A long story Short…

My journey in design began at a very young age, starting in first grade when I designed letterheads and created my own comic books. Over the years, I expanded my interests to include drawing all sorts of creatures and cars, which eventually led to a fascination with advertising and media. By 8th grade, I had taught myself 3D Studio Max and early versions of Photoshop to create custom cars for racing games on the computer. When I reached high school in 1999, my interest in various forms of media and advertising deepened. One day, a teacher noticed me drawing scale models of a car I had designed, and he took me under his wing, introducing me to industrial design, which we explored after school hours. He also introduced me to Flash, Illustrator, and HTML. In 2005, I enrolled at Appalachian State University and graduated in 2009 with a degree in Advertising and a minor in Graphic Design.

Upon graduating in 2009, I immediately entered the advertising world, working at a studio in Raleigh, NC. In 2010, I moved back to the mountains in western North Carolina to work for a small diversified company, where I handled web design, packaging design, product and industrial design, and product photography. After a year there, I landed a major role in Austin, TX with IBM, focusing on software design. I redesigned my business unit’s software suite and was on the ground floor of recruiting and assisting with interviews for IBM Design. I even had to vacate my office to make way for the construction of an open air studio! During my nearly six years there, I contributed to and implemented the IBM Design Language across various products. I worked on several teams, evangelizing the design language and design thinking, from Business Process Management to Watson Commerce.

I then decided to explore freelancing and started my own business. I worked independently and through third party agencies on numerous projects, both small and large, for clients like IBM and AT&T. However, it didn’t take long for me to miss the team environment and tire of the constant hustle of tracking down work.

My next significant shift was into the world of industrial automation with Emerson, where I learned about the industries that keep the world running and how I could improve lives through design. Designing software for technicians who may not be native English speakers and whose work involves operating and servicing devices, pipelines, and assembly lines where a slight error could result in loss of life presented a whole new set of challenges. In my role on an internal consultancy style Human Centered Design team, I continued to provide UX and visual design support to every team I encountered. This role took me all over the world, both in person and virtually, participating in a variety of workshops and design sprints. I also leveraged my experience building a design language at IBM and led a similar initiative at Emerson, working with dozens of teams and business units to establish design standards.

At General Motors, my journey from being a hands on designer to stepping into a managerial role marked a significant evolution in my career. Initially focused on creating user centered designs, I soon found myself leading a dynamic team of designers, guiding them to bring their best ideas to life. Transitioning into management allowed me to blend my creative expertise with strategic oversight, ensuring that our projects met high design standards and aligned with broader business goals. One of the most satisfying aspects of this role was mentoring my team, helping them grow, refine their skills, and achieve their professional aspirations. This shift from designer to manager deepened my understanding of leadership, taught me the importance of nurturing talent, and reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration to drive innovative and user focused solutions.

Outside of work, I’m happily married to my best friend and the love of my life, Robin. I’m the proud dad of a beautiful daughter named Eleanor, who has brought me more joy than I ever imagined possible. I’m eagerly looking forward to introducing her to the world. Also lounging around our house and yard are our huge couch potato of a potbelly pig, Ganon, and the most joyful labradoodle you’ve ever seen, Piper. I love attending races at COTA, checking out concerts downtown, going to 80s movie quote a longs at the Alamo Drafthouse, and attempting to keep up with all the amazing shows available online these days (who needs cable, anyway?). I also enjoy happy hour with my lovely wife and planning our next adventure together. I’ve been an avid gamer my entire life since first touching a controller in the 80s, and I aspire to build my own sim racing rig one day. Growing up with Monty Python and a wide variety of other comedy, I’m a fan of stand up and sketch comedy as well. It’s a personal rule of mine to laugh as much as possible.