When I was younger, I started a handmade small-batch soap company because I loved the idea of creating a product that spoke to a multi-sensory experience. My soap came in beautiful recycled paper packaging. It was branded with filigree borders and sealed with a bright-colored contemporary label.

The aesthetic was a juxtaposed nod to the soap-making traditions of a bygone era. I researched all there was to learn about cold-processed soap making, and then I began experimenting with countless combinations of oils to create my unique soap recipe.

I formulated a blend of proprietary plant essences for the fragrance and super-fatted the soap base with beautiful oils of sweet almond, hemp seed, and castor oil. When used, the soap produced a soft bubbly lather, and the smell of the essential oils filled the shower.

At its core, soap is a utilitarian object that offers a variety of user experiences. "Crafted with Calculated Care" was printed on the side of the box, and that has been my motto when designing user experiences long after the soap company went out of business.

I previously worked in various service industry jobs. This love for designing experiences began early in my career. From restaurant service to high-end luxury retail, I was always tailoring a customized interaction to the individual and ensuring they had a unique, inviting experience with the company. 

I decided I wanted to design more product-based experiences and graduated with a BFA in industrial design from MIAD. I learned about human and accessibility factors when creating products for disabled children in the Milwaukee school system as a part of the MIAD curriculum. In college, I practiced user empathy and the design process through multiple sponsored projects with companies such as Masterlock, Delta Faucet, Briggs & Stratton, and Fiskars.

I relied on the design processes learned in school to discover, iterate, and test for solutions. After graduation, a small startup recruited me to flesh out the customer journey experience. I designed all the touch-points along the customer path. Part of my responsibilities included script writing for the sales team, developing marketing collateral in print and digital media, and creating an online community. I also became project manager for their website redesign and oversaw a commercial building renovation to become their regional operating center. 

My design background has not been straightforward, but it has always been human-centered and empathetic. I love the outdoors and spend as much time as possible in the Uintah mountains at our cabin. I am a dad to two beautiful girls and love doing all the dad things with them. I am a massive lover of music, and discovering new things to listen to is a passion of mine.