My Life in the Bay Area.
MFA Thesis project
Noise pollution is an invasive and real problem in urban and non-urban areas. In the past measures have been made to address the issues related to noise pollution, but currently not much is being done to address the larger issues of intrusive noises in society. There are very real health ramifications of everyday noise. In my research I have found that these noises are addressable and can be curbed. Currently there is nothing in place to track these noises real time and create a database around finding solutions to everyday problematic noises. My approach was to study a section of San Francisco and look for outlying issues by recording decibel levels in these areas that in turn could provide insights into creating actionable solutions. Using dB meters borrowed from the TenderNoise project I was able to record and map decibel levels in a sample section of San Francisco. These areas albeit a small section of the city revealed that the problems are isolated and can be addressed by investigating said problem areas. By tracking the sound and environmental noise in a section of the city by very analog means I found the effort to be extraordinary. I was tasked with calibrating and setting the accuracy of the meters before deploying them, going out first thing in the morning and hanging the meters, then after three days retrieving the meters and analyzing the results (approximately 129,000 data points per meter).
My solution moving forward could be achieved by creating a deployable metering system that could consistently track and analyze data real time. The issue of Noise pollution could be targeted and addressed via the specific sources of the noise. In creating readable and actionable datasets that could be algorithmically tracked and addressed these societal noises can be corrected by simple means. The real issue I discovered is the tracking and revealing of the noise sources. By creating easily readable charts, noise thresholds can become apparent and controlled. My research revealed the issue of awareness and touched upon possible solutions we can achieve through understanding where the biggest problems are. In deploying the meters myself and analyzing them through simple averaging analytics I saw the issues reveal themselves in the data. By using simple analog means to track the sounds over three day periods, the labor involved in such research is overwhelming to an individual or organization. The buy in from local government and the community is crucial to the success of such research. I have identified an actionable plan to move forward in finding solutions to the ever-present issue of noise pollution. Studies have been conducted on traffic noises in San Francisco, general noise pollution and street conditions causing avoidable noise in the city. I want to create a Living Map of city noise, establishing a real time map of current noises in the city. This will become a voice so to speak of the issues that can be addressed. Starting off with the low hanging fruit and moving towards more sustainable solutions in the urban landscape. Currently the European Union is taking real actionable steps to curb addressable noise in the public landscape. We need to have the same approach in the US.
Roles: Founder, Systems Architecture, Prototyping, Market Research, Business Strategy, Experience Design
Snowfall Audio addresses noise pollution through pro active noise cancellation that reduces the sound floor. Our technology puts sound comfort control in the hands of the individual, offering a modular and scalable solution for shared spaces.
Our initial offer is a plug and play solution integrated into existing products, and later we will co-develop products with our clients. By integrating our noise abatement system into their products, our clients will be able to expand their offerings and grow their business through additional features and services focused on sound comfort.
There is huge potential for applying sound leveling technologies in a variety of spaces, however, for this stage of our business we are focusing on open plan offices. After proving the modularity and effectiveness of our product in offices, we will scale to other environments, including hospitality, restaurants, healthcare, and eventually consumer spaces.
Snowfall Audio’s solution moves beyond what the current noise abatement market offers, such as noise canceling headphones and white noise machines, and into a more social and personalized application of environmental noise leveling.
Our competitive advantage is our combined offering of a new technology package that is modular, scalable, customizable, and has the ability to integrate into a variety of environments. At the heart of our product is our DSP chipset with proprietary algorithm.
Roles: Strategy, Designer
Objective: Build a simple straight forward concierge platform; whether a date night for two, or a business dinner for ten, Coitio was created to help make it simple and efficient to curate the ideal night with the ideal people.
Making plans is designed to be seamless with Coitio. This app was created to aggregate existing platforms into one simple interface, making plans for a night out simple, easy, and efficient.
Roles: Brand Strategy, Design.
Objective: Update existing branding and logo
BrowsePlay enables a world where products, information and sharing are a touch away. We reveal user-level behavior to track conversion rates for interactive content and create lead intelligence from your existing content to improve response rates.
**BrowsePlay is a patent pending new video technology and has a licensed portfolio of 35 international patents covering rights management, conditional access, content tracking, security and encryption.
