WHERE OPPORTUNITY MEETS A GREAT IDEA
Anyone can take a photo or create an illustration. I believe the true test of a good designer is an ability to see something not for it is, but for what it could be. Concept is king; and while delivery on said concept is obviously very important, often times the wrestling that takes place in honing something very vague and broad into a message that is equal parts appealing and effective is the hardest, but most rewarding, part of what I do.
GOOD DESIGN IS NOT ALWAYS STATIC
Often what a great concept or message needs is a little push to get the momentum started. Sometimes the push is metaphorical; other times, I find that a more literal approach to movement is needed to drive a message home.
IT IS A GREAT DAY FOR FLYING
Whether I am capturing early morning sunrises from a lofty perch or flying low and tight to a truck in motion, I have found that drones have changed the way I look at the world. These instruments of innovation and precision continue to open up new arenas of creative possibility.
A BRAND IS A PERSONAL THING
Branding and identity projects can be equal parts challenge and reward. A good brand package is a rock-solid logo - but so much more than that. Brand identity is about consistency, clarity, and communication of the person or business it is meant to represent.
FREEZING TIME IN A WORLD OF MOTION
A great photo should evoke a mood or feeling, in a sense transporting its viewer - even if only briefly - into the scene. In a world of perpetual motion, the ability to capture a moment is a very powerful thing.
PUTTING CONCEPT TO PAPER
In graphic design, though our tools remain somewhat consistent, the size and variety of our canvases vary greatly. From posters, brochures, and multi-page programs to large-format vinyl decals and permanent exterior signage, the need for print is still very prevalent in a web-centric world.
A CANVAS OF CODE
Website design is interesting in that it interweaves something as creative as design and something as black and white as math into a dynamic and interactive online canvas. The internet is pervasive and forever changed communication as we know it, which makes understanding and implementing code a growing staple of my design acumen.
IT IS A GREAT DAY FOR FLYING.
Whether I am capturing early morning sunrises from a lofty perch or flying low and tight to a truck in motion, I have found that drones have changed the way I look at the world. These instruments of innovation and precision continue to open up new arenas of creative possibility.
IT IS A GREAT DAY FOR FLYING.
Whether I am capturing early morning sunrises from a lofty perch or flying low and tight to a truck in motion, I have found that drones have changed the way I look at the world. These instruments of innovation and precision continue to open up new arenas of creative possibility.
WELCOME TO
GM CREATIVE
I knew from a very early age that I had a bent for creating things. For me it started with elementary art class pencil drawings; I’d spend hours working to sketch an exact duplicate of a basketball logo, a landscape, and anything in between. The results were varied of course, but I found myself easily engrossed in the art of creating, well before I knew how to hone my skill.
Fast forward some 30 years later and I find myself still embracing the opportunity that a blank canvas presents. The seed of a strong concept takes hold – sometimes with a great deal of struggle and other times not – but the joy that comes out of knowing that you saw a design opportunity and capitalized on it is unparalleled.
My process getting here has been anything but linear; I even walked away from design entirely for a time. Yet the need to express what my eyes were seeing – and in doing so, communicate something about myself – ultimately brought me back to what I knew as a kid. God gave me this ability and urges me to do something good with it. I am doing what I was created to do.
WORK HISTORY
Graphic and Website Designer
2020-Current
In this in-house role I built and manage our corporate flagship website in addition to my roles as a graphic designer, animator, Part 107 drone pilot, photographer, and brand manager.
A big part of my role as the sole graphic designer in the company is branding our new and existing properties with large format graphics and permanent interior and exterior signage and ensuring that our branding remains consistent across multiple channels.
Interactive Designer
2016-2020
In this website design agency role I built custom-coded websites using HTML, CSS, JS, WordPress, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Dreamweaver.
At my departure, I managed over 250 unique client websites focused on selling and trading farm and construction equipment, over the road commercial trucks, private aircraft, and recreational vehicles.
Employee / Shareholder
2012-2016
In this role I was intimately involved in the daily operations of my parents' large-scale farming operation, from operating heavy farm equipment to setting and adjusting daily feed rations for the cattle feeding and backgrounding program.
I also worked on occasion in the farm office. Some of my duties here included helping to tabulate final scale tickets from each field to tabulate fall harvest proven yields and putting together custom planting and fertilizer maps from aerial photos.
Settlement Coordinator
2009-2012
In this role I managed payment schedules to John Deere Financial for new equipment purchases made by a multi-store John Deere dealership. I also was the primary reconciliation contact person for regular equipment audits, where I worked with over 50 salesmen to physically account for every wholegoods equipment and attachment item across 20 locations.
FORMAL EDUCATION
Mid-Plains Community College
AAS Graphic Design (2016)
Interface Web School
HTML and CSS Intensive Coding Certificate (2015)
