She Tried, She Went, She Discovered

I went to graduate school at Pratt after briefly working as a graphic designer (six months, to be exact). I was my own worst critic. The work moved fast, and I didn't think what I was producing was that great. Around the same time, there was so much happening in the world that I kept asking myself, how can my design work impact the world?

I knew I wanted to go back to school, but I also knew I didn't need another degree in graphic design. So I started looking at graduate schools and reading curricula. Pratt kept standing out to me. At the time, I didn't know what communication design or human-centered design was. I just knew the work appealed to me.

Going to Pratt in New York (being just a girl from Mississippi) changed how I viewed design. I picked up a lot of debt, but I'll never regret that experience. It expanded the way I thought about design and introduced me to research, systems thinking, and understanding people before designing for them.

During my first year at Pratt, I visited the Cooper Hewitt exhibition Designing for the People of America. I remember walking outside afterward with chills, thinking, this is the type of design I want to do. Design that preserves culture, enhances experiences, and shifts perspectives.

Today, my work encompasses communication design through graphic design, brand design, digital marketing, strategy, research, and teaching higher education. As my career evolved, so did the way I applied research. What began with studying trends, audiences, and industries to design visuals evolved into applying different research methods and using data to create systems and build audits and strategies for clients.

While I feel these experiences have shaped me as a designer, I don't think I've reached my destination—or my peak—just yet. I think that's what keeps me excited about what's next.

So, if you're reading this, I hope you'll be a part of this next phase of discovery.