Hello and welcome to my portfolio site! My name is Erin, and I have been a graphic designer for five years. So far in my journey as a designer, I have had experience in working for clients in college through designing a website with a team of fellow design students, working as a designer in the medical field and laboratory field as an Associate Digital Graphic Designer for Rochester Regional Health and ACM Global Laboratories, and currently I am working as the Visual Brand Manager of SUNY Geneseo as the sole designer for the campus.
A little bit of background about me, when I had started college at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest Edinboro), my goal was to become an animator for Walt Disney Studios. My original major for the first couple of semesters was Applied Media Arts with a concentration in animation, and I had a minor in graphic design just keep my options open. After taking a couple of classes in animation and learning about the work that goes into designing the iconic Disney movies I used to watch as a kid, I figured out rather quickly that animation was not the path for me. However, I really enjoyed my graphic design classes that I was required to take to fulfill my minor, and soon after this realization, I switched my minor to my major. Although traditional 2D animation for motion pictures was not my calling, I still found enjoyment of creating motion graphics in my design classes so my original interest was not completely lost, and I have used my animation skills in my career.
Throughout these experiences, I have learned a lot about what it means to be a graphic designer. Although the thought of a job requiring someone to wear many hats seems daunting in most cases, as a designer it is something that is very necessary to the job. As a graphic designer, I need to be a problem solver, an adviser, a brand manager, a creative thinker, and project manager. In my roles, I have learned a lot about how these traits are essential to creating a brand that resonates with the target audience, and remains constant throughout all medias. I have been a designer among a team of other designers, as well as the sole designer. These roles have shown me how to be a good collaborator, and how to be a thought leader.