About Me
I grew up in Cairo, Egypt and lived there until I moved to Chicago, Illinois to go to university. I met my husband in university and since getting married we have moved to Texas, North Carolina, and now British Columbia. We live in the beautiful town of Hope, BC with our five boys. We love being part of this small town community and we love all the opportunities to get outside and explore the beautiful mountains and rivers around us.
Why I Design
Often, when I tell people what I do they respond with something along the lines of, "Oh, I just don't have an eye for design" or, "I just don't have an artistic bone in my body." What I love about design is that, when it is functioning effectively, it appeals to the aesthetic sensitivities of any viewer, sensitivities that the viewer may not even be aware of. I enjoy exploring a problem and working out an organized, practical solution. My work as a designer allows me to do this by producing beautiful and functional designs for clients that meet their specific needs, providing them with a solution that looks and "feels" right, even if they don't have the "artsy" language to explain why.
Education and Experience
I studied for four years at Wheaton College in Chicago, earning my Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts focused on Graphic Design. In addition to my graphic design courses, I studied everything from drawing to photography and printmaking. This background allows me to bring fine art principles into every project I work on, making each design not only functional in the world of branding and marketing but also aesthetically beautiful and unique.
After graduating I began to do some freelance design in Dallas, TX. My experience was primarily with print design and implementing brand identities for my clients. Since those first few years post-college I have continued to pick up freelance projects while moving several times and taking time away to raise a family. I am now located in Hope, BC, Canada, and design for several companies and organizations locally. Most recently I have continued to produce print design, as well as t-shirt designs, and a series of book illustrations.
My Process
My process always begins with the client. When a client approaches me, we begin with a meeting, face-to-face if possible, but also virtually. During this meeting we discuss their specific expectations for the project. We will discuss budget, expectations for communication during the process, and final outcomes. I will ask questions about their company's history, vision, and goals, as well as any products or services that they offer their customers. It is important that whatever design I provide, whether a minor project or a more comprehensive design fits within the existing framework of their company identity. I will go away from this first meeting and put together a quote to send to the client for their approval before anything else begins.
After our initial meeting, a stage of market research and brainstorming begins for me. I will research the client themselves, including any past designs, as well as the client’s competitor brands and their designs. This could also mean researching the target audience and what they do and don’t respond well to, what is currently performing well in the industry in general. Based on my findings I will begin to compile some ideas and brainstorm. At this point it may be helpful for me to share some of my brainstorming with the client to get some early feedback on what their visual preferences are.
As I begin to develop ideas I will continue to communicate closely with the client. I will offer several "comps" of the design throughout the process so that the client can offer feedback and request changes. Allowing the client to be a part of the process from start to finish will result in a beautiful design that truly reflects the values of the client's company.