Bright Outlook

Describe your preferred style and where you draw inspiration for your work.

My work tends to be colorful and bright. I love using simple shapes and patterns to create meaning. You can evoke so many emotions through a color palette. My illustration work can be a bit more involved — there are lots of little vignettes. But the common theme is a funky, upbeat, bright, punchy aesthetic.

I get inspired by anything that feels uplifting, exciting, and bold. I’m into geometric shapes and patterns, and I tend to be drawn to textiles — I’m obsessed with pillows and rugs. I have a background in textile and apparel management from the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou), so maybe that’s why. There are also some beautiful color schemes in the outdoors. 

Speaking of your time at Mizzou, how does your early experience studying and working in fashion, retail, and sales inform your passion for illustration and graphic design?  

What I love about design is exploring people, ideas, industries, and communities outside my own. With every new project, you have to do research and figure out the right approach. 

I took a ton of great business classes at Mizzou, which have helped me approach design with a business sensibility. But after studying abroad in London and getting more immersed in the fashion industry, I realized that maybe fashion wasn’t for me. I don’t love the environmental impact of fast fashion. I still love the designs and concepts that come out of fashion, and I’m interested in the psychology behind the decisions people make, especially when they’re making a purchase. 

How would you describe your creative process? 

Most of my projects are about solving a problem. Sometimes it’s solving a problem in a (design or illustration) style that I choose; other times, the client chooses the style, but it’s typically not “do whatever you want.” It’s a research-driven, methodical approach. This might involve asking the client a lot of questions, doing a lot of visual research, or conducting surveys.

I’m always trying to approach things outside my own bias. Take something like the 314 Day project: I’m from St. Louis and I love St. Louis, so I came at the project with a set of things I’m personally interested in. I tried to make sure I was getting at different perspectives.

What projects are you most proud of so far in your career?

The (theme art for the) U.S. Open. It was used in so many different ways and for such a captive, passionate audience. Designing at that scale was a challenge and a privilege, and so exciting.

The work I’ve done for (the nonprofit) Type Hike and (the design community) Friends for Good — those were opportunities for me to explore different styles and hone my illustration skills.

Rebranding Panzura was also a really big milestone for me. As my first leadership experience in design, it taught me how to confidently assert my expertise for a better outcome. I was able to say, “You need a rebrand. I want to come on as your creative director in charge of the look and feel and the hiring of a team.” I’m really proud of what we created. 

What did it mean to you to be the first U.S. woman theme-art designer for the U.S. Open in more than a decade?

It means we need to hire more women. It also means that women need to be more audacious in their goal setting. Sometimes as women, we try to be perfect before we go after things. We need to stop worrying about being the brightest or the most talented. Guys aren’t worried about that. 

You came up with 16 distinct tennis-ball graphics, each of which capture the power of tennis in different ways. Was it your idea, that level of customized design? 

Yes. In years past, they’ve used a lot of illustrators, or what you might consider artists. I saw an opportunity to approach (the project) through the lens of a brand — a visual language instead of just one image. Each concept I pitched had a scalable component that you could pull out and turn into another design. They went with the tennis ball can. I suggested different tennis balls that went with different themes, and we landed on 16. 

Now you’re a full-time freelancer. Looking ahead, what are some of your biggest goals? 

I’m interested in industries and brands that cultivate a strong community of adventurers, dreamers, and visionaries. That includes things like sports, adventure, fitness, travel, education, climate action, and female empowerment. 

I’d love to get a studio space of my own and open an online store, selling prints and illustrated merchandise. I’d love to brand a music festival or design book covers, props for a movie, packaging for a new product line, or graphics for a museum exhibition. 

I’m trying not to think just about my own success but also about how we can make the design industry successful. We need to educate people about how design works and change the language around design to be more educational and approachable. Instead of taking orders, it’s more about selling (our expertise): You need this design because it’s going to help you (meet your goals) and let me explain why. 

Describe your 314 Day design. What were you trying to capture about St. Louis?

St. Louis has a lot of wonderful assets, and people have different opinions about what they are. Maybe they love baseball games; maybe it’s the zoo. Behind all of that are the people in the community who are creating those experiences and bringing us all together.

I wanted to focus on that community and show people thriving. In the design, you can see St. Louis in the background, with little moments of architecture peeking out of the foliage. But there aren’t any other landmarks. It’s people going about their days and having a good time.

What do you like most about living and working in St. Louis?

There’s always something to do. I love going to the Whitaker Music Festival, the Earth Day Festival, the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market — being immersed in all the different people and personalities. 

I also love that people in St. Louis are proud of being from here and care about improving it. We’re all championing St. Louis to be better. It’s not just some city we live in; we feel deeply that we want it to be a wonderful place to live. We pour a lot of heart and soul into making it a better place. 

We see a lot on the news about how we’re different, but when it comes down to being a human being, we all have these shared experiences. The power of thoughtful, researched, and beautiful design is that you can build a community around those.