Photoshop

Good old Photoshop! I’ve been using this program since discovering it in a CAD class in high school. And even now I use it almost every day. I can make a completed print-ready flyer with bleed, guides and named layers just as easily as I can blends multiple objects into a photo which was never there to begin with. Almost every day you’ll see me pop it open for a quick masking, color swap, or crop.

Illustrator

Illustrator is my go-to program for the more text-heavy projects, not just for the usual work but also all my personal projects. Fliers, icons, logos, and others.

InDesign

Two apps I absolutely love for working with text docs! I usually team them up with Illustrator and Photoshop for their awesome vector and photo magic. But here's the real gem - this is where it all clicks! And trust me, there's nothing more satisfying than wrapping it all up with a final PDF, complete with linked indices and pages that just glow!

XD

I use XD almost every day. It's great for creating desktop, tablet and mobile mockups. I also have experience in similar mockup programs like InVision and Figma, though not nearly the 4 years in this program.

Acrobat

While many may overlook the humble Acrobat, I know all its secret powers for creating fillable forms, merging PDFs, making major edits, adding linking and more. Your PDF will never have to go without its final polish.

Word

Classic Word. While not my preferred program to design in, it’s an ideal program for letterheads and other media that non-designers need to regularly edit. So I know all about setting up linkable indexes, branded headers, and more.

PowerPoint

Let’s get to the PowerPoint. This program is an oldie but a goodie, the precursor to Google Slides and Keynote (both of which I have experience in as well). Here is where I can really wow with in-depth transitions, well-proportioned white space, and a final product that will give any speaker utmost confidence.

Excel

Excel sheets, and its counterpart Google Sheets, are ideal for tracking and logging data. This can be vital for tracking how changes affect a website over time, seeing larger trends, and identifying pain points for improvement. I can create functions and rules with the best of them — I love to see my data displayed in the cleanest form possible.

Figma

I use Figma almost every day. Not only is it great for creating desktop, tablet and mobile mockups, but I’ve found creative use cases for it as well. For example, I created an AR (augmented reality) app for a furniture company. I also have experience in similar mockup programs like InVision and Balsamiq, though not nearly as close as the 5 years in this program.

W3C / WAG

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is in charge of several programs, but the one I focus on is the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAG). I took an interest in digital accessibility over a year ago and have taken several online classes on it. I applied what I learned, including alt-text upkeep, keyboard navigation testing, color contrast reviews, and more. As I move forward as a designer, I keep these principles in mind, so my sites are as accessible as possible from the beginning.

HTML

I learned the basics of HTML and CSS in college, where we were tasked with creating websites from handtyped code. Currently, my skills in these areas are more often applied to programs like WordPress and Dreamweaver, where being able to do simple updates can save the development department many hours of effort.

CSS

CSS and HTML of course go hand-in-hand, and I know both. Being able to use code is the only way, in these programs, to truly design unique templates. I may also do some quick site edits in Inspector to figure out issues or test colors.

Sketch

While my knowledge of Sketch is limited to working in a MAC environment (if the need arises), I have designed with this prototyping software.

Webflow

Webflow is one of my all-time favorites when it comes to custom CMS and website building. You'll see me pop it open most days to bring designs to life.

Miro

Miro is my go-to online collaboration tool, while Figjam comes in as a close second. Usually you'll see me whiteboarding, sharing intrepid ideas, and presenting among others.

InVision Studio

Another favorite in the realm of collaboration! You'll see me using this for idea generation, affinity mapping, and prioritization mostly.

uizard

With AI becoming more widespread, I wanted to develop my skills in this area as well. I have designed and updated my existing websites with this. AI truely is like magic!

Spotify

While I will occasionally hop on YouTube for a better music experience, I’m truly a Spotify nerd. You’ll find me listening to all kind of music as I work — occasionally I’ll even be lip singing along.

Toolkit