I am a relative newcomer to the design world, but I have come a long way in a short amount of time. As a graphic designer, I take on the roles of a problem solver and visual communicator to find the best solution to a given problem. My projects allow me to speak louder than my words ever could. My process is heavily influenced by one of my professors, who once said that the process of making art should have the feel of a child playing with building blocks; this is something that has rooted itself in the back of my mind whenever I sit down to make something. I create different elements of a design and allow these forms the freedom to move about the page until they find the right fit. This playful approach to artmaking and design is the backbone of my process, and often the initial sketch will only slightly resemble the final product. When designing, I tend to use a mixture of high-contrast black and whites or bright colors on a dark background. I find these vibrant colors through experimentation, often spending an extended amount of time scrolling around the color wheel until I find something that interests me. The main inspirations for my work include history, science fiction, and fantasy. You can find these influences in projects like the "APC posters," which feature bright, almost neon colors similar to those found in laser tag arenas and blacklight posters of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The posters themselves were designed after propaganda posters made by the United States during World War II. The typeface is derived from cheesy sci-fi fonts that usually don’t have a practical use in the design world but fit right at home in a fake propaganda poster for a sci-fi space war that doesn't exist. Another project with sci-fi influences is the book cover project I did that reimagines the book that influenced the movie Blade Runner with a strange pale blue color and literally eye-catching imagery of an eyeball with a barcode. Another project with historical influences, my multi-day event branding, "Edison State Park Nights of Lights," takes direct inspiration from the art deco movement and features the real historical Edison tower that resides in Edison State Park.
