There’s something about Mary

I bring creative direction to life through collaboration, leadership, and thoughtful, constructive feedback—working closely with fellow designers, animators, developers, photographers, producers, agencies, and business partners.

While I love guiding teams and shaping vision, my true joy comes from rolling up my sleeves and doing the work. From brainstorm to final production, I design and execute brand systems and multimedia marketing creative that are both strategic and expressive.

With a sharp eye for visual storytelling and a deep attention to detail, I help elevate brands into living, breathing identities—designed to grow, evolve, and strengthen recognition and position over time.

Resumé available upon request.

Skills that pay the bills

You may say that I’m a dreamer—but I’m not really daydreaming when my head is in the Adobe Creative Cloud.

• Typography is my superpower

• Creative direction and mentorship

• Brand strategy and design

• Strategic layout, design and production

• HTML5 animation and interactive design

• HTML5 & CSS (enthusiastic scavenger)

• Photo retouching and manipulation

• Illustration and hand lettering

• Design presentation and storytelling

• Short-form copywriting

• Creative Exploration with AI tools

• Experienced in Figma

For real life!

I go by many names: Associate Creative Director, Graphic Designer, Animator, Dancer, Pisces, Mom, Mah Wiiife (to my fellow Art Director husband)—and, of course, Mary.

I’m a proud ’90s kid who grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and followed my love of art to Drake University, where I earned a BA in Graphic Design and a BA in Advertising. After graduation, I became a longtime Des Moines resident, spending almost 15 years growing my career, honing my craft, and starting a funny, creative, and adorable family. Des Moines is a very cool and artistic city, but I heard the distant call of a loon and made my way back north to the Twin Cities—ready to spread my creative wings in familiar territory.

When I’m not designing, you’ll find me crafting, puzzling, tending to my (mostly alive) plant collection, sleuthing via crime TV and film, and spending time with my family. Creativity isn’t just what I do; it’s how my brain works and how I see the world every day.