Roles: Founder, Strategy, Marketing, Management
Partners in Wine was started as an alternative distribution outlet for smaller boutique wine makers in California. Focusing on the East coast markets we found the larger distribution companies didn’t want to carry smaller, higher end wines due to quantity available.
Roles: Art Director, Experience Design, Business Strategy, Design, Market Research, Partner
Objective: Create and appeal to a more sophisticated demographic within the cannabis market. Relay an easy to understand and consistent experience for new and existing patients.
Soulful is a Medible company focused on a high end experience within both the medical marijuana and newly founded legal marijuana recreational market. Soulful makes medicated candies and concentrates. We use the highest quality ingredients and create a customized experience for both patients and recreational users. The Marijuana market is experiencing a sea change, much like the repeal of prohibition. Our goal is to frame the safe consumption of marijuana in a new way, and to dispel the negative connotations for marijuana to be safely enjoyed.
Roles: Founder, Sound Design, Teacher, Workshop Facilitator, Studio Manager, Studio Designer
Sound Arts was a recording studio in the Mission district of San Francisco. We featured commercial VO, audio education, sound design, and traditional audio recording while specializing in sound design, and alternative recording techniques. We also offered 25 custom one-on-one classes, from the fundamentals of sound to advanced audio software engineering. In the six years as a business Sound Arts became one of the premier audio houses in the Bay Area.
Roles: Founder, Research, Strategy, Concept Development, Experience Design
Objective: Create a more sustainable consumer experience within the retail environment for Walmart. We discovered that 46% of plastics that end up in landfills are from personal care products.
Replenish was pitched to Walmart as an online subscription service for refilling personal care products. Replenish provides automatic refills based on personal use for shampoo, conditioner, lotions, or any other personal care product. 46% of plastic that ends up in landfills is packaging from personal care products. Walmart has the power to influence a name brand's practice through their market presence and customers buying habits. Replenish caters to Walmart customers by creating an easy to use online subscription platform. Customers set products and timelines around personal care usage which the service automatically refills (similar to Method Soap’s refill pouch model) by mail in a recycled, less wasteful container system, We set a series of metrics for reducing plastic bottle disposal into landfills over a 5 year period. By creating a convenient service Walmart can change the environmental impacts of this market segment, while tracking buying habits and the preferencetrends of their customers.
Roles: Branding, Design
ShhredTM is a communications encryption technology developed and patented by Sysfactor LLC, a veteran owned and operated business that combines new and old information security techniques in order to, for the first time, bring unbreakable encryption to the masses (http://shh.red). Shhred technology is used to implement a portfolio of products and services provided by Sysfactor LLC, including the Shhred MessengerTM, Shhred VPNTM, Shhred SOHO Appliance, Shhred Cloud ServiceTM and a host of other products and services. This investment round is focused on funding for the Shhred MessengerTM Mobile App, Shhred VPNTM and Shhred VPN Management ServicesTM.
Roles: Business Advisor, Marketing Consultant, Strategy
Roles: Market Research, Strategy, Business Advisor
Objectives: Provide marketing recommendations to Tellason and goto market for new products.
Created 4 archetypes and associated experiences for high end denim market . Provided recommendations for new markets.
Roles: Concept Development, Design, Market Research
Artisanal Connection is a farmers market delivery service. Working with local farmers and artisans, customers can order seasonal produce and locally crafted goods to be delivered within 24 hours to their home or office.
Roles: Concept Development, Market Research, Strategy, Experience Design
Trellis provided an opportunity to rethink the experience of program management software through tracking all aspects of a project. Varying levels of access provide all the information needed to specified team members. Using varying levels of access, teams can audit, set deliverables, and adjust drop-dates easily and efficiently. “The Garden” is an immersive space were teams could track progress from executive level budgeting to asset management to milestones and phases on various aspects of the engagement. “The Garden” displays all relevant information across three walls using projectors and sensors to evaluate all the data and deliverables real time.
The Northern California Peacoat
Designed for Betabrand, this jacket is currently available on their website and in their brick and mortar store on Valencia St. in San Francisco.
Make magazine article. Various USB audio controllers, wired and wireless.
Foucault pendulum machine, sumi and india ink, all paintings are 42"x42"
Series of paintings exploring the juxtaposition of physical and emotional expression.
