is a coach + strategist + experience designer + facilitator + technologist
What does that mean?
I guide processes so that people can make meaningful decisions around priorities, services, and products.
I design and conduct research, analyze and evaluate – and, combined with human needs, co-create information, often in the forms of: service blueprints, experience journeys, user stories, product roadmaps, taxonomies, matrixes, and of course insights and informed recommendations.
For me, I love that technology can help organize and support our lives. BUT I know it is NOT neutral. So I use design techniques that center people impacted by decisions.
Read my Medium case studies // Check out my CV // Say hello on Twitter
With technology, I:
- design services and digital interfaces to be efficient and inclusive.
- support secure systems and autonomous use of the internet, in particular digital security for vulnerable communities.
- develop interfaces, software, and workflows that are accessibly optimized for humans and driven by need.
- architect data schemas and open-source software systems for efficient, transparent use.
- build digital catalogs and archives for cultural creators and institutions.
- Organize and document the ever-loving crap out of everything I touch!
As a community organizer who also implements technology to help activists succeed, and a multimedia artist who also builds digital archives, my work intersects functionality with agility, practicality, and the democratic politics of open-source cultures. I have collaborated on digital collection sites for John Jay library, The Interference Archive, and more. I earned a Master’s Degree in American Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center.
I’m curious and adventurous in life and design.
In 1987 my grandmother taught me how to sew, and my mother taught me pattern-making and fabric-based crafts; I went on to costume design school and professional production in new and vintage fabrics as well as leather.
In 1994 I began working in print by making zines and went on to edit a university newspaper and Art Direct a magazine along with making posters and flyers for events, book interiors, press kits, CD covers…
In 2000 I began staging photo shoots and digitally editing the images for creative collages; now I’ve styled product and portrait shoots for fine art, editorial print, and web uses.
In 2004 I formed a performance troupe and we realized that the a web presence was the best way to promote ourselves, so I taught myself HTML to make our site; now I’ve built or maintained over a dozen beautiful sites.
In 2005 I decided to begin recording audio, and in 2008 video – and now I teach a DIY audio course and have had my short videos play all over the US, Canada and the EU.
I’m passionate about supporting social justice, free speech, individuals’ self- representations, and the hard work put in by small business owners and working artists to realize their dreams.
My education has been broad, both formal and self-driven, and is lifelong. I care about the work I do and the projects I take on, because they must reflect my vision of a DIY/C [that last “c” is for collectively!] world.
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I spent many years building the back end of websites; creating content and visual design for web and print; and consulting on digital strategy and marketing. I used to offer creative production services:
Cross-genre creative production is close to the fabric of my life, and I’m thrilled to work with others to share my skills. I used to offer communication design in web, print, styling and multimedia platforms, but now I focus on working teams to facilitate self-organizing and human-centered decisions. I take on consulting partnerships in these areas.