I am a multifaceted designer based in Chicago with a passion for all things visual, UI, and UX design.
With a degree in computer science and a 20-year career as a graphic designer, I’m well-versed in communicating using both technology and aesthetics. I’ve worked in environments ranging from a small museum to a pioneer in online grocery delivery, and I’ve loved adapting to each company’s unique challenges.
Outside of design, you'll find me out and about with my dog, baking cupcakes, or crafting with my friends.
Portfolio
BDO Presentations
Video Storyboards
Peapod Brand Guidelines
Peapod by Stop & Shop - New York Yankees
Peapod by Stop & Shop - CBS Bumpers
First Division Museum Girl Scout Programs
Faces of the 1st
Recipe Revolution
Bark & Addison
Resume
Experience
BDO
Visual Design Specialist January 2022 - Present
Led the design and production of visually striking, on-brand presentations that effectively communicate to diverse audiences, including internal teams and external clients
Partnered with the video production team to storyboard animated video segments for both recruiting and educational videos
Ensured all visual assets maintained consistency with the company's core visual identity, elevating the brand's presence in digital media
Fresh Midwest
Freelance Designer/Developer September 2020 - January 2022
Led front-end development to finalize the company's WordPress theme, ensuring delivery by the tight launch date
Designed and developed responsive e-mail marketing templates, driving sales and improving customer reach
Designed and developed WordPress landing pages to boost visibility of featured and seasonal products, enhancing customer engagement and sales
Peapod
Graphic Design Specialist 2 January 2019 - March 2020 Graphic Design Coordinator 1 January 2015 - January 2019
Collaborated with brand manager and outside agency Edelman to launch a new set of brand guidelines, defining our brand story, visual elements, and tone of voice
Created homepage takeover assets and in-stadium digital ads as part of a high-profile partnership with the New York Yankees
Designed and developed co-branded experiences with prominent brands like Goose Island and This Little Goat by Stephanie Izard for special events and promotional campaigns
Created animated ad bumpers in After Effects for CBS New York, broadcast during morning news and late-night TV, generating an estimated 45 million monthly impressions
Produced visually compelling images for weekly content to drive merchandising and marketing objectives
First Division Museum at Cantigny Park
Media Design/Digitization Specialist February 2010 - January 2015
Led the redesign of the museum's website, completing the project under budget by managing all front-end development myself
Designed and built microsites for special events and exhibits
Managed e-mail marketing campaigns, migrated our e-mail marketing to a more robust system, and developed responsive email templates
Created digital interactive experiences to tie in with special exhibits, adding a new form of engagement and appealing to a more diverse audience
Doubled the museum’s number of Facebook followers and expanded their presence into Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram
Other Experience
Various Companies October 2004 - February 2010
Directed brand strategy for a digital business services startup, shaping visual identity and marketing presence from the ground up
Designed and developed custom websites across diverse industries including web hosting, data centers, industrial controls, retail, and online gaming
Maintained and updated long-form documents in Adobe InDesign, including detailed product catalogs
Created a wide range of marketing materials, such as brochures, flyers, and business cards
Skills
Visual Design
User Interface Design
User Experience Design
Branding
Wireframing
Prototyping
User Testing
User Research
Social
Media Design
Print Design
Front-end Development
Presentation Design
Tools
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
After Effects
Sketch
Figma
Miro
HTML
CSS
PowerPoint
ProCreate
Wordpress
Mailchimp
Education
General Assembly
UX Design Fellow April 2020 - July 2020
Participated in an immersive 12-week program, completing over 500 hours of hands-on learning in UX design
Worked in a collaborative team of four to research, design, and present UX improvements for RecipeRevolution's mobile app
Executed both individual and group projects, demonstrating an understanding of user research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and visual design.
University of Illnois at Urbana-Champaign
BS Computer Science Application Sequence in Narrative Media
Included coursework in web design, multimedia, and graphic design
Bark & Addison is a fictional pet store that has been selling premium dog food and supplies in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago since 1995. Facing increasing competition, they are looking to improve their web presence and sell some of their most popular products online. My goal is to use user-centered design principles to convert more visitors into customers.
My role: I was the sole researcher and designer
Timeline: 2-week design sprint
Discovery & Research
Business Analysis
I looked at the websites of other online pet retailers: Chewy, Petco, Petsmart, and Pet Supplies Plus. Features were similar across their e-commerce sites. Most of them included product reviews, product suggestions, automatic shipping of food based on a customer's chosen timeline, and loyalty programs. Another common feature was the ability to add a profile for your pet, but this feature was very basic and was mainly used to track the pet's prescriptions.
