What is your job? Where do you work?
I am a Creative Partner at Ramp Creative in Los Angeles. Ramp Creative is a multi-disciplinary design studio in Downtown Los Angeles. We love what we do.

What are your inspirations?
My idealistic nature to improve and learn. My nomadic childhood. My short attention span. My interest with people who innovate. My fascination with ideas that make a difference.

What do you like most about what you do?
I enjoy the fact that the design community has the power to use their skills and create change. Design itself has the ability to communicate dialectal intricacies beyond the written word to create both public opinion and individual meaning. As Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker, "with great power comes responsibility". And although it is difficult to balance a good life with good work to achieve a meaningful direction for my design, I am still trying to put my influence to good use. I enjoy helping people with what few superpowers I possess.

What do you dislike most?
Working with clients who are more interested in beauty than ideas.

How do you balance your life between work and non-work? Or, what do you do in your spare time?
Somedays they are blurred together and work and non-work become essentially the same. Even when I’m not working, my own creative predicaments are on my mind. In my "spare time“ I like to travel and try new restaurants, or at least daydream of doing either. But when I’m really busy with work, I consider the few minutes I have to grab some coffee between working on projects and client meetings my true "spare time“.

What product or gadget strikes your fancy?
There’s many that I fancy: my TiVo, the SMint dispenser, Apple computers, Fresh body care products, my digital camera, the basic wine opener, and bubble wrap.

How long have you been a member of the AIGA, why did you join and what do you get out of your membership?
I have been a member since I was a college student in 1993. I joined intially to put it on my resume and get in on a discounted student rate. When I was in grad school, I used my membership to keep up with events and attend the bi-yearly design conferences. When I started teaching, I touted AIGA as a great tool for design students. Now I use my membership to pull myself away from the computer and attend presentations and conversations.

What are your favorite websites?
Amazon, Backpack and Flickr. I enjoy shopping, but moreso enthralled to see what items Amazon DOESN‘T sell – and if they don’t have it, eBay usually does. Backpack is a great list-making utility and has such an easy user interface that I use it often and almost anywhere. I’m also obsessed with community Web sites (like Flickr). Flickr is such a great way to visually travel the world, experience events through other’s eyes and connect with others.

Member Spotlight is an opportunity to showcase the diversity of our chapter's members. Promote yourself or a new project while sharing your experiences, interests and opinions with your local design community. Wanna be profiled next? Let us know.