my story
It could be watercolor art, oil painting or sewing a skirt cut out from my mothers discarded saree. My experiments were countless and the journey vivid and joyful, which led to a degree in Graphic design from The Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago.
I have always loved to create!
Freelance work
Working with businesses like restaurants, salons, doctors and coaches, I have learned, evolved and thrived as a designer. I have seen their dreams come true!
These projects have helped me gain a wide range of experience to understand the uniqueness of each business. Being actively involved in the launch of new products / services has provided me with the insight of the challenges that a new entrepreneur faces. At present, when I onboard a new client, I am not only their designer but also a cheerleader who is committed to see them succeed.
journey
Print media was my first love!
Visiting a letterpress print shop in Chicago on a field trip from school was an epiphanous moment. The process, stages of printing and finally holding the “hot from the press” finished product was a magical experience.
While the world was moving towards digital media, I was drawn to tactile print material. Creating business cards with different print techniques and experimenting with a variety of paper types was all that I wanted to do.
But, design, branding, marketing and communication art are all intertwined.
This led to a more expanded role, and soon enough I was creating posters, ads, flyers, brochures, booklets and social media posts.
In-house designer
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor backed Shlok/Tadka/Bamboo Garden restaurant group for all their marketing material needs and then moved on to a trade show graphics designer for a global company GS1US. As a young mom, I was balancing my professional and personal aspirations. Surrounded with supporting family and clients, I focussed on both, and continued to grow and learn new technology.
Web design & development
A Colorful Affair, Naperville based art studio offered me the position of a in-house graphic designer and I was encouraged to learn web design skills to upgrade their website with e-commerce functionality.
They believed in me.
I learned to build a Shopify website.
Web design led to an enriching journey of website design, e-commerce, analytics and product photography. Successful launch of their fully functional website, helped me feel confident as a web designer.
Luckily after acquiring the new skill, I onboarded highly motivated new clients for branding and website design. The joy ride continues with each day holding a promise of creating something new, learning something challenging and adding value to create a difference.
