Background Summary

Ph.D.	Western Sydney University Thesis title: Back to the drawing board?	2022
MA.	Digital Media, University of Western Sydney Researching interactive learning resources.	1996 – 2001
BA.	Visual Communication, ydney College of the Arts Majoring in Illustration and 2022Print Media.	1981 – 1985

As an experienced visual communicator I have held a variety of design, production and project management positions within the design industry. I started my career as a graphic designer and illustrator working mainly in print production, promotions and campaign design. As the industry developed, I too changed my focus from print based graphic design to online delivery, specializing in interface design and the development of immersive, interactive online teaching and training resources. It is through working with educators and subject matter experts and delivering community creativity workshops, that I became interested in teaching as a profession.

I divide my time between teaching and co-ordinating Illustration and Visual Storytelling Subjects in the Visual Communications, Design school at Western Sydney University, drawing research practice-based projects and image and printmaking practice. I have been part of the ongoing Visual Communication Design course development, writing and presenting offline and online lectures and face-to-face tutoring across a variety of design related subjects. Classroom teaching has allowed me to reflect on, not only the appropriate design of online resources, but on the way blended learning techniques can be used to improve learning outcomes. It is through teaching students the basic building blocks of sustainable design practices that led to my PhD research into the role and value of drawing in the creative process.

My thesis, Back to the Drawing board? aimed to explore the value process drawing in the form of rough sketches, mind maps, thumbnails, storyboards, diagrams, or any other form of mark-making using the hand (or body) in the ideation stage of the creative process. My thesis devised and implemented a series of speed drawing activities as part of the the Visual Storytelling and Illustrating Narrative subjects for Visual Communication and elective students from across WSU.

My expanded drawing research explores ways to foster creativity and wellness through providing opportunities to draw, connect and foster drawing confidence in a post-covid community of visual storytelling practices. This focus on promoting and using the hands to drawn and “make” (using both traditional and digital materials) is also embedded in my image-making practice. The techniques I use include a range of traditional and digital drawing often including various forms of printmaking, video and mixed media approaches. My image-making themes centre around loss and hope.

WSU 2010 – Current	Research and undergraduate co-ordination, Subject design, lecturing and tutoring: Undergraduate Communication Arts Design Subjects, Community engagement workshops and programs.
Eye Cue Comm. 2009	Design and production of interactive online learning resources: Pearson Australia, NSW University, Australian Education Resource Network (AER)
Change2 2008	Instructional design of interactive online learning resources: Change2 Online – Environmental Education, NSWRailcorp- SOP Online Training, PriceWaterhouseCoopers – Ethics and Business Conduct.
Cadre Design 1999 – 2007	Design, production and project management of interactive tools and resources: The Learning Federation of Australia, Pearson, Addison-Wesley publishing, W.H.Freeman Publishing, Australian Stock Exchange, IAG Customer Training, Konica Minolta.