User Interviews
I used a combination of questionnaires and follow-up interviews with dog owners to learn more about their demographics and determine what factors they looked for when shopping for their dogs. I compiled these insights into an affinity map to look for common themes.
Key Takeaways
Concerned with their pet’s specific health needs, and struggle to find food and treats to work with their allergies and preferences
Worry about the safety of toys and food
Price-conscious but willing to spend more for unique products
Value the convenience of big box stores and delivery, but appreciate the trustworthy and knowledgeable staff of small stores
Personas
I used the information from my research to develop two personas.
Dog owners need a way to combine the convenience of online ordering while still receiving the personalized care of a small dog boutique so they can easily take care of their dogs’ specific needs.
Hypothesis
Let the user enter information about their dogs' restrictions and preferences to automatically receive customized recommendations based on the products' metadata.
Design
Information Architecture
I ran one round of open card sorting, followed by another round of card sorting to determine how the products should be organized. The participants in both rounds were dog owners, so they had an understanding of the products
User Flows
Applying my user and competitive research, I laid out the user flows for the most common processes. Here is an example of how a user would add a pet to their account, one of the key features of this site.
To prepare for testing, I created a clickable prototype from the wireframes in InVision. I performed two rounds of user testing, with three testers participating in each round. Users were asked to purchase a bag of dog food, make a profile for their dog, and browse their dog’s suggested products
One of the key takeaways from testing was that the users weren't sure if an item had been added to their cart. I decided to have a popup appear, at least for the first time they add a product to their cart, so they were able to clearly receive that feedback.
Another issue was that some of the users weren't sure how to see their dog's suggested products as soon as they added their dog's profile. I improved that by adding a prominent button.
High Fidelity Wireframes
Taking into account the learnings from user testing, I created my final high-fidelity wireframes and prototype, using InVision.
I would further test the layout of the "shop" menu to find the best way to highlight the user's personalized recommendations
Most online pet stores offer auto-shipping on dog food, adding this would ensure repeat purchases.
Incorporate a loyalty program to increase return visits.
Tie in support for shelter dogs, as that is an issue important to many of our users.
Recipe Revolution
Consultation, audit, and proposed revisions to a recipe conversion app
Overview
Recipe Revolution is the first-ever platform that instantly converts recipes to gluten-free without sacrificing taste or consistency. Launched four months prior to our team's participation, they were looking to acquire and retain users, improve shopability, and prepare for future growth.
My role: I worked on a team of four designers: Nick Moen, Annie Golz, and René Paccha. I primarily focused on interviews, app usage analytics, persona development, wireframing, and prototyping.
Timeline: 3-week design sprint
Research
User interviews
As a team, we interviewed 8 users who fell into 3 distinct groups: those experienced in cooking gluten-free food, those who have some knowledge of gluten-free cooking, and those with no knowledge of what gluten is. Using a combination of asking them interview questions and observing them using the app, we came away with over 200 crucial interview insights.
Users wanted to take the hassle out of recipe uploading
Focus on the app's strength: Recipe Conversion
Promote the science behind the process
Highlight and explain Blends
Business Analysis
We looked at competitive apps, as well as other apps that weren't direct competitors but had similar features. During this research, it became clear to us that the recipe conversion feature was the highlight of the app and wasn't being done by anyone else. We also paid special attention to the onboarding process, since that was important to the founder and many of our interviewees weren't sure where to get started with the app.
Personas
Using our research insights, our team developed two personas. I created the persona for Lucas, a gluten-free veteran, and my teammate René worked on the persona for Kara, a mom who is learning how to cook gluten-free for her child.
Problem Statement
Users need a faster way to input recipes into the app because Users’ main focus is on converting recipes to gluten free without hassle.
Hypothesis
By making recipe input faster, users will have less hassle converting recipes and as a result the uninstall rate will improve.
Design
User Flows
One of the primary pain points in the user flow was the repetitive nature involved when adding an ingredient to a recipe.
Our team decided to revise the way users enter recipes, so they aren't stuck in a time-consuming loop for each ingredient. Instead, we decided to let them type out the recipe, and then parse the entry to separate the quantities from the ingredients. We also gave them an option to paste a URL that contains a recipe, as there are a variety of scripts that can pull the standardized recipe information from common sites.
Wireframes & Prototype
Building off this research, we began developing low-fidelity wireframes. Then, these wireframes were imported into InVision to create a prototype.
The primary issues that were uncovered in testing involved onboarding and selecting gluten-free replacements.
