top of page
Illustration of woman and rocket with planets and stars

ROCKET FUEL FOR YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE

Graphic Design is more than sprinkling magic fairy dust onto a computer, and... poof.

When you need a support system and a personal advisor, turn to Design Coach Val for 1-on-1 contact.

Design Coach Val has been working for more than 2 decades with people who have a creative passion for the craft of design to help you find your design voice and/or improve your design concepts, aesthetics, or technology skills in order to enhance your portfolio and prospects. How do we find our place in a rapidly changing market even competing against A.I. options? 

As an expert in graphic design and a long-time educator (formerly a tenured associate professor), Design Coach Val is the go to person to help you in your career path. Early on in her career, she shifted from 'professorial' role to a 'coaching' and mentorship role. As an INFJ, Design Coach Val possesses the unique skills of the rarest personality type that makes her your best advocate in your creative pursuits. If you are seeking graphic design help, graphic design instruction, graphic design lessons, or a design mentor, Design Coach Val is ready to work with you!

YOU ARE READY FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF YOUR WORK TO BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY.

 

OUR WORK TOGETHER WILL GIVE YOU ROCKET FUEL TO PROPEL YOUR CAREER IN NEW DIRECTIONS.

1

RE-FUEL

Sometimes you just need a fresh perspective on your work to be able to make adjustments. Get Design Coach Val's feedback on your current portfolio and resume.

2

IGNITION

When you are ready to ignite your work, Design Coach Val will develop a customized plan after a general conversation about your goals and evaluation of your existing work. This may include specific projects, deadlines, and one-on-one sessions over a determined amount of time.

3

LIFT-OFF

Go all in and work with Design Coach Val for a total overhaul of your portfolio or a new start if you are making shifts within the discipline. If you feel like formal education is out of reach or that learning d.i.y. doesn't suit your work style, then having a complete package you can get the college level material in a shorter amount of time.

Illustration of a man sitting in a drawing of a rocket with stars and monsters.
WHO?
YOU ARE...

> I'm curious about design and creativity. I'm motivated to learn.


> I am not interested in a formal college program, but I'm passionate about the field and want to learn everything I can.

> I'm a non-traditional student of any age looking for advice, mentoring, and tutoring to have marketable skills in career shifts.

> I've always been crafty or creative from drawing, photography, or building things. I think design is a career field for me but I'm not really sure where to start or what to do.

> I have hit a road-block teaching myself with all of the free content out there.

J

JUNIOR

> I'm starting my career or in 2-5 year phase and just feeling stagnant. I'm also being asked to do things out of my comfort zone so I need a coach to help me expand my creative horizons.

 

> I went to college and received a degree, but still feel like a need a coach to help me improve my portfolio, focus on improving my strengths and targeting my weaknesses for growth.

> College wasn't for me, but I started some classes and really need help beyond talking head online tutorials.

M

MID-LEVEL

> I've been working for several years in a related field and I'm being asked to do more and more design work in my role, but I really need a coach to help me hone my skills.

> I've been working for several years and am in need of some creative projects to rejuvenate my design thinking and visual skills.I really can't take time off for a class or masters level so I need a coach to work with me.

> I'm looking to improve my portfolio so I can get back out on the job search, filling in gaps and crafting my work to the job I want, not the job I have.

I

INDEPENDENT

> I work alone and really need someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to motivate me once in a while or give me those fun assignments I miss from school to get my creative juices flowing again.

> I feel like I'm missing out on something because I'm so far removed from the things I did and learned in school that I really could use a coach to help bring the joy back into my routine and work/life balance. I want to improve things like my type affinity, my use of color, risk-taking, or just projects I can't do because I'm in-house or don't have the type of clients for that work.

Woman working on the floor with paperwork and journal

CONSULTATION
& VIRTUAL SESSIONS

Are you in need of feedback on a current project?


Would you like a critique of your company logo, your personal website or your resumé/portfolio?

