Beyond Design

My passions and purpose lie in more than pixels and hexadecimal codes.

A Call To Adventure ⛰️

My story began in the public housing of central Florida. Through a rollercoaster of ups and downs, exploring art and writing became the thing that got me through it. Little did I know that my seemingly silly hobbies of graphic design, web coding, and video editing would become my full-time career when I was unable to attend college.

But what is the point in talking about this? 🤷🏻‍♀️
Since becoming a full-time, self-taught designer, I’ve made it my mission to help others with similar lived experiences. By speaking up about inequities in access to design education and by having honest conversations about the many different pathways to industry, we’re able to imagine a stronger future where all can chase their dreams – no matter what zip code they’re born into.

Let's dream bigger together.

The Power of Homegrown Community

As chapter president of AIGA Tampa Bay, I rebuilt board operations of the 501(c)(3) which had been fully inactive for the previous three years. I recruited and trained a working board from 0 to 8 directors by the end of my term. During that time I also developed standard operating procedures for all areas and strategies for chapter management including community event organization and marketing efforts.

In those two years, we organized approximately over fifteen events and workshops, including partnership events with the Dali Museum, Et Cultura, Oxford Exchange, Creative Mornings St. Pete, local breweries and restaurants. Event topics were focused on uniting the creative community and exploring professional development topics. Our work connected people to new jobs and provided affordable learning opportunities.

Fostering an inclusive industry

After relocating to Los Angeles in 2018, I was nominated to the board of AIGA Los Angeles. On the board of directors, I served one term each as Social Media Director and Vice President of Operations.

As Social Media Director, I directed and delegated to a team of communications volunteers in curating daily posts for our editorial calendar, with a focus on highlighting local work and UGC from our community.

In addition to developing communications strategies and project managing social media channels, I completed initiatives such as developing our No Harm Guidelines and Escalation Plan for Crisis Communications.

We also had some good times launching the chapter’s TikTok channel, where I occasionally make an appearance.

A Catalyst for and Champion of Accessible Design Education

For my second and final term as Vice President of Operations, I organized and led the rewrite of the chapter’s bylaws and developing processes to maintain non-profit compliance. I also worked on fun things like RACI documents and SOPs which helped the board and executive team prioritize events and projects.

In addition, I was a member of the team which helped launch both AIGA LA’s partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Career Technical Education Arts, Media & Entertainment (AME) program, and AIGA’s collaboration with California’s Department of Education to rewrite the state’s design education standards. These programs support the chapter’s goal of inspiring the workforce of the future and creating equitable pathways into the design industry, which will ultimately help create a more diverse workforce.

Giving Back Through Cultivating Talent

Being a self-taught designer means I know the value online-courses can provide, both for beginning and enhancing a career. As a designated Top Teacher on Skillshare, I taught design and front-end development classes to help other designers add to their toolkits. I currently have five classes available to stream on Skillshare.

EncouragING Artistic Expression

During the Covid-19 lockdown, I utilized Twitch streaming to reach and interact with a larger audience of creatives and potential creatives. My pre-scheduled live streams explored using different design tools and also served as office hours where new designers can interact and get their questions answered.

Heart in the clouds,
Feet towards the future.

With nearly a decade of in-house design experience, I am able to easily work with a variety of industries. My background in marketing, communications, and front-end web development gives my design work a problem-solving and empathy-first approach, making me a valuable asset on any team.