I design for print. I'm a problem solver... I take a page of copy and design a piece that communicates well and draws the reader in.

EDUCATION | I completed a two-year program and received a certificate of Technical Arts and Graphics.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Look at everything that is designed--it's everywhere--and get a feel for good design. Study design magazines and books; it's fun! Go to a school with a great graphic design program... make sure they use Macs. :) Learn the design rules like alignment, color, type, page layout. Once you know the design rules, you will know how and when you can break them!

MUST HAVE TRAITS | You should have a level of creativity, good communication and computer skills.

how I got started | I was a full-time mom and a friend offered me some part-time work at an environmental engineering firm in the CADD (Computer Aided Drafting and Design) and Graphics Department. They offered to train me so I took the job. While I was there, I enjoyed watching those who worked in the graphics department. They were creative and their job looked like a ton of fun. They encouraged me by saying that I had a good eye for design. I took a typography class and loved it. I was hooked, so when my kids went away to college, I went back to college. Afterward, I worked freelance from home and volunteered as a graphic designer at a non-profit. It wasn't long before they offered me part-time employment and then full-time. My career was born! (And I have become a "Design Snob"!)

why this job?| I love the people and helping them to communicate. It's so fun to turn a word document into something that people want to read. Being a graphic designer, especially for a non-profit, is very fulfilling.

why I love this job!| I love seeing a completed piece and knowing that my boss/client is happy with what I've created. Each project is different so I'm never bored.

my typical day| On the days I'm in the office, I arrive about 8 a.m. The first thing I do is look at my schedule. What projects need to be done? What are my deadlines? I am currently at the office two days a week, and most of that time I'm in meetings. My projects are reviewed and I am given new ones. I listen carefully to my clients so I understand what they need communicated and we dialog about the voice of the piece: how it should look and feel. Two days a week, I work from home and design like crazy! On these days I tend to start early and work late, but I love it.

what they are | Where I work, information changes often, so revisions and updates of completed pieces are common... and necessary. Sometimes, though, it's just a changed mind, so the copy changes. For me, that means re-working, re-fitting, re-aligning--a potentially challenging task!

all about growth | There is always a demand for graphic designers. When people find out what I do I get questions like: "Do you do business cards?", "Can you design invitations?" You could work at an ad agency, design firm or in a corporation's graphics department. Freelancing is always a possibility.

my website|