Winner of 2010 IITAP Honors for Creativity in Instructional Innovation & Featured at 2010 South X SouthWest

Tracy Villareal, professor at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, wanted to engage his students remotely from Austin. As part of a team, I took part in translating the on-site research experience into Second Life, an online social community. The platform was named NEREUS, the Nautical Environment for the Research, Exploration, and Understanding of the Seas.

As part of the heads-up display group, I developed a timer-based user journey and interface model that resolved the limited virtual real estate the college owned in SL. Collaborative efforts led to building the experience of using a virtually modeled device to sample from a 3D data grid simulating the Pacific waters, which retrieved data from an external web-based MySQL database. Post class surveys revealed that students found the virtual instructional program created a learning experience that was both more immersive and process-oriented than traditional distanced college courses.

Akins High School in Austin took upon the challenge of greening their school with UpLift Austin (now EcoRise). The result is a book report of the impact the current conditions of the school have on their health, budgets, and environment and what could be possible. I led the art direction and designed infographics, sketch-models, and illustrations to visualize the correlations and visions of the students in this fourty-nine pages report.

UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas needed a re-design of their identity across all mediums. Fellow teammates and I designed a logo to emphasize the physical location of the institute that converges at land and sea, as it is most evocative of the knowledge they broadcast.

The pantone orange in the top droplet and the university name create a strong connection of its parent university in Austin. In final our design was received with enthusiasm when presented to the UTMSI board and graduate students.

PROCESS
As part of a group, I collaborated in on-site research and interviews with the board faculty and students where we gathered the importance of communicating their diverse research, education, and outreach activities of the institute. Conceptualization and sketch of the two tear drop shape. I also had an opportunity to led the team in creating a web-based brand standards for the Institute.

Fashion Design Competition logo and print poster for zuuzStyle, a fashion and style magazine. Client wanted to market to designers of college-level up between the ages of 18-25. Communicating the youthful energy was important consideration in choice of colors and typography combinations.

Final print poster size: 11 x 17
Tools: Adobe CS5 Photoshop and Illustrator
Custom type treatment in logo

Nector Online Media was looking to achieve an identity that resonated with the company's well established network for their web property. Buyerhive is a business web app that is helping small & medium businesses benefit from group buying and earn cash rewards on daily purchases.

Nourish International's Austin organization needed a set of invitation designs for their annual fundraiser, Hold' Em For Hunger. The casino-style event took place under the iconic University of Texas tower. The invitation designs communicate the significance of this event and its location. Printed on 80 lb. card-stock, the weight reflects its importance.