Born in Texas.
Made in California.
For 20 years, I've thrived in the design arena, primarily within the fast-paced agency world. I’ve been a design lead for most of my career where I’ve won awards, managed teams, run point on design and oversaw production. I began my career as an Art Director, building strong brand identities for clients around the world. The other half, I’ve spent in the UX space, designing innovative user experiences that bring those identities to life. I feel this combination has made me a versatile and well-rounded designer and I aim to blend both in everything I create.
In 2016, I made a move to go freelance which allows me to choose projects I’m most excited about. Freelance life also grants me the flexibility to explore other creative outlets: "Built by Crown," where I restore and build vehicles, and "Made by Jeff," my home renovation haven.
I'm a native Texan and spent most of my life in Austin while visiting the west coast any chance I get. We all have a place that makes us feel alive and since I was a kid, mine has been Southern California, where I will be permanently relocating to Spring '25. I have a rescued dog named Milo whose name came from the punk rock legends, the Descendents. I make a Spotify playlist for everything, and tacos make me happy.
Services
Visual & UI
With a background in art direction and branding, I think of web (and mobile) design a little differently. I typically lead with branding, and make it my goal to either push or create new brand standards within every project I touch. I begin with a key landing page or mobile screen where I can experiment with visual storytelling while layering in key UX components in the most engaging way. Once art direction is established, I then formalize a design system around those decisions for consistency and efficiency moving forward.
UX/UI
While much of my work involves partnering with agency UX teams, I also take on and work directly with clients. I run a lean UX process where we’ll have conversations about pain-points and goals and then produce site maps, wireframes, and ultimately visual design along with a proper design system.
RFP & Pitch
Fresh eyes mean fresh ideas. Hiring out pitch work not only frees your team up for billable work, but it allows an “outsider” to see things through a different lens. I work fast and can deliver thoughtful design exploration without internal influence or distraction.
Framer (Design + Dev)
Deeply versed in Figma as my day to day application, I’ve now taken that a step further using Framer. They work similarly but with Framer, I’m able to take approved designs to a launch in short order. In doing so, it not only saves time but having a creative perform front-end work, you can be assured that designs are represented accurately online.
Working together
75% of my work comes from agencies with full UX teams in place, while the other 25% comes from me working directly with clients one-on-one. I make it an annual goal to maintain this ratio as it allows me to work with global clients while still being able to help local and small businesses.
Agency Partners
Think of me as an extension of your team. What this typically looks like is: I come aboard and participate in the client kick-off with introductions and project briefing. I then go dark while your team works through all the key upfront work and UX considerations. Sometime around wireframes, I re-enter the scene (picking up wireframes or creating my own) and then produce and present all visual/UI work moving forward. I'll then do my share of documentation and have a proper handoff with development.
Direct Clients
Whether you're seeking a new brand, rebrand or have a fresh product going to market, let's talk. I'm flexible on how we can work together and confident I can help with your online creative goals.