About Me
Hi, I'm J.J. I attended Minnesota State University (MSU) in Mankato, Minnesota, where I earned a B.S. in English (Creative Writing) and Psychology. I returned to MSU to study Technical Communication at the graduate level. Upon completion of my program, I received offers of employment from three companies in three different states. One of those companies was Disney in Florida. I had previously completed an internship in their college program, so my interest in returning was quite high. My brother, however, lived in Texas, which is where I accepted an offer of employment at National Instruments (NI), an engineering company, in Austin. I was so excited to hang out with my brother again, that even Disney could not top that offer.
After writing and editing help documents, user guides, and more for my company, I decided that pursuing a career in graphic design was indeed my calling. From a young age, I was interested in the creative world, whether it was creative writing or drawing. I didn't fully realize that drawing and creating other forms of visual art was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life until after I explored in more detail the power and excitement of visual communication. Part of my interest in my current pursuit came about while I created a complete redesign of the Society for Technical Communication MSU Student Chapter's newsletter, Techniques. After much consideration, I left NI and started working as the graphic designer/desktop publisher at a non-profit in Austin.
Currently I spend much of my time learning new and efficient ways to design for print and the web. With our ever-changing world, there is a constant shift in how we view and interact with media. My goal is to understand that shift and move with it while designing original and engrossing visuals. My commitment to excellence is apparent, as I maintained a 4.0 during my graduate studies, received three job offers from all three of the companies I interviewed with, and successfully shifted into a career in graphic design. My commitment to improvement is also apparent as I continue to read, learn, and design. Thank you for considering me as your vehicle to enrich your vision!
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my wife, playing with my pups, watching movies, and drawing. Sometimes I like to play pinball, and there's no better place than Pinballz in Austin. I also love to volunteer for local dog rescues and other charities. It's such a blessing to help out others, and Austin offers so many great opportunities.
