Education that never ends:

I am a creative and technical designer with a diploma in Visual Arts with a major in Visual communications from the Alberta College of Art. Wow. Pretty cool, huh? Education is important. But you know what? It’s the time that follows that truly determines the mettle of the individual. To be fair, my instructors taught me some great basic truths about design, communication and human behaviour, but my education really began when I started working in the industry. The day I stop learning is the day I die.

I have worked successfully for over 20 years as a Graphic Designer and Creative Art Director. I have been responsible for the concept development, design and execution of corporate identity packages, ad campaigns, websites, digital marketing collateral, magazines, product packaging, infographics, animation shorts, blah blah blah and way too many other things to mention without boring you further.

Whether I am designing a website, presentation or traditional print piece, I find there is always more to learn and that excites me to no end. I will admit that I am no coding guru, but I certainly enjoy working with folks who want to share ideas back and forth. While I have won a few bouts wrestling with software over niggly bits of syntax, I prefer to focus my attention on the visual and interactive experience of the viewer. For me, that’s what design communication is all about.

Work Experience:

• Multiple clients | Freelance Art Director and Graphic Designer (2001 – present)
• University of Calgary | Art Director, Print & Digital (2016 – 2019)
• NATIONAL Equicom Calgary | Senior Art Director (2013 – 2016)
• BMIR Calgary | Art Director and Creative Strategist (2009 – 2013)
• Merlin Edge | Art Director, Marketing and Investor Relations (2006 – 2009)
• Twist Marketing | Art Director and Co-Creative (2005)
• Creative Intelligence Agency | Senior Graphic Designer (2000 – 2005)
• Downey Film Systems | Production Artist (1998 – 2000)
• Keywest Publishers | Graphic Designer (1995 – 1998)

Design Communication Awards:

• CASE District Awards (Feature Editorial Design, UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Gold, 2018
• CASE District Awards (Feature Editorial Design, UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Silver, 2018
• CASE District Awards (Illustration series, How to Walk and Talk Like a Local) Gold, 2018
• CASE District Awards (Best Article of the Year, Writing and Design, A University Without Borders) Platinum, 2018
• CASE District Awards (Cover Design, Fall 2018 UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Bronze, 2018
• CASE District Awards (Cover Design, Spring 2018 UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Silver, 2018
• CASE District Awards (Photography/illustration, UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Silver, 2017
• CASE District Awards (Feature Editorial Design, UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Gold, 2017
• CASE District Awards (Magazine Design, UCalgary Alumni Magazine) Silver, 2017
• Silver award-winning Online Annual Report for Crescent Point Energy, 2012
• Award-winning Print Annual Report (Best Intermediate Producer) for Freehold Royalties Ltd., 2011
• North American tradeshow booth display design, Gold award, Enerflex, 2008

Read a personal letter of commendation for my work here →, if you want to.

Projects of Note:

• Home Improvement and Bill Nye the Science Guy boardgame development and design
• Four-year working relationship with Touchstone Pictures
• 20-year freelance relationship with Calalta Amusements, Calgary

Primary Design Tools:

• Pencil and paper
• Illustrator
• InDesign
• Photoshop
• After Effects
• Premiere
• Figma
• WordPress
• Drupal
• Dreamweaver
• Prezi
• Affinity
• QGIS
• Art Rage
• Acrobat
• HTML/CSS

Non-design tools, but somehow still necessary:

• Can opener
• Soldering iron
• The bowline knot
• Cordless nail gun
• The whole Microsoft Office Suite. (My clients use it, so I have tamed that wild beast as well…)

Other Interests:

• My family
• Music composition and performance
• Digital music production
• Squash
• Soccer
• Archery
• Vintage video games
• Zombie fiction (it’s ok ‘cuz they’re not real, right?)