Graphic Designer & Creative Director
Dallas, TX
Creative Director who has been building brands for over a decade, from NYC to Boulder to Toronto to Woodstock and now back home in Dallas.
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Through Herwood Creative, I develop comprehensive brand strategies, create custom apps, and design experiences that prove accessible design is actually the most innovative design. I've had my hands in all kinds of markets, built The Herwood Inn from a old Victorian into a boutique property (0 to 10K followers, sold for 3x investment). Created apps that actually work for real people. Produced events from intimate workshops to 500-person festivals. Designed everything from hospitality interiors to tech startup identities.
My theater background taught me that every element needs to work together and every person needs to feel like they belong. Whether I'm developing a brand system, building an app from scratch, or figuring out how AR can make print more accessible, I'm always asking: does this work for everyone? Because when it does, it just works better.
Currently pursuing my MFA at SCAD because I'm obsessed with emerging tech and how it can make design more human, not less. Based in Dallas but my brain is usually in three time zones at once. I change workspaces throughout the day because fresh environments create fresh ideas, and I genuinely believe beautiful design should be for everyone.
Design that works for everyone just works better.
The Herwood Inn
Built, Operated, Sold · Woodstock, NY
Transformed a 1800s Victorian into an award-winning boutique inn. Four suites honoring female music icons, community-centered hospitality, and a complete brand experience from concept to $1.25M exit.
The Story
Concept to Exit: 2018–2021
Transformed a Victorian on Woodstock's Tinker Street into the boutique inn I wanted to stay at. Four suites, each honoring a female music icon through design, not kitsch.
Every choice supported both guest experience and operations. Platform beds meant no lost socks. Open shelving meant guests never forgot belongings. Fully tiled bathrooms cleaned in minutes. Casper mattresses, Brooklinen sheets, curated vinyl in every suite.
Built a custom iPad app for local recommendations and product ordering. The outdoor space became a community hub with cedar hot tub, geometric fire features, and weekly programming.
Documented everything on Instagram, growing to 17,000+ followers who booked directly. When we sold in 2021, we'd created a new model for inclusive hospitality.
The Story
Transformed a Victorian on Tinker Street into the boutique inn I wanted to stay at. Four suites honoring female music icons through design, not kitsch.
Every choice supported guest experience and operations: platform beds, open shelving, tiled bathrooms. Built a custom iPad app. Grew to 17K+ followers who booked directly. Sold 2021 for $1.25M.
CEDARS
South Dallas Heritage Platform
A digital-physical system amplifying Black community history through accessible, multi-sensory storytelling. NFC-enabled plaques connect physical places to digital stories, no app download required.
The Story
MFA Thesis Project, 2025
Historic Black neighborhoods in South Dallas face cultural erasure through gentrification. Traditional preservation is often inaccessible and disconnected from daily life.
Community interviews revealed the need for a system that meets people where they are. Tap your phone on an NFC heritage plaque and the experience opens instantly. No app download. Works offline. Includes audio descriptions for accessibility.
Making heritage visible in public spaces strengthens community identity. Stories are preserved in residents' own voices. By respecting oral tradition alongside written histories, it demonstrates how emerging technology can combat erasure.
Seven integrated platforms create multiple entry points: web app, NFC plaques, DART transit reaching 50,000+ daily riders, wayfinding signage, event materials, social media, and printed maps.
The Story
Historic Black neighborhoods in South Dallas face cultural erasure through gentrification. Community interviews revealed the need for a system that meets people where they are.
Tap your phone on an NFC heritage plaque and the experience opens instantly. No app download. Works offline. Seven platforms create multiple entry points reaching 50K+ daily transit riders.
The Herwood Collective
Anti-Conference Platform
An intimate gathering for independent hospitality hosts. Properties become living labs over 3-day weekends, paired with a 10-week digital course and year-round community platform.
The Story
Rethinking Hospitality Conferences
79% of hospitality hosts manage alone. Traditional conferences cost thousands and cater to big tech, not independent operators managing 1-10 properties.
Properties become living labs where attendees experience great hospitality firsthand. Local businesses showcase services. Attendees test software together, try products before buying, and learn in real spaces instead of hotel ballrooms.
Passport system with NFC stamp challenges. Vintage hotel keychains as NFC business cards. Complete 8 challenges, win founding membership. Phones down, connections real.
The platform continues year-round with a 10-week hospitality course, event scheduling, operator directory, and ongoing education. Conferences end, but communities don't.
The Story
79% of hospitality hosts manage alone. Traditional conferences cost thousands and cater to big tech, not independent operators.
Properties become living labs. NFC passport system gamifies networking. 10-week course and year-round platform keep the community going after the event ends.
Trust Fall
4-Layer Interactive Zine
A multi-platform exploration of Amanda Palmer's TED talk The Art of Asking. Transforms a 13-minute talk about vulnerability into a tactile experience with AR elements, NFC music triggers, and origami participation.
The Story
Bridging Inspiration and Action
We consume inspiring content constantly but rarely act on it. Amanda Palmer's message about vulnerability gets 8+ million views, but how many people actually changed their behavior?
Physical zine with Amanda's full TED talk transcript, interactive elements like mirrored pages and origami flowers. AR experiences activate when you scan pages. NFC tags trigger music as you read.
