About Me

On the Subject of Me

I’m a Graphic Designer living in sunny Brooklyn, New York. I’ve worked for clients such as AIGA, Housing Works, Miramax Films, The New York Stock Exchange, PBS, WordPress, and The United Nations focusing on designing websites that maintain a balance of usability and effective content presentation. I recently transitioned from my long-time position as Creative Director for Happy Cog Studios. I serve as Creative Director for A List Apart, an online magazine for people who make websites, and reside on the Board of Directors for AIGA/NY.

About This Site

This site represents an experiment in art direction online. Rather than allowing the content to flow from a content management system into the same page layout every time, I’ve created a system for fast design direction based on the needs of the content. Because it’s an experiment, sometimes a page might be a total disaster, or might not work in your browser. Please accept my apologies. This experiment isn’t meant to shatter new depths of graphic design, but to find the voice in the visuals so that they can become an equal partner in the story being told.

The site is created with the best flavors of HTML and CSS, and uses ExpressionEngine for publishing. The logo and navigation are set with Trade Gothic Bold Condensed No. 20.

Furthermore

My design sensibilities are heavily inspired by traditional print design and a deep love for typography. I can sometimes be found speaking at conferences like An Event Apart, South By Southwest, @media, and Webstock.

I take an abundance of photographs, most often with a Nikon D90, but also employ a Leica C-LUX 2, a Polaroid SX-70, and a Holga 120 when it strikes my fancy. And yes, my full last name is “Santa Maria”.