 

One-on-one virtual sessions available.

Sign up for a complimentary assessment and we'll schedule a 15 min video chat to discuss.
 

SIGN UP FOR A Complimentary ASSESSMENT

A Virtual High 5 to you!

IT'S TIME TO LAUNCH

BOOST YOUR

CRE

ATIV

ITY.

Why now?

Are you yearning for the freedom and flexibility to work on fun non-client projects that can inspire, rejuvenate, and inject a new energy into your creative practice?

Are you yearning for a break either a weekend, a month or up to a year to transform your life, give you energy and a new work/life balance?

 

Don't put yourself

on the back burner any longer!

Graphic Design Poster example with words and colors

Why a Coach,
not Professor?

Design Coach Val works to inspire, motivate, nurture, challenge, and relate to you on a human to human level. Her path in becoming a better teacher every day lead her to these strategies, innovative techniques, and coursework moving away from a professorial modality.  In 2018, she walked away from tenure after more than 2 decades in academia. Seeing the many issues of University system from the inside, Design Coach Val wants to work with a variety of people without the barriers of that formal system.

Graphic Design portfolio and type example
design coach val portrait

Design Coach Val

Gets to know you as a person and a creative problem-solver.

She can help assess your creative box and provide solutions in terms of basic tools, exercises or larger projects that can help improve your repertoire, type sensitivity, or get you out of your rut of same old tricks.

 

Whether you are a novice, self-taught, or a mid-career professional she can customize a program suited to your individual goals and needs.

Laptop and Tablet with website on table with packages

Tool is just a Tool

The proliferation of the tools we use to implement the creative solutions to problems are pervasive in society along with a long list of default typographic choices and colors.

Some people think you can sprinkle magic fairy dust on the machine and out comes a solution. Well, nowadays people can drag and drop, plug and play, even purchase a logo for $5 on fiverr. We are also competing against artificial intelligence.

What makes you a competitive creative is your brain and how you use it. Design Coach Val can help.

Green pattern with word Design

ready to soar?

reconnect to your inner child as you set your future goals

TYPES OF PROJECTS AND COMMITMENT LEVELS

01

basic

02

basic plus

03

souped up

04

max injection

I'm just looking for a brief coaching consultation session and feedback on my work.

I'm just looking for one or two projects to kick me into gear that I would work on my own and check in once in a while.

I would like to have a creative assessment project so that I can be coached and develop an individualized plan.

The plan would include one or two projects that I can work on with some engagement and critique thru the work.

I'm very interested in an assessment, mentorship, and an individualized plan of study that includes up to three courses that will help me rejuvenate, and focus on improving areas of weakness while also targeting my strengths in flexing my solution skill set.

I'm all in. I want to take as many classes as I can to have a full portfolio by the end of a 6 or 12month period. I am available to spend a short amount of time in person at the residency center in TN and am looking for a longer term coaching relationship instead of formal schooling.

are you in a holding pattern?

Are you learning design or a digital tool D.I.Y. and want some help?

Are you in a career shift or just learning for a few skills to add to your resumé so you need a crash course one-on-one?

 

Are you feeling burned out, needing a change or an injection of fun to get that shift in perspective to improve work flow?

 

Are you in school or about to graduate and need some advice on your portfolio, website, resume, or other career counseling?

 

Are you in school, but want to switch major to Graphic Design? Or maybe you want more classes than your program offers?

 

Are you reluctant to go back to 'school' because of time and money, or reluctant to start at all?


Are you interested in injecting more creativity, innovative thinking, and/or practical design into your practice?

 

Thinking of a career shift, but don't know where to start?

IS YOUR JOB SAFE as technology changes?

hint: the creative sector is somewhat robot proof, but a.i. is available to everyone d.i.y. with templates and bots.

So how do you elevate your critical and design thinking skills

to be competitive or jump into this exciting arena?

 

Take a quick listen to this interview on NPR that discusses this phenomenon:

sample student work

bottom of page