my work

    My proposed thesis focused on reducing furniture waste produced by the changing office landscape in the wake of Covid-19. The final project pivoted toward the execution of sustainability standards in the workplace to initially design better products. 

    My final thesis focused on incorporating sustainability into product development at a commercial furniture manufacturer. An industry-specific sustainability framework was introduced to the current development process as checkpoints with supporting materials and a company dictionary. 

Spring 2021

Framework Case Study

    In this project I researched the Natural Step Framework for the hypothetical city of Greentown. My role was to give a brief history of the framework, the core components, a case study, and the possible applications for Greentown. This project highlights my first dive into the application of sustainable methods.  

Spring 2021

Short Course

    The purpose of this assignment was to develop a short introductory sustainability course in the format of your choosing for a target audience. I chose to create an overview of sustainability from the perspective of furniture design, my current field. I presented this pdf to my colleagues at the end of the semester and it inspired great conversation around our current practices. 

Fall 2021

Alternative Lawns

    As a new homeowner interested in reducing my impact, I used the Systems Thinking course as a way to explore alternative lawns.  This project utilizes multiple system maps and review tools to find three solutions to reduce the waste caused by traditional grass lawns. This project helped me see that there will always be multiple systems to work within when solving a problem, and you need to know the proper leverage points for each to enact change. 

Fall 2021

Canopy

    Throughout this course I worked through the steps of the challenge-to-biology spiral to design a low-waste desk for at-home workers. This project allowed me to view a problem we frequently discuss at work through a new lens. The work I did in this process is now informing my design process with my employer.

Spring 2022

Consulting with