Hello! I'm an art director and designer specializing in picture books, middle grade novels, chapter books, and young adult novels. In addition to books and design, I am passionate about art and arts education, yoga, meditation, and living in New York! Below is a little bit more about my work and experience.
Select Press:
Going Dark - Paste Magazine
These Broken Stars - NYC Media Network
These Broken Stars - Bookpage Best Covers
These Broken Stars - Book-tanical Feature
Far From You - The Casual Optimist Best Covers
Interview, Spine Magazine
Blog Feature, Behind the Scenes
Blog Feature, Behind the Scenes of a Cover Shoot
Cover Reveal, The Summer of Bad Ideas
Cover Process, Every Last Word
Experience:
Freelance Designer / Art Director, March 2017 - Present
Design picture books, YA and middle grade covers and interiors, logos/branding, and marketing/promotional materials. Hire and art direct illustrators. Meet with clients to determine design vision, scope of work, and schedule. Clients include Penguin Random House, Macmillan Children’s Publishing, Disney-Hyperion Books for Children, Bloomsbury Publishing, and Sesame Workshop.
Union Square & Co / New York / Children’s Design Director, September 2021 - April 2023
Oversaw the design of all books published by Union Square Kids, which included picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, graphic novels, and YA novels, as well as the Mo Willems book program. Managed a team of 3 in-house designers as well as freelance designers throughout entire book design process and personally design a selection of lead titles from each list. Presented children’s covers at weekly editorial and cover meetings; maintained ongoing cross-departmental communications and schedules to ensure timely execution of book production; collaborated with Creative Director to establish best practices and strategies to optimize workflow under extremely tight deadlines; discovered, hired, and art directed illustrators.
Pixel_Ink / New York / Freelance Art Director, September 2020 - July 2021
Responsible for the art direction of Pixel+Ink books. Managed a team of freelance designers and designed a portion of books on each list. Hired illustrators and designers, developed concepts for covers, ensured that press-ready files were delivered on time, implemented new font licensing system, created guidelines for file distribution based on departmental need.
HarperCollins Children’s Books / New York / Senior Designer, April 2015 - March 2017
Led the development of and designed 25–30 picture books and middle grade novels annually including New York Times best-selling Frazzled and River Rose and the Magical Lullaby. Created striking covers and interiors; managed project status and due dates through collaboration with editors, managing editorial, illustrators, and freelancers. Created and released mechanicals and proofs under tight deadlines. Reviewed proofs in collaboration with production manager and editors. Oversaw in-house and out-of-house freelancers. Curated department’s shared online galleries of cover trends, illustrators, designers, and hand letterers.
Disney-Hyperion Books for Children / New York / Designer, September 2010 - March 2015
Designed 25-30 picture books, middle grade novels and YA novels yearly including New York Times best-selling Starbound series, Code Name Verity, and Every Last Word. Designed covers and interiors; managed project status and due dates. Collaborated with editors. Coordinated photoshoots including castings and fittings with seamstresses and stylists. Conceived custom series branding.
Running Press / Philadelphia / Marketing Designer, August 2008 - September 2010
Designed seasonal catalogs and all marketing materials. Managed revitalization and redesign of catalog by introducing new layout, typography, design elements, and distinctive covers. Designed, art directed, and launched the series of “Running Press Cooks” catalogs which featured the cookbook list. Designed select titles on YA and children’s lists. Member of children’s acquisitions committee: evaluated and provided feedback on all YA and children’s acquisitions.
HarperCollins Children’s Books / New York / Editor, August 2001 - July 2008
Managed Shel Silverstein, Margaret Wise Brown, and Emily Post book programs. Developed 20 picture books and novels annually including four New York Times best-sellers. Negotiated offers, landed profitable acquisitions, cultivated new illustrators and authors, worked closely with designers, art directors, and production managers. Corporate committee member to rebrand E.B. White program.
Education:
Post-graduate design coursework at The Cooper Union, Parsons, the New School for Design, and School of Visual Arts.
Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and English, Minor in French and Creative Writing, Drew University. Certificate, Summer Publishing Institute, New York University.
Skills:
Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, photo retouching and manipulation, color correction, photo research, archiving, art direction, and portfolio review.