Have you always wanted to work in a creative career?
Since high school, I knew I wanted to work in a marketing/communications career. It wasn’t until college that I realized it was specifically graphic design that I wanted to focus on. Once I learned the freedom that a career in graphic design allows, there wasn’t any other choice that interested me. I work on so many different types of projects, there is never a boring day at work.
Were you always on the path to your current career? Or were there some twists and turns?
I don’t think there is ever a clear path to any career, but I have ended up where I always thought I would be with a career as a freelance graphic designer that allows flexibility for me to be with and raise my kids from home, which has always been my top priority.
I first heard about ESD 112 when I was volunteering on a graphic design panel at Ridgefield High School with Melissa. When the part-time position opened, I knew the ESD job would have the type of design projects that I’m passionate about. I have already grown as a designer working for ESD 112 by being open to working on projects that push my creative problem solving and layout techniques.
What kind of communications project do you most enjoy executing?
I have really enjoyed logo work/recreation. Logos are used on so many different pieces and are the first impression you get of an organization. Usually, the client has a clear idea or a previous version to work from, and I enjoy taking their ideas and really making a new logo come to life.
I also find text-heavy typography projects exhilarating and the most satisfying to work on. It’s like a puzzle that needs to be solved, but you don’t know what the end picture is of until you have finished, and it’s up to you to make it beautiful.
What is your favorite industry trend right now? Least favorite?
My favorite industry trends right now are clean, sans-serif fonts as well as colorful and elaborate illustrations. My least favorite is AI and how reliant people are with it. Although it can be a great resource for certain things, I am afraid that over time it will diminish the creativity of individuals, and nothing will be original artwork. AI can speed up repetitive tasks and help generate inspiration, but it can’t replicate human creativity, storytelling, emotional intelligence, or the ability to understand a client’s needs and translate that into a compelling visual message.
As someone at the beginning of a graphic design career, do you ever worry about AI replacing graphic designers?
As someone relatively new to a graphic design career, I have focused on building core design skills that set human designers apart from AI like creative problem solving, empathy, and strong visual communication skills. I’d be lying if I said I never used ChatGPT occasionally, but AI will never replace designers or any other creative industry because it can only regurgitate what humans have already produced–eventually it will run out of original work to pull from. AI can generate images, but it doesn’t understand nuance, tone, or context the way a human does.
I also hated programs like Canva when they first started coming out, because I thought they would turn everyone into a professional graphic designer. But I soon learned that even with the tools readily available, not everyone has an “eye for design” and my career will hold value for a long time to come.
Between freelancing, part-time ESD work, raising toddlers, coaching and volunteering, you are being pulled in a lot of directions! How do you manage so many different things and stay on top of it all?
They say it takes a village, and I truly have that in my life. I would not be able to do the things I do without the support of my family. It’s definitely a full plate, but I’ve found that the key to managing it all is being intentional with my time and really clear about my priorities. I rely heavily on my “To-Do List” on my Notes app on my phone, my digital calendar and the giant white board I have hanging in the family room to keep track of tasks, activities, deadlines.
Raising toddlers has actually sharpened my time management skills and taught me to be present and focused because multitasking with kids doesn’t usually go as planned! Freelancing and coaching give me flexibility, while my part-time ESD work grounds me with structure and teamwork. Volunteering is my way of staying connected to the community, and it recharges me in a different way.
Ultimately, I think I stay on top of it all because everything I do aligns with my values. That makes it easier to stay motivated and organized, even when things get a little hectic.
Coach Eggleston
“Quick Draw McGraw” back in her roller derby days
What are your favorite ways to unplug and decompress?
Nowadays it’s puzzles, bubble baths, and sneaking a sweet treat or an Iced Rebel from Dutch. I enjoy line dancing whenever I get a free Thursday night and used to play flat track roller derby prior to having kids. I played all through college and a few years after, 2016-2021ish. I was a Jammer on my team, and my roller derby name is “Quick Draw McGraw” or “QD” for short (McGraw being my maiden name). This is definitely something I would love to get back into when I can fully commit the time to do so again.
What have you done on your bucket list? What’s still left to do?
I have gotten married, had kids, visited Europe and gotten a tattoo (a small “I love you” symbol matching with my mom), but buying a house, owning property and more memory-making adventures are still on the list. I would also get more tattoos if they were cheaper. I would love to get a wildflower bouquet with my family’s birth month flowers and a few other things I have drawn.
