What I Do
Starting with the target audience and a well-conceived creative strategy as my guide, I thoughtfully and artistically combine a project’s moving parts into a unified, eye-catching, and conceptually cohesive design. These moving parts can be any combination of the title, subtitle, headline, copy, manuscript, illustrations, graphics, photography, typography, branding, or marketing strategy. I put the pieces together and make sense of it all.
Creating Connections
Discovering and building upon a project’s purpose and unique concept, while remaining open to creative expansion as it takes shape, results in an authentic, nuanced design that captures attention, prompts a response, and connects with the heart and mind. That’s our goal!
Design Services
Book Covers
Series and Collections
Curriculum and Bible Studies
Gift Books and Products
Editorial and Interior Pages
Four-Color Interiors
Picture Books and Board Books
Storybook Bibles
Coloring and Activity Books
Media Packaging
Ads and Social Media
Catalogs and Brochures
Logos
Signage
And more!
Art Direction & Project Management
Develop the concept and design
Collaborate with stakeholders to discern and understand the creative strategy—the project's goals, tone, details, and target audience. Design options that align with this strategy, refining them as needed while considering and applying feedback suggestions.
Art direction of creative providers
Provide clear, understandable art direction and constructive feedback to illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, and/or marketers to ensure stylistic consistency and alignment with the project's approved concept. Oversee the creative process at every stage.
Art and image research and acquisition
Search for image options that support the project's narrative by consulting a range of sources—from stock and fine art websites to museums, libraries, academic, historical, and government institutions, to public domain imagery. Negotiate terms for rights-managed image licenses to secure commercial usage rights. Document details for all visual assets.
Develop and manage art schedules
Create and monitor project timelines to meet key delivery dates. Prompt the creative providers and/or in-house teams when necessary to keep the project on schedule. Address any potential delays or foreseeable snags quickly so that plans can adapt. Communicate schedule and progress updates regularly throughout the development process.
Source creative providers for custom art
Recommend art styles or photographic approaches that align with the project’s objectives. Source, assign, and manage these creative professionals to ensure on-concept quality while balancing schedule and budget.
Project management
Guide each stage of development to ensure a smooth process and that deliverables meet objectives. Anticipate and address possible stumbling blocks to mitigate delays. Coordinate and resolve issues and maintain clear communication.
Initiate contract negotiations
Draft initial agreements with artists, photographers, agents, and graphic designers defining the project's scope, deliverables, schedule, and compensation. Work to build strong relationships for future collaborations.
Delivery of final files
Provide easy-to-manage, problem-free, printer-ready or upload-ready final files. Ensure files undergo pre-flight quality checks before submission so they meet technical requirements. Support in-house design teams through the final steps of the pre-press process.
My Approach & Commitments
Trustworthiness & Reliability
- To be a go-to design resource for publishers
- To provide exceptional service, on time and on budget
- To operate from the highest integrity
Know the market
- To create designs that resonate with readers
- To stay on top of design trends in book publishing
- To design covers and books that pop off the shelf or online—and sell
Easy communication & collaboration
- To maintain a genuinely collaborative spirit
- To foster positive working relationships
- To listen intuitively to the nuances for design cues
- To receive design feedback with grace and appreciation
- To challenge feedback sensitively, offering alternatives
- To adapt when the project's circumstances change
- To provide timely communication and updates
- To be a positive liaison for the publisher and art resource
Excellence in design and process
- To embrace the design principle of "form and function are one," which is Frank Lloyd Wright’s expansion on "form follows function," and that ...
- … each of a design’s elements has a purpose
- … each of a design’s elements is interdependent
- To establish processes to support creativity, not hinder it
- To mind the details, building a foundation for success
- To mind the schedule, remaining flexible to changes
- To manage assignments with the utmost organization
How can I help?
I’d be glad to answer questions or chat about a new project you’re just beginning to explore. Don’t even know what to ask or where to start?
I can help with that too!
