Background
I got into design when I was 12, right after my parents brought home a Compaq Presario. I started out on Dragon Ball Z fan sites, which pulled me into fan art forums and their graphic design communities. The work people were making blew me away, so I downloaded a PaintShop Pro trial and got hooked. Drop shadows, feathered layers, collecting fonts like trading cards. By high school I was learning Photoshop, Flash, and print production. I also played drums in a pop-punk band and ended up designing all our CD covers and show flyers.
My first real design gig came through a summer job at a local motorcycle accessories shop, where I created their logo, brand identity, and website. After graduation I couldn't find a design job without a degree, so I became a licensed insurance agent at a regional brokerage. The CEO eventually found out I could design and created a position for me. I spent four years there handling all their marketing, and picked up front-end development at The Iron Yard Academy in 2015.
Experience
For the past five years I've been leading UI/UX at NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, designing digital products for coastal management and conservation. I redesigned the Digital Coast platform, which brought in 31% more traffic and cut the bounce rate by 13% within six months. Over a million people use it every year now.
I also design and maintain Coastal County Snapshots and Lake Level Viewer, which make complex geospatial data usable for scientists and coastal planners. Right now I'm building a design system across NOAA's apps and mentoring junior designers.
Before NOAA I worked with NASCAR, the University of Florida, Gaia Herbs, Xfinity Comcast, and BCBGMAXAZRIA.
Beyond Work
When I'm not working, it's all about my family. My wife Jocelyn and I have a beautiful daughter, Amelia, who keeps us on our toes. Jocelyn runs her own esthetician business and I help her with the branding and web side of things, so design kind of follows me home too.
When we're not busy with all that, weekends usually look like exploring trails up in the Pisgah Mountains, cruising around on Lake Murray, or once football season hits, tailgating with friends and cheering on the South Carolina Gamecocks. I still play drums, and starting another band is the dream that'll probably stay a dream. But every elder emo thinks they've got one more show in them.
Let's Work Together
Got a project in mind? I'd like to hear about it. Reach out and let's talk.
Get in Touch