Design is like a sedimentary rock: comprised of ideas collected over time stacked tightly in layers—organic, colorful, and seemingly from nothing.

My work is created along a continuum. No project stands alone in a vacuum. Every world that I create is informed by the worlds that came before it, and no two are ever the same. For me, the most effective designs support the narrative of the play and the arc of the characters. The design gives a visual framework to the story.

I strive to create original worlds that are based in honesty and research, not because I’m looking to replicate life but rather illuminate and expand upon what could be. It’s my job to work with artists to realize and manifest a character's potential in look or in an environment without inundating an actor in over-designed clothes or scenery. Some call me a design dramaturg.

In my teaching, I strive to share this philosophy with my students. Even if they have never designed before, it’s the life experience and the ability to tell stories that inform their work. If they can harness that energy of experience and understand how it influences their choices, they will be successful and creative design-thinkers.

Follow me on IG @indepenguin and @twincat.art