about me

In our increasingly fast, visually saturated world, strong graphic design—able to communicate instantly and effortlessly—is more essential than ever. Marketing research consistently shows that people both recognize and respond to great design; it is effective and necessary.

As a designer and marketing consultant in this morphing technical landscape, I am dedicated to studying the constant innovations in communication channels. I do this so that you don’t have to, and so you can focus on your vocation. 

Every design solution is a unique synthesis of many factors: the thought and experience I bring to each project, the many decisions that I make behind the scenes, the market research, the trade journals, the top international designers that I follow, the resources for products, printing, and publishing. 

I help your business stay competitive and contemporary, help increase your visibility, build your online presence, establish and nurture your brand, strengthen your reputation and help your bottom line. The web keeps evolving, and keeping pace with web standards is not just smart business, it is the only direction to go.

A graphic designer is not a fine artist, but a professional who creates the optimal context for another’s art or objective; a good graphic designer lives and breathes fine art while keeping a finger on the pulse of contemporary visual language.

It is because of clients like you that I am able to do what I love to do. Your feedback and input is invited, encouraged, and truly valued. Know that every single day I look forward to the work I do with you.   Read what my clients say.

how I work

My work is mostly with small businesses, and is based on very custom service, quick turnaround, and top quality results. As an independent designer, I don’t have the overhead of an agency, and my flexibility, my fees, and my speed reflect that. I design and produce all kinds of printed collateral, signage, identity graphics, catalogs, websites, online forms, brochures, posters, banners, etc. These are drop-shipped to clients across the country..

I advise and counsel my clients on the navigation of our super-heated, super-visual, digital world and how best to build a suite of materials that speaks to and motivates your target audience, not wasting time and resources with a scattershot approach. 

I have become quite adept at working long-distance. I recently completed a third book cover for a publishing house in Delaware, entirely via email. I have clients in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Maine, New York, New Mexico, and Florida. A blend of phone calls, email, and clear communications makes this possible.

Identity design is the foundation of your communications and is always the best starting point. This involves an in-depth, collaborative exploration to arrive at a memorable visual identity. That includes logo, font palette, and color palette. Logo files are provided in an assortment of formats and file types for different applications, from social media to trade show graphics.

My online portfolios show a selection of visual solutions from recent work, but the fun thing about what I do is the variety. Every project is unique, every solution original.

RATES

I offer several billing options, and always aim to build a long-term relationship with clients. I ardently believe that great design is a matter of skill and ingenuity, not a matter of price. There are great design solutions at all price points. I charge for my time, and want always to be offering an abundance in return…. of options, concepts, paths, ideas, results.

If you have a budget, I can build a proposal that meets it. If you don’t, I can help you create one, and give you a project quote or time estimate. My non-contract basic rate is $130/hr. I also have a rate of $95/hr for administrative tasks, such as managing photo portfolios, or market research. 

Once familiar with how I work, most of my clients adopt my option to purchase pre-paid blocks of time at a discounted rate. This gives you clear anticipated costs, and helps me manage my workflow. Try it! You'll like it!

I also offer a special rate to non-profits and charities, and I take on a few pro bono projects each year.

administration

I use Dropbox, Google Docs, AdShuttle, WeTransfer, and shared web-based folders for transfer of art and documents. I proof by PDF mostly. Customarily, web pages in development are published to my test site for evaluation.

Approved and completed design is printed or published only after payment is received. Under no circumstances will work be published without payment in full. Please allow for mailing time if this is a factor in your deadlines. I prefer payment via check, Zelle, or Venmo, but easy online credit card payment is also a popular option. All invoices are due upon receipt. I do not carry accounts.

My mobile phone is my only phone, and it is usually with me. 503 380 4187.  I use several email accounts and there is a contact form on this website that reaches me directly. 

I am reliably available for my clients during all business hours Monday through Thursday. I am frequently working on the weekends and in the evenings, and can often be reached at those times by email. Please do not telephone before 8am or after 8pm.

Please reserve Text Messaging for urgent issues only. Please do not use text for requests pertaining to work in progress. They will not make it into my workflow.

Don't hesitate to request references from recent projects. If you would like to speak with a current client, just let me know.

policies

Estimates: I am happy to provide free estimate quotes on a per-project basis. Estimates take into account many factors that influence outcome and delivery. Projects can be unpredictable though. If significant expansion of the mission occurs, or substantial redesign needs to be accommodated,  a change order will be required and budgetary estimates adjusted.

Printing prices vary daily due to fluctuating commodity and labor costs. Estimates are never a guarantee of final costs if time elapses.

Resources: It takes many years to develop vendors accounts, contacts, suppliers, resources, printers, and publishers. Please do not ask me to provide you with these. They are fundamental to my profession.

Rush Fees:  Any request needing a turnaround under 24 hours can —but does not always— generate a RUSH FEE of 30% on labor.

Cancellation: Life is full of surprises. If, for any reason, your project is cancelled, payment is due for only the work completed by the date of cancellation.