...the fool is eternal. He is the spirit in us that questions, he is the adventure in us that leaves safe places to find new things, he is the part of us that is hungry enough to want more and silly enough to take the risks..."
{ cyndi kirkpatrick }
What is Start Here?
Start Here Designs began as a class project to create a personal identity system - a soul-searching journey that frustrated everyone, and brought some people to tears. Our professor pushed us to dig deep for what made us unique and worthwhile as people, artists, and professionals. We all went through a hard journey over the course of the semester, and I came out with both a solid design system and the realization that I'd just built the foundation of a purpose in life.
I've always had a personal connection with the fool, the first card of the Tarot. The fool is characterized as an eternal newborn, a traveler, always stepping forward optimistically, enjoying the journey. For someone intent on changing the world, the belief that it can be done is necessary for survival, which is why I attempted to model my identity system on this character.
To me, the Start Here Designs logo looks like a "creature fetus" waiting to be born. He represents the fool, a good idea yet to come, light from the darkness, the circle as eternity and the spiral as the universe. I like my work to be thick with meaning.
I had the logo tattooed on my back (an intensely painful experience) after I graduated from college - a vow to dedication my life to positive change and to remind myself to stay optimistic on the new journey I was about to begin.
topPortfolio
Web Design + Development
Graphic Design + Branding
Traditional Mediums
Digital Mediums
Start Here Designs portfolio.
Resume
Career Objective
The notion that my work may have the power to create positive change is what drives me as a professional. I hope to find a job where both my design and development skills can be utilized, though I expect to focus on one or the other.
Employment
3Guppies | Seattle, WA
September 2006 to December 2007
Front End Web Development
Working at 3Guppies has been a massive learning experience, opening my eyes
to the lessons of web 2.0 philosophy, giving me the opportunity to sharpen my skills
in semantic markup, and furthering my understanding of user experience.
I provided the majority of front end work, however I also made meaningful contributions
to product development, brand direction, design, and copy.
Sarphatie Education | Rochester, NY
October 2004 through August 2006
Web Designer and Developer
Designed and constructed over 50 uniquely tailored websites and resumes for
student clients. This was an exciting opportunity to stretch my creative muscles.
Education
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY | May 2006 | 3.8 GPA
BFA in Graphic Design
Concentration in Japanese and Sociology
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, NY | 2002
Graphic Design
Kapi'olani Community College
Honolulu, HI | 2003
New Media
Honors
RIT/HUMBER Collaborative
Design Charrette 2006
3rd Place
I participated in this four-day intensive flash project with a group of three
other students. My main responsibilities were digital imaging, html and css,
however I also led the concepting process and helped steer us toward
our chosen theme.
National Paperbox Association Student Competition 2006
2nd Place
Designed and built a high-end collectible sports card package which both
holds and displays the cards. My 19th-century sumo package won 2nd place,
an honor as there were 16 schools participating.
Software
jEdit (loaded text editor), Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Flash.
Primarily a PC user with Mac experience.
Programming
Write : HTML/XHTML, CSS, Smarty
Read: JavaScript, ActionScript
Additional Skills
Accessibility, Semantic Markup, XHTML Standards, Browser Compatibility, Graphic Design, Illustration, Digital Photography, Digital Imaging, Conversational Japanese and French, and Copy Editing.