Reflective vinyl forces you to see yourself while reading about eye contact and being seen. Origami requires physical participation. Interactive AR map shows Amanda's global asking network where readers add their own pins.
You can't passively read mirrored pages without confronting your face. You can't skip origami without missing the message. Design bridges the gap between inspiration and action.
The Story
We consume inspiring content constantly but rarely act on it. Amanda Palmer's message gets 8M+ views, but how many people actually changed their behavior?
Physical zine with mirrored pages, origami, AR experiences, and NFC music triggers. You can't passively read it. Design bridges inspiration and action.
Pitch deck due tomorrow? Custom HTML slides with animations, delivered in 24-72 hours.
Hand-coded link in bio pages that actually look like you. No subscriptions.
Let's create together
Let's create together
I'm accepting new client projects. I design brands, digital products, and hospitality experiences that work for real people. No fluff, no jargon. Just thoughtful design that solves actual problems.
Brand Strategy & Identity
Visual systems and guidelines that actually get used. You know what you do, but you don't know how to say it. I help creative businesses find their voice and build identities that feel authentic.
Digital Product Design
Apps, PWAs, and websites built for accessibility without sacrificing beauty. I design things people can actually use, all people. Emerging technology meets human-centered design.
Hospitality Experience Design
Guest experience systems and operational design for boutique spaces. I know what it takes to run a small property because I built, operated, and sold one. Design that makes hosts' lives easier.
Marketing & Content Strategy
Campaign development, content systems, and copywriting that actually sounds like a human wrote it. I'm a writer first, marketer second. Strategy that respects your audience's intelligence and doesn't rely on viral moments.
Also Good At:
Recent Projects
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Recent Projects 〰️
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4,000-word editorial publication exploring gender dynamics in modern culture using work by artist Esmaa Mohamoud . Designed comprehensive magazine layout balancing dense text content with visual breathing room. Created typographic system that maintains readability while supporting the narrative's emotional arc through intentional pacing and hierarchy.
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Produced and branded a community triathlon event with 40+ competitors and hundreds of spectators. Created complete event identity system, managed Facebook livestream production, and produced accompanying podcast series. Led cross-functional team to execute logistics, marketing, and community engagement for this annual Boulder tradition.
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Six-week research sprint developing a wellness app focused on mindful breaks. Conducted 6 in-depth user interviews and 30+ surveys to identify behavioral patterns around rest and recovery. Designed 30+ screens based on research findings, creating an experience that meets users where they actually are, not where wellness culture says they should be.
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Immersive theater app combining live performance with accessibility-first technology. Designed complete digital experience where audiences message actors in real-time, communicate through wall panels, and impact gameplay through team-based challenges. Built AR integration and multi-platform design system prioritizing seamless interaction over tech showcase. Technology enhances rather than dominates the human experience.
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Ongoing embroidery brand combining custom apparel design with personal branding. Develops product lines, manages production workflows, and maintains brand presence across Boulder and Toronto markets. Demonstrates ability to build and sustain creative business operations alongside client work.
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Promotional launchkit for The Public Theater's Suburbia production, transforming traditional theater marketing into a pizza box experience. Designed playbill-as-receipt, scratch-off lottery ticket with QR codes, fold-out poster, and character stickers, all packaged in a pizza slice box with spot varnish detailing. Created memorable, tactile campaign that reflects the play's convenience store setting while maintaining Public Theater's bold visual identity.
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Developed annual brand identity and ongoing campaign materials for Toronto Metropolitan University's Creative Industries union. Created logo system and produced year-long suite of promotional assets including posters, digital graphics, and event materials. Designed flexible visual language that maintained consistency across diverse applications while supporting student engagement and union activities.
Behind the Build
Building The Herwood Inn meant designing every touchpoint of the guest experience, from the booking flow to the brand identity to the events that built community.
Website Design
Custom-built booking experience with property stories and local recommendations
Guest App Design
In-room iPad app for local recommendations and direct product ordering from makers
Apparel & Brand
Branded merchandise and staff apparel that extended the property's identity
Event Design
Community yoga, maker partnerships, and events that turned guests into community
Every design decision at The Herwood Inn supported the larger vision: creating a space where guests felt like locals and locals felt like family.
The Herwood Inn
Your Instagram bio deserves better than a link tree
Hand-coded HTML mini websites built specifically for your Instagram bio. Not a template. Not a generic link tree. Just a custom-coded experience that actually feels like you, whether you're directing people to buy florals, book you for their next project, or see your latest work.
Fast-loading HTML. No clunky page builders.
Fully designed to match your brand identity.
Built for phones, where your audience actually is.
One-time payment. No monthly subscriptions.
Three tiers to match your needs
One-time payment. Yours forever.
Perfect for creators and small businesses who want a clean, professional link hub.
- 5-8 clickable sections
- Custom brand styling (your colors, fonts)
- Mobile-first design
- One round of revisions
- No monthly subscriptions
For businesses and creators who want their link hub to feel like an experience.
- Everything in Essential
- Custom graphic elements
- Animated interactions
- Up to 12 sections/links
- Instagram aesthetic integration
- Two rounds of revisions
Not just a link hub. A mini website built to work as hard as you do.
- Everything in Signature
- Multi-section mini site with navigation
- Custom photography integration
- Advanced animations
- Optional NFC integration
- Three rounds of revisions
- Free quarterly updates for 6 months
