ABOUT ME

I've been working in online strategy and operations for Silicon Valley companies since 1995. I'm now working exclusively as a freelance consultant on both creative and technical projects. This site is my virtual business card and showcase for personal, professional and volunteer efforts.

MOUSE FOR HIRE

I'm always looking for new opportunities to share my expertise and broaden my scope. I find that the best way to learn is by doing, and there's always something new to learn. I hope I can bring my curiosity and drive to your next project.

Logo Work: yCurious

Just finished the preliminary design for a new brand identity project for genealogy aggregator yCurious. It’s at the black-and-white stage. I’ll be adding color and a tagline next.

I had the idea for the abstract dot curve in my mind when I began. I was thinking about using a spiral shape with dots increasing in size to suggest the idea of moving from the past to the future. I wanted to do something less literal than a family tree to suggest genealogy and the relationship of past and present.

I also wanted to have a strong contrast between the “y” letterform and the word “curious” to make the logo readable, even in black-and-white. I didn’t feel like a color contrast was enough.

This is the end result.


Site Refresh: Cupid’s Kitchen TV Show

I just completed a website redesign for a new TV show, Cupid’s Kitchen, that is being pitched to a variety of entertainment networks. I moved the site from flat HTML to WordPress to make it more functional for the show’s producers, giving them the ability to update it themselves. I adapted an existing WordPress theme, Feed Me, Seymour. I designed the logo which I paired with a stock illustration and a new tagline that I wrote for the show.

Before:



After:



Site Design: Content Aggregators

Just finished mock-ups for a couple of content aggregators, All My Horoscopes and Scary Paranormal Videos. Both are just at the Photoshop stage, but I thought it might be interesting to share them early in the design process.

I will have to do the CSS and image slicing once more of the content is finalized, but it’s fun to already have a sense of what the sites are going to look like. It was also fun to work on such disparate sites right after each other. The feel couldn’t be more different. :)

Facebook

I admit that I’ve spent entirely too much time on Facebook over the past year, but I’ve finally found a way to turn that to my advantage. I just finished a couple of contract jobs for Facebook app companies; one is a gaming outfit, and the other is a gift-sharing application provider. I did some creative copywriting for both of them. It was fun, but very challenging. Trying to write punchy, concise, attention-grabbing content without sounding repetitive is difficult. I enjoyed the process and am looking forward to more (paid) social media work in the future.

Left Bank

Left Bank bracelet

I’ve been working on a number of creative projects recently. In addition to my amigurumi crochet blog and store, I have also started selling jewelry that I’ve been making. I started making jewelry when I was in junior high and high school, then set it aside until about 2003 when I began making a few items for myself and for friends. I recently picked up the hobby again and am greatly enjoying it.

My line, Left Bank, is carried by Coupa Cosas in Palo Alto, CA and Renegade Handmade in Chicago. It’s a fun mix of vintage and modern elements. You can see my portfolio on my blog.