Costume Design
October 2025
1st Place x3
My approach to this concept was a desire to push myself beyond a single finished look and create a modular costume system that could transform using the same base structure. The design needed to be built around an existing wagon, remain comfortable for two dogs, and be sturdy enough for movement, display, and competition day logistics.
Instead of building two separate costumes, I created a shared structure that could transform into two distinct concepts: Paws & Claws and PupCorn. The challenge was making each version feel complete on its own while keeping the underlying build practical, lightweight, and easy to convert.
This project required a balance of novelty, execution, comfort, and adaptability. I had to think through structure, fabric panels, signage, proportions, visibility, and how the dogs would sit naturally inside the wagon. The finished piece showed variety and ingenuity while still keeping the dogs as the focus. It became a strong example of how I use creative constraints to build something playful, functional, and competition-ready.
The finished project proved successful on multiple levels at the 2025 La Jolla Dog-o-Ween event. Each version of the costume, Paws & Claws and PupCorn, won First Place in its respective category, and together the build was awarded Best in Show, recognizing it as the best overall costume of the day. The win was also featured in the local newspaper, further highlighting the strength of a modular design that balanced novelty, execution, comfort, and creativity while keeping the dogs at the center of the experience.
Costume Design
October 2024
1st Place
From the initial planning for this costume design, I wanted to create a competition piece that would stand out quickly while still being designed around Pompom’s actual needs. Because she has alopecia, I did not want to rely on a costume that covered her, overheated her, or hid the details that make her recognizable. Instead, I treated her visibility, comfort, and natural shape as part of the design brief.
The final concept came together through a mix of graphic design, visual storytelling, rapid prototyping, sewing, and lightweight construction. I worked through the idea the same way I approach most creative builds: identify the constraint, sketch the visual solution, test the structure, adjust the materials, and refine the details until the concept reads clearly. The result was a playful, competition-ready costume that balanced humor, comfort, construction, and personality while keeping Pompom at the center of the design.
The finished piece went on to win First Place at the 2024 La Jolla Loves Pets Dog-o-Ween event, likely because it struck the right balance of novelty, execution, and a design that complemented the pet rather than overshadowing her.
Graphic Design
2023
Zero-Shot was a growing GenAI newsletter and content platform with strong content but no consistent visual identity. I was tasked with developing a cohesive design system across the newsletter, YouTube channel, and promotional assets, working from an existing logo and building out the surrounding brand language.
The challenge was creating a visual system that felt polished, recognizable, and appropriate for the GenAI space without becoming generic or overly corporate. I used graphic design, typography, color direction, layout design, and reusable visual patterns to create assets that could work across multiple platforms while still feeling like one connected brand.
The final system gave Zero-Shot a more consistent and professional presence across its content channels. The redesigned newsletter saw a click-through rate increase of over 50%, along with positive feedback from subscribers, reinforcing that the updated visual system was not only more polished but more effective in helping the content connect with its audience.
