Award winning Designer with extensive experience in creating innovative and enduring lighting and furniture designs. Transformational leader translating rough sketches into detailed drawings, reducing prototype processes, and collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams in branding and retail projects. Innovative Designer devoted to enhancing customer experiences and driving sales through exceptional, cost-effective designs.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Furniture Designer, West Elm [New York, NY 2022-2023]. Developed line extensions for existing furniture collections, collaborated with vendors on cost optimization, and created designs that met aesthetic, engineering, and financial goals, resulting in increased sales and improved team dynamics.
Successfully designed line extensions of existing furniture collections by collaborating with merchants and buyers to determine which pieces needed to be designed.
Reviewed and examined existing furniture collections to incorporate design details for a cohesive look.
Cooperated closely with vendors to obtain costing information and revised initial designs for value engineering.
Designed furniture pieces that successfully met aesthetic, engineering, fabrication, marketing, and financial considerations, which increased revenue.
Senior Product Designer, Aero Studios/Thomas O’Brien [New York, NY 2018-2022]. Reduced prototype processes, created detailed AutoCAD drawings from rough sketches, ensured optimal aesthetics and proportions, and expedited furniture design processes while reducing production costs.
Successfully actualized Thomas O’Brien’s lighting and furniture design sketches, streamlining the prototype process, and reducing the need for multiple rounds of prototyping.
Mastered the creation of preliminary AutoCAD drawings from rough sketches, offering multiple options for design clarification and enhancing communication with Thomas O’Brien.
Ensured optimal aesthetics and proportionality by reviewing full-size plotted drawings, leading to high-quality final product designs.
Lighting/Furniture Designer, Rejuvenation/West Elm [New York, NY 2014-2016]. Crafted enduring lighting collections, collaborated with merchants and buyers on seasonal collections, maintained productive vendor relationships, and balanced aesthetics with engineering and fabrication requirements for lasting, high-quality products.
Designed enduring lighting collections for Rejuvenation/West Elm, which remain top sellers after 10 years, demonstrating a strong understanding of customer preferences and market trends. Skillfully conceptualized and sketched seasonal lighting collections, collaborating with merchants and buyers to align designs with thematic and product type requirements, while fostering productive relationships with vendors to efficiently address engineering details and meet budgetary constraints.
Associate Designer, Gensler [New York, NY 2010-2012]. Enhanced brand identity facilitated cross-functional teamwork and communication and contributed to the successful execution of branding and retail projects through versatile design skills and attention to detail.
Contributed to the successful conceptualization and execution of both branding and retail projects, demonstrating a keen eye for design and practicality, while strengthening brand identity and experience by seamlessly blending design elements across various project types, showcasing versatility in design skills. Additionally, fostered efficient cross-functional teamwork and communication between branding and retail teams at Gensler, ensuring consistent and harmonized designs.
Clients included J.P. Morgan Chase, Bacardi, Merck Pharmaceuticals.
PRIOR APPOINTMENTS INCLUDE
eight, inc., Senior Industrial Designer
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Furniture Designer
The Dessin Fournir Companies, Design Director
The Walt Disney Co., Graphic Designer
Vanderbyl Design, Industrial Designer
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Adobe Creative Suite
AutoCAD
Rhino
Excel
EDUCATION & AWARDS
California College of Arts, BFA with honors, Industrial Design
Elected Commencement speaker
American Society of Furniture Design Pinnacle Award
Achievement Award, Martha Stewart Signature Furniture) Elle Decor
International Design Excellence Award for Furniture Design (Martha Stewart Signature Furniture).
CLIENTS INCLUDE
Anthropologie
Barbara Hammer Estate
Carter’s/OshKosh
Ecco Design, Inc.
eight, inc.
Ethan Allen
HealthTex
Ross Dress for Less
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Smart Design, Inc.
Smithsonian National Museum
Taipei Cultural Center
TEDxEast
TEDxNYED
WalMart
Warner Bros. Music