The skills toolbox I have been building for the past 20 years encompasses research, technology, visual beauty, and, more importantly, design insight. Design is a word I use to describe intention in problem-solving. My process always begins with creating a visual representation of the problem I am trying to solve. These drawings help me and others create a starting point and identify shared potential endpoints—our solution.
The projects I share here represent my design process: drawing first, then researching and questioning the problems involved, illustrating insights to clients and stakeholders; and planning a path toward execution.
I believe this process is a holistic approach to understanding a client’s business drivers and finding the correct solution to their needs.
Being part of a successful solution to a client’s business challenge is a thrill and a reward that I strive to meet.
Projects
UX Design
Research
Vela is a weather app that lets you play in the water.
I am a watersport enthusiast. Most days, I prefer to be in the water kayaking, paddleboarding, or ocean swimming with friends. Living in and around water requires a unique weather app to enjoy these water activities. Different types of watersport communities prefer different weather conditions to enjoy their sport.
Play in All Kinds of Weather
Data Visualization
Insight
Constant glucose monitors, CGM, are new to the sports ecosystem, with numerous manufacturers entering the market space. The CGM monitors have been mainly for the diabetic patient. Athletes have started tracking their blood glucose levels while training to monitor their food intake and blood glucose levels. I am a serious pickleball player and when I am not on the court, I am in the gym working on my core/leg strength. For two weeks, I used a CGM, to track my body’s glucose levels in real-time while exercising and before/after eating a meal.
What can I learn from tracking my meals and activities daily?
Architecture
Insights
In the fall of 2022, clients were asking what the future of the workplace looks like, and honestly, I did not have a crystal ball. But our team and I were following the trends, listening to our clients, observing the industry, and interpolating a lot of real estate data. The document FutureShift: Case Studies on the Future of the Workplace was a synthesis of insights to share with our clients.
Credits:
Dyer Brown Architects Team: Brent Zeigler, Rachel Woodhouse, Ashley Dunn, Sara Ross, Sean Curran and Mary Martin
Graphic Design Team: Darrin Hunter
Reflections
It will be four years, in 2024, when commercial buildings and workplace strategies changed their course. I have steadied my gaze toward large Class A buildings in cities that were once vibrant, all day, every day. I support the life of buildings to evolve over time, and I support Boston’s Downtown Office to Residential Conversion Pilot Program. This should revitalize Class B and C buildings as well as downtown businesses. It will take several years to see lasting patterns in our cities, and it will take public/private interest to shape their outcome.
Architecture
Execution
Dyer Brown Architect principals and I had a unique opportunity to leverage our entrepreneurial skills and professional network in Boston to conceive of Helsa--a short-term space for health, wellness, and rejuvenation during a member’s day. Helsa spaces would be in commercial buildings in Boston’s financial district.
Boston’s commercial buildings are a destination for many business travelers. The proximity of downtown to Boston Logan Airport and North and South Train Station makes Helsa an attractive option for business travelers.
Our team created an investor pitch deck and a two-minute video to share our ideas.
Credits:
Dyer Brown Architects Leadership Team: Brent Zeigler and Rachel Woodhouse
OneSource: Vernae Jones-Seals
3D Visualization and Graphic Design Team: Inna Geyyer and Adrienne Fitzgerald
A short-stay urban retreat for anyone who
needs a place to rest, reflect, and feel
recharged throughout their busy day.
Leave Better.
It’s not a hotel
or a co-working space
or a coffee shop.
Helsa takes the best of all 3 and allows you
to create a new experience.
Reflections
Timing is everything! I am very aware of this sentiment now more than ever. When my team pitched our idea for Helsa to investors, we knew there was an urgency—there was nothing like it out in the marketplace. We did not predict COVID-19 was around the corner.
The lesson I took away from this experience is not to retreat into not pursuing an idea. The residue of a failed attempt is much more rich in experience and market knowledge.
Architecture
Execution
My team at Dyer Brown Architects was challenged to renovate a large maritime industrial building at Black Falcon Pier at Boston’s Seaport area. The environmental element is extreme on a building’s exterior so that was a design concern we needed to consider. The new landlord wanted a new tenant mix to anticipate the Seaport’s new clientele and trendy scene.
The exterior needed new wayfinding signage to help guide visitors, pedestrians, and vehicular traffic. The interior needed a complete renovation of existing building systems, additional wayfinding signage, and tenant amenities.
Credits:
Dyer Brown Architects Project Team: Julio Guevara, Deniz Ferendeci, Darrin Hunter
3D Visualization and Graphic Design Team: Inna Geyyer and Darrin Hunter
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Illuminated Car Ramp.
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Illuminated Art Panels.
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Entry to Black Falcon Cruise Terminal.
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Elevator Lobby.
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Second Floor Wayfinding Signage.
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Cafe Views toward the Channel.
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Art Panels and Wayfinding Signage.
Strategy
The start of the coronavirus pandemic, March 2020, was an inflection point for most companies and team members. Even today, most companies are still trying to grapple with the residue of the pandemic in their workplace. By 2020, I had been in the architecture industry for over 20 years, but I had never experienced such a dramatic change in workplace strategy. The strategic work and systems thinking I was part of at Dyer Brown was both challenging and rewarding.
Credits:
Dyer Brown Architects Team: Brent Zeigler, Rachel Woodhouse, Ashley Dunn, Sara Ross, Sean Curran and Mary Martin
Graphic Design Team: Darrin Hunter
Mapping a team member’s journey through existing and new workflows and processes.
A Venn diagram illustrates core building blocks and relationships for teams to realize their impact.
Mapping a project’s journey through existing and new processes to understand improvements.