IHDP was an interdisciplinary science programme that worked toward a better understanding of human interaction with and within their natural environment.

• In-house creative workhorse, designed all branding, print and online communications products in every imaginable format and media.

• Injected inventive spark into cooperative work within teams of scientists, managers and communications professionals. Collaborated from start-to-finish to develop new products and messages.

• Managed design in cross-disciplinary team to re-conceptualize style, content and target of in-house magazine Dimensions. Changes resulted in doubled readership.

• Optimized routine outreach activities, in one instance cutting a daily procedure from 1 hour to 5 minutes, while increasing quality and quadrupling reach of product.

• Directed website relaunch, restructuring content and layout to better convey program’s message and catch visitor’s interest, while streamlining editing and updating processes.

• Shaped brand messages. Worked with social scientists to transform complicated scientific concepts into accessible narratives as editorial illustrations, infographics, presentations and headlines.

Instilled graphic sensibility and identity into fledgling organization, designing logo and corporate identity materials, and initial design concept for programme’s core publications series.

Project-based, ca. 8 mo. between 2007–2012

Learned habitual creativity while designing 25 greeting cards per week for the US consumer market.

• Learning design strategy and business management. Group-oriented project work on strategic design interventions that are good for users, and for business.
• Building design, business management and technology expertise while working in cross-disciplinary, and cross-cultural teams.

In this practice-oriented course, I learned the basics of entrepreneurship and management by developing my own business concept. Throughout the course, I built a value proposition and business model, then conducted validation exercises, created a business plan, and financial projections.

• Learned to manage the design process. Drew design briefs from open questions, then managed iterations of research and creation toward comprehensive graphic, product, and service solutions.

• Specialization in researching human–object interactions, and the ways humans imbibe meaning into things by using them as containers for their identity, and mediators of their personality

Top-achiever in traditional practice-oriented graphics programme. Left to pursue degree in Cologne.