When I was a sophomore enrolled in the BFA program at Alfred University, it was a requirement to take at least one digital design elective. I dreaded it, though it ended up changing the course of my life. My professor for the class at the time came to me, and she said, “are you willing to change your aspirations to follow your passion?” She encouraged me to push myself. I ended up transferring that year to a different school with a strong graphic design program and changed my major due to her honesty. From then on, I became whole-heartedly engaged in graphic design.  

The beautiful thing about design is that most people don’t understand it when they see it. It almost acts as an invisible work of art, but to those who notice it, it is a complex, and simplistic work that evokes question, culture, even amazement. I noticed as I continued my training in this profession that design surrounds us. I can’t help myself every time I see a sign for a coffee shop, I immediately pick out what I might change if I designed it, or admire what great design choices were made. My junk dresser drawer piles high with business cards that I collect from random businesses for design inspiration. If there is a design in site, I am already intrigued. 

I am inspired by graphic designers such as László Moholy-Nagy, as his sharp talents and interests have influenced my approach to design and outlets of creativity. Paul Bass, a designer with a keen eye for effective and iconic corporate logo design, is another inspirational figure of mine. Timothy Goodman, with his cutting-edge combination of typography, illustration, and captivating choices of color, possesses craft that I intend to push in my designs. 

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