Graphic Design
Composition, hierarchy, and why a centered hero usually isn't the answer.
Teaching
Teach the eye, not just the tool.
I teach foundations, UX, and graduate design. The goal is useful language, practiced judgment, and the confidence to make the next decision without me.
Teaching in practice
The classroom keeps becoming products.
I build things that give people more ways to practice judgment, get useful feedback, and keep learning outside the room.
01See
02Name
03Compare
04Apply
Taste Cabinet
A four-step practice loop: see a principle, name it, compare it with another idea, then apply it to real work.
01Artifact
02Evidence
03Priority
04Revision
The Crit
A critique loop that starts with the artifact, grounds feedback in evidence, sets one priority, and carries the lesson into revision.
Subjects
What I teach.
A mix of foundations and higher-level work, undergraduate through graduate.
Typography
Pairings, scale, and the reason every rule has exceptions.
UX Design
Research, flows, and the difference between what a usability test catches and what it misses.
Visual Design Tools
The tools under the craft — not as software, but as a way of thinking.
Visual Design
Moving from competent to opinionated. Systems, grids, decisions with evidence.
Graduate UX
Portfolio-quality case studies and the strategy work behind them.
Portfolio
Resumes, brand, case studies, and the narrative arc that turns a portfolio into an interview.
Graduate Thesis
The capstone. Research depth, scope, and the rigor it takes to ship a year-long project.
Tools for practice
Try the idea, don’t just read it.
Small browser tools for exploring visual choices and getting fast, low-stakes reps.
Pixel LabPractice tool
Source
5 colors
Pixel Lab
Pixelate any image in your browser.
9 palette presets, Floyd–Steinberg dithering, quick recipes. All client-side — your image never hits a server.
Open toolType ScalePractice tool
Base · 16Aa
Display39
Heading31
Body16
Small13
Type Scale
A type scale that makes sense.
Pick a base size and a musical ratio. Get a complete scale with named tiers, live preview, and CSS or Tailwind output you can paste.
Open toolCopy CheckerPractice tool
BeforeClick here to learn more
AfterSee the next step →
Specific·Direct·Useful
UI Copy Checker
Flag the common crimes in your UI copy.
Paste your microcopy. Get back the offenders — lazy CTAs, fluff, corporate jargon, marketing-speak, passive voice. Each flag is a suggestion, not a rule.
Open toolHow I teach
Feedback should build independence.
01
Feedback that's actually specific
"Looks great" doesn't help anyone ship better work. I try to name what's working, what's not, and one thing to try next.
02
Show, then step back
The job isn't to design it for you. It's to show you how to decide, then get out of the way.
03
Grading is a tool, not the point
In beginner classes I lean on simple completion rubrics, because a letter grade isn't what makes a junior designer better. Directed feedback is.
04
Real work over academic exercises
Assignments that look more like working briefs and less like homework. You should leave with things you'd actually put in a portfolio.
Student outcomes
Where former students work now.
FigmaAmazonLyftMetaPinterestCisco
A partial list. The students I'm most proud of aren't the ones who landed the logos—they're the ones who learned to decide for themselves what makes something good.
In their words
You are excellent at balancing between offering guidance and allowing us the freedom to express ourselves authentically as designers.
Valuable and actionable feedback that challenged me to push my boundaries and strive for excellence.
You broke down complex concepts into practical, real-world applications — and gave me the confidence to use typography more intentionally in my work.
The very first professor who taught me UX/UI. Your classes helped me build a foundation and discover my passion for this field.