Hi there, I’m Ann Marie (first name). I grew up in a quiet beach town south of Boston with a passion for sports and music. 

I discovered my calling to be a graphic designer as a junior in high school when I took a desktop publishing class. Shout out to Mrs. Kenney! This drive carried me through college where I was determined to figure out how I fit in inside the world of design without being just a number. Because, let’s be real, nobody wants to be “just a number”, we want to feel connected, heard and valued.

Following college, I worked a summer position designing college guidebooks for universities across the country and managed the print runs. Soon after, I worked for a silkscreen print shop, illustrating designs for apparel including local high schools and a USA Swim Meet. Here I learned how to screen print from the head printer after hours. Talk about an Alice in Wonderland moment! Learning this skill took me further down the illustration rabbit hole and I was hooked. This changed how I design and really made me want to be a better illustrator.

SMILE, You’re In My Photo Booth! 

2 years later, I began working at Innovative Foto, designing photo booths. Yes, you are correct, those booths that you’re always embarrassingly dragged into when you’re on a date at the zoo or an amusement park, but then glad you did. But unlike the first awkward photo, this job was fun! Working here allowed me to feel connected to the work I was doing because the booths were manufactured at the office so we were designing graphic concepts, exterior wraps, UI and photo products. I was collaborating with teams from other departments from Engineering and R&D to Production and print vendors. I had the opportunity to work with imagineers from Disney, as well as other clients including M&M’s World, Forever21, San Diego Zoo and Six Flags to name a few.

Current Adventures

Now, as a small business owner, I use these acquired skills everyday whether I’m illustrating a logo and building out an identity package for a client, creating a package design, marketing collateral, working with vendors or creating my own products for my Etsy shop. Getting the opportunity to help my clients tell their story and build an experience for their customers that make them feel connected, heard and valued is all part of the fun.

So cheers, with a cold glass of chocolate milk. I look forward to connecting with you. 

~AM