Hello!

A little about me

My name is Emme, I am a New England native with roots in CT, RI, and NY who grew up with something artistic always going on. A recent graduate of Johnson & Wales University, I am a versatile creative specializing in branding and strategy, with a hefty scoop of advertising in the mix. I am equipped with over 6 years of experience in Graphic Design, specifically in print, packaging, editorial and a myriad of other projects in between. I am well versed in Adobe Creative Suite (with a bit of favoritism toward Illustrator), and I do not shy from going back to basics and exploring a thorough process when needed. I have found myself in positions of being a jack-of-all trades and have been able to learn as I go in various situations. This gave me opportunities to work thoroughly in copywriting, research, and strategy. If there is anything I bring to the table with unwavered strength it is passion for my craft.

Why Creative Strategy?

I’m glad you asked!

It was a happy accident. When I came close to finishing my Bachelor’s degree, building my portfolio meant defining myself as a designer and a creative for the first time. Above anything else, I am a problem solver. I love the process of identifying an issue, and solving it creatively. I love learning about seemingly mundane things, such as how technicolor worked, and love utilizing what I learn even more. I dig into every aspect of getting from point A to point B, even if that includes a business plan. Having experience and love for skills outside the walls of design, it felt limiting to call myself strictly a designer. After endless pondering with a professor and one of my closest mentors, Gail McCarthy, we settled on creative strategist as it felt fitting to everything I was capable of. With a diversified major it was clear my skills lie heavily in the process of communicating through advertising, but I would short change myself if I didn’t highlight my creative baseline.

Diversified Major?

That’s a fancy way to say I did a bunch of things at once.

When I completed my Associate’s degree I knew I was in the right field for me and wanted to continue, but transferring institutions proved it’s own set of challenges. By the end of my first semester at JWU it was clear my path was going to be crooked, and the solution was actually to put more things on my plate. My official degree is in the Interdisciplinary Studies program with my major being Design for Advertising. This is a wordy way of saying I took the JWU Design program, and the JWU Advertising program and put them together to make my own mix of classes and skills.

This was the best thing I could have done for myself. I was able to learn more skills by ensuring I wasn’t doubling up on classes taken during my Associate’s program, and I was able to take courses in strategy, social media, and full scale ad campaigns. I would never have guessed that this is the direction I would end up going but I am a believer in everything happens for a reason, and I am so happy things went wrong in the past for everything to end up right. And my slight obsession with Time’s Square as a kid makes more sense now that I work in Advertising.

Other Tidbits…

  • I’m a big traveler (not a vacationer, there’s a difference)

  • I am a Disney adult, but like the cool kind. I have grown up completely fascinated with all the things they create

  • I am in the middle of five kids in my family, and the rest are boys

  • I am a hands-on learner, and love to learn new mediums. Michael’s craft store is one of my most visited places.

  • I’m a tattoo enthusiast, it truly is my addiction

  • I grew up in a fire/medical first responder family, so I almost went into nursing