I’m a tinkerer. A lifelong creative – a kid who used to doodle in her notebooks in class and get in trouble for it. I loved “how it works” books when I was a kid and loved to learn how to build things.
Presently I’m a multimedia designer at Schneider Electric who works with power quality engineers. My job is to make the complexities of electrical engineering a bit easier for folks who manage buildings and energy systems to understand. I produce graphics, illustrations, presentations, interfaces, animations and anything else my team dreams up. My work is enjoyable to engage with, and thorough. I have a deep respect for people who have deep knowledge about science, technology and engineering, and I realize that sometimes they need a little help when it comes to visual communication and storytelling.
Design is at the heart of just about everything I do. I decided to study Information Visualization at MICA in 2017 to get a better grasp on manipulating data, and so that I could push myself to make better work.
I love welding, and I love circus arts. I’ve been casually practicing aerial arts for nearly 4 years now, focusing on aerial silks and lyra. A couple years into this obsession, I decided to start making circus hoops. From there it grew. A friend asked for a circus cloud (or Kloud, as she has named it.) I moved on to making hearts, moons, rocket ships, stars, leaves, martini glasses, and all sorts of other types of pieces. The most rewarding part of making apparatuses is seeing the performers dance on them.
Finally, I am very passionate about sharing a love of learning with others through makerspaces and the maker movement. I helped to start a space in Nashville, Tennessee, and ran the education program for two years. When grad school demanded more of my attention, I stepped back from my role, but decided to make makerspaces the focus of my thesis. My thesis was to research and visualize the strengths and weaknesses of leaders in makerspaces so that Nation of Makers could start to use that information to find ways to better support them.
By learning constantly, listening to others, and practicing design consistently, I’ve found that what I was taught in undergrad is very true – a good designer can design anything.