I believe that design is both/and, not either/or. For me, it’s both logic and wonder, problem-solving and possibility-generating, meticulous and messy, careful consideration and play, thoughtful and an escape from my thoughts, imagination and practical solutions. My design process is centered on the places where these things that seemingly shouldn’t go together are able to intersect and integrate into my work. In every design opportunity, I am driven by storytelling, imagination, curiosity, and play while also caring deeply about the details, thinking intentionally and analytically, and considering every side of a problem. Finding the better and more beautiful outcome in my work means that every design decision is made through this lens.


Designing from this position is what opens the door to many things for me: discovering new perspectives, adopting a childlike spirit that’s always searching for ways to play, operating out of optimism and gratitude, loving people in a tangible way, and making beautiful things. Through design, I am able to see possibilities in places where it’s easy for fear to reside. Ultimately, I am in pursuit of light and delight - putting good into the world through what I design to make it a brighter place and creating things that bring people joy and delight.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell myself to do it afraid, dance with the fear, and learn to challenge it. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given is to turn my doubts rooted in "what if" into possibilities of "but what if". Fear might always be a battle, but the act of creating can be an act of challenging fear by leaning into the possibilities.

It’s so hard to choose just one! One of my absolute favorites is when our whole class piled into Speaker’s office, propped the doors open because it was so nice outside, ate some homemade cinnamon rolls, and had critique. It wasn’t planned, but it was the sweetest time getting to hang out together and share what we were working on.

Advanced Design 2 was my favorite class! It was a unique studio class where I got to explore new and different areas of designing that I felt passionate about and use that exploration to define my personal design philosophy. Every class, we had conversations about the “why” behind design, our perspectives on creating and its purpose, and how to find the places where we each resonate most with design. It challenged me, influenced how I approach design, taught me about life and faith, and gave me confidence in why I design. 

What moment, project, and/or critique in your Art + Design career at AU has been pivotal to who you are as an artist or creator?

When I was working on defining my personal design philosophy and exploring the areas of design that I feel passionate about, I was battling a lot of fear. I wrote about all the what ifs that were hindering me and all the ways I felt unsure about my relationship to design. Prof Anspach challenged me to shift my list of "what if" into a list of "but what if". This advice has changed everything for me. I know now that even though my instinct might be to fear, design allows me to flip the narrative and generate new perspectives and possibilities. This moment felt like the turning point for me and it’s shaped everything about who I am as a designer.

I don’t know exactly what’s next, but I hope to find a space where I can be imaginative, do good work with good people, and keep exploring. 

I hope that my work puts good into the world and brings joy abundantly. I hope that it serves people and meets needs in beautiful, unexpected ways. I hope that it tells meaningful stories. And, I hope that it embodies light and carries that light to every place it touches. 

I will be displaying my senior design project - a children’s book titled “But What If” that is centered on the idea of allowing creativity to shift your perspective on situations. The book considers several doubts or what if statements and then counters each of them with a but what if statement that generates new ideas and possibilities for what could be. Writing, illustrating, and designing this book has been a direct reflection of how I view design and what it can do. I’m excited to show it and create a way to display it that also reflects those ideas.