My name is Laura, I graduated from Kutztown University in December 2023. I received a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Communication Design with a concentration in illustration. In 2019, I received an Associates Degree in Applied Science at Northampton Community College. I transferred to Kutztown as a Phi Theta Kappa Honor student where I continued to refine my illustration and graphic design skills.
In my final semester at Kutztown I interned at Meris, Inc., a Bethlehem based design company. While there I was a graphic design assistant helping with resizing ads to fit any medium. I also had the opportunity to design and pitch an ad campaign for People Signs, an Allentown based sign company. My time there made me understand that design is ultimately about problem solving. In my future career I hope to combine both utility and design so no one has to pick between the two. The more I work, the more I see that while user experience might be meant for web design, its principles still apply to other areas. Thinking of how something will be utilized, its location, and purpose all help push the design along just as much as what it should look like.
With the skills gained at university and in the field, I now have a greater ability to combine both design and illustration into something that benefits and uplifts people. My art is based on many sources from nature to media to books to personal experiences. I only started down my path thanks to other artists and writers. I am working on publishing my own graphic novels so I can continue that cycle of inspiration in someone else. I hope that my work will encourage someone else to take up the pen.