"Be kind - for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about."

          Inspired by the common crow, I would often portray them in my work. Though frequently feared or misunderstood, a closer observation yields their resourceful natures and subtle iridescence. Likewise, people usually have more than one story to tell, but not all are immediately evident or ready for sharing. I wanted my artwork to unnerve viewers, but I also wanted them to look again.

          However, the more I worked with CAD and fabrication, the more my narrative focused on the interaction between user and object. Realizing I was gravitating towards human-centered product design, I moved on from the fine jewelry industry. My experience working collaboratively with medical students and professionals has shown me that empathy, compassion, and respect are essential to creating thoughtful, ergonomic design. While I still search for story metaphors in design opportunities, my current concentration applies user experience research to product ideation, engineering, and business.

          The difference between art and design, is that art poses questions while design explores solutions. I will never stop creating fine art and asking questions, just as I will continue practicing design psychology as my way of solving problems.