In the onboarding stages, the default menu was included at the bottom. This led to confusion however when users tapped items in the menu, whether on purpose or accidentally, and exited the onboarding sequence. We resolved this by removing the menu during the onboarding process
When a recipe has been entered and an ingredient is flagged for containing gluten, the users were unclear on how to choose a replacement. We decided to add an arrow to indicate that the section can be expanded.
Next Steps
With more time, we would:
Perform additional user testing
Expand shopability
Standardize recipe photography
Build a responsive website and sync with app
Curate content for learn section
Peapod by Stop & Shop - New York Yankees
In-stadium advertising and both print and digital assets
Overview
Peapod's New York brand, Peapod by Stop & Shop, was an official sponsor of the New York Yankees from 2017-2018. This gave us the opportunity to advertise our services in Yankee Stadium and on the New York Yankees official website.
My role: I handled all the design and art direction on this project from beginning to end. I collaborated with the Director of Customer Acquisition on content.
Assets
20-second animated ad that appeared on an over 200-foot wide LED banner in the Great Hall at Yankee Stadium
Digital banner that was displayed on monitors in the stands
Printed flyers that were handed out to fans at New York Yankees games
Printed logo banner behind home plate
Yankees.com homepage takeover images
Email assets promoting Peapod by Stop & Shop and New York Yankees co-branded sweepstakes
Display ads promoting the sponsorship and sweepstakes
Peapod by Stop & Shop
CBS Bumpers
Overview
I created four five-second ad bumpers to air on CBS in the New York market. The script was written by our copywriter, and the voiceover and music were added by the CBS staff. These ads ran during summer 2019 during morning and late night programming, with an estimated 45 million impressions per month.
First Division Museum Girl Scout Programs
Microsite, illustration, brochure, and print ads
Overview
I designed this set of marketing materials to promote new Girl Scout programs at the First Division Museum. I enjoyed the challenge of making a military museum appealing to young girls. I incorporated a pink camouflage background and an illustration of Rosie the Riveter in a Girl Scout uniform to present the theme of our museum in a style that spoke to our audience. I also designed an ad, in conjunction with Cantigny Park, for the Girl Scout Program Guide. I created a background of leaves and drew an original mascot for the park, to go along with our campaign.
I designed this site as both a companion and a promotional tool for the First Division Museum's summer exhibit. This site uses parallax scrolling in supported browsers and devices, adding a three-dimensional effect. I also used responsive design techniques to adapt the site for mobile and tablet use.
I worked closely with the Exhibit Specialist to design a look for the site that was consistent with the look of the exhibit. With the help of a few open source JQuery scripts, I developed the entire site on my own.
Additionally, I designed and developed interactive kiosks for the Faces of the 1st exhibit, enhancing visitor engagement through multimedia. Using a kiosk app, I locked iPads to a custom microsite featuring supplementary photos and videos, offering a more interactive and immersive experience.
BDO Presentations
PowerPoint
Overview
I have designed PowerPoint presentations for the accounting firm BDO, tailoring content for a range of audiences and purposes. These include industry-specific materials, such as accounting practices for technology, government, and non-profit sectors. Other projects are geared toward internal communications or external presentations for initiatives like campus recruiting. Each presentation is crafted to clearly convey key messages while aligning with the firm’s brand and visual standards. Selected slides from a few presentations are displayed below.
I collaborated with the video team to help bring scripts, written by subject matter experts, to life through animation. After brainstorming visual concepts with the team, I developed storyboards that mapped out each scene. Using a mix of original and stock illustrations, I created visual narratives that helped guide the animation process and ensure alignment between the script and final visuals.
Day in the Life
This is the fourth installment in a video series created for campus recruiting at BDO. The series gives potential hires a glimpse into a typical day on the job, highlighting the flexibility, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities that define the BDO work experience. The goal was to convey an authentic, engaging picture of life at BDO to help attract top talent.
These storyboards were created for the Future Proof Retail video series, which explored how emerging technologies could shape the future of the retail industry. The visuals were designed to illustrate potential challenges and opportunities, helping companies envision how they can adapt and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.
As part of a cross-functional team, I collaborated on the development of refreshed brand guidelines for Peapod, the original online grocery delivery service. Edelman, an external agency, led the creation of the brand story, positioning, values, and culture, while the brand manager handled the writing style and voice. My focus was on defining the visual identity. This included defining the color palette, typography, photography style, and other key visual elements. The result was a cohesive system that reflected Peapod’s personality and supported consistent execution across all channels. Here are a few sample pages from the 50-page document. Interested in seeing more? Get in touch!
