.

However, with any structure the rules can be bended around and sometimes even broken. Instead of staying in my own little corner being a happy monkey, I like to see how I can expand my responsibilities and achieve more the company (and myself). A valuable thing to realize is knowing when certain things are in need by others, and fulfulling them without having to be told to do so.

All of this is made possible by the people that I have worked with.

I am very grateful that the people around me have been very helpful and a joy to be with. I believe it is really the people around you that define who you are. Throughout my website, I have tried to give thanks to those who have helped me with all these various projects.

Organization is a key component to getting the creative side done efficently.

Sales Solutions:

• Daily Status Report on my computer for both my boss and myself
• I am currently developing a timesheet program with Filemaker 4.1 and Applescript. This program will enable the user to accuratley time their projects as they work on them via a stop watch on their computer. When you start a project, just select from the menu at the top the project. When you're done, just select the project from the handy menu and it will automatically record your hours in a database.
• Created the company file database with Extensis Portfolio
• Established the archiving system
  

Tribune Media Services:

Computer Maintaince and Repair

Yeah, my techie side. But I also extemely enjoy helping and teaching others.

Since my school days as the design lab computer technican, I have been delved into the many problems that a Macintosh may bring.

I have also had the sole responsiblity of solving all the computer problems at Sales Solutions. I kept myself up to date on the all developments in the Macintosh area. I subscribed to numerous email discussion groups. I was also reponsible for all the computer purchases at Sales Solutions. I am always on the lookout for new computer programs to enhance and improve the way we do business. I'm also a big nut for utilities on the Mac.

And that carried over to Tribune Media Services. Although we have a Macintosh tech person on staff. The designers still come to me first for any quick fix.

Reading

I not only try to keep on top of what's new in the computer world, I also keep up with what's happening in the design and art world. Yeah okay, that's just almost a standard to look through Print, CA, etc. But I just don't look at the pretty pictures. I try to read these magazines from cover to cover. (I've got lots of time on the train!) Plus, I love being able to share what I read with the folks in my <a href="http://www.artiwu.org">artiwu</a> group.

I'm also a big theory nut.