DESIGN GALLERY
The cover for my Carnegie Mellon professional writing portfolio. I chose the color and the repeating geometric pattern because they felt professional but were unique enough to be memorable.
The table of contents. Balancing the size and spacing of different titles was difficult, since I didn't title the pieces with a design this bold in mind.
This section was a challenge only because I didn't have a lot to say in the body text, compared to some of the other sections.
The cover for my Carnegie Mellon professional writing portfolio. I chose the color and the repeating geometric pattern because they felt professional but were unique enough to be memorable.
Project | 06
Project | 06 : CMU Writing Portfolio
2014
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The portfolio I assembled at Carnegie Mellon University was primarily centered on my writing, but I also used my design skills in the final product. Specifically, I designed the portfolio using Illustrator and Photoshop to look professional but also eye-catching, for the purpose of impressing prospective employers.
I studied a number of past covers to ensure that the style and headlines I was using were as close to those in the real magazine as possible. Using Patrick Stewart as the person featured on the cover was a moment of self-indulgence.
I designed this image in Adobe Illustrator, based on the theme of the article--the similarities in features and treatments between traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and Alzheimer's Disease.
The sidebar on this page disrupts the three-column layout somewhat, but adds visual interest. The end result of this project is that none of the pages are quite alike, and I'm very satisfied with that.
I studied a number of past covers to ensure that the style and headlines I was using were as close to those in the real magazine as possible. Using Patrick Stewart as the person featured on the cover was a moment of self-indulgence.
Project | 05
Project | 05 : AARP Magazine Mock-Up
2014
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The goal of this piece was to lay out my article, a science piece about the relationship between TBI treatment and Alzheimer's treatment, as if it were actually published in AARP The Magazine. I added a cover, created digital illustrations in Illustrator, and made certain that my layout adhered to the style of the magazine.
The abstract, visually spare design of the three interlocking circles was meant to invoke modernity and thus classical music's continuing vitality, while the rich colors and the cursive font were supposed to invoke the more traditional elements of the genre.
The chart format used on the left is repeated through the book, and fulfills the client's wish for an emphasis on statistics. The chart on the right is a repackaging of the information from another chart, with more emphasis on how much repetition there is in the reasons for the genre "dying."
The Table of Contents acts as the back cover and is color-coded by the hue of colored text I used on each page.
The abstract, visually spare design of the three interlocking circles was meant to invoke modernity and thus classical music's continuing vitality, while the rich colors and the cursive font were supposed to invoke the more traditional elements of the genre.
Project | 04
Project | 04 : Classical Music Booklet
2014
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This booklet was created at CMU as part of a client project for Pittsburgh radio station WQED. The WQED representative requested that we include a number of statistics and an emphasis on how classical music was thriving and moving forward with the times, so my design and content choices reflect his requests.
The pale blues were meant to be evocative of the watercolor style of the comic itself, while the font choices were meant to go with the comic's established branding, as shown in the header (that was the correct font for the comic's title; the only difference is that on a normal title page, it would have been black instead of blue).
This page shows what a link ("about," in this case) looks like when hovered over. I designed it to show a font change along with a subtle color change so that the cumulative effect would be noticeable. Notice that while three of the links lead to other pages on the site, two lead to other sites--specifically, to pages on those sites where comic materials are posted.
This page is designed to have a very modular look that allows the reader to focus on one entry and then move to the next, without getting them confused. It's also supposed to look somewhat distinct from the rest of the site, since it's the most interactive area of the site.
The pale blues were meant to be evocative of the watercolor style of the comic itself, while the font choices were meant to go with the comic's established branding, as shown in the header (that was the correct font for the comic's title; the only difference is that on a normal title page, it would have been black instead of blue).
Project | 03
Project | 03 : "phantomwise." Website
2014
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I redesigned the homepage for my now-defunct webcomic for a web design class. Besides doing the design, I did the coding (HTML and CSS) myself. The website was designed to be easy-to-use, and to reflect the comic's aesthetic.
The most challenging of the posters to create and the one I'm most proud of. The anglerfish was created with a mouse and the Path tool in Illustrator. It was drawn in an exaggerated, frightening manner to help the viewer understand how a person with this phobia might view fish.
My goal in this poster was to make use of the white space to help convey the figure's feeling of loneliness. So, I made them as small as possible. Earlier iterations of the design had a flat line instead of the brushstroke-like one in the final image, which better conveys the feeling that the figure is standing on the ground.
In this poster, I made the word for the phobia itself into the imagery. Unlike the other two posters, this one depicts an effect of the fear rather than the fear itself.
The most challenging of the posters to create and the one I'm most proud of. The anglerfish was created with a mouse and the Path tool in Illustrator. It was drawn in an exaggerated, frightening manner to help the viewer understand how a person with this phobia might view fish.
Project | 02
Project | 02 : Phobia Poster Series
2014
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As part of an assignment at CMU, I was asked to use only a limited number of colors and fonts to convey my meaning. Part of the goal was also creating a visually united series was also part of the assignment. Ultimately, I used the limited font and palette options as part of what united my pieces.
The horizontal, evenly-spaced picture layout was one I used a lot at IUP; it allowed me to use multiple photographs at a size at which the varying image resolutions would not be an issue (the department's stock photos were taken by a line of different photographers with different skillsets and cameras). By using differently-composed images in a very orderly composition, I could create an interesting but still orderly composition.
The horizontal, evenly-spaced picture layout was one I used a lot at IUP; it allowed me to use multiple photographs at a size at which the varying image resolutions would not be an issue (the department's stock photos were taken by a line of different photographers with different skillsets and cameras). By using differently-composed images in a very orderly composition, I could create an interesting but still orderly composition.
Project | 01
Project | 01 : IUP NSM Poster
2014​
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While interning with the IUP Department of Natural Science and Mathematics, I designed a number of posters and fliers. The challenge of working with IUP was adhering to the school's established and relatively strict brand style while still creating visually interesting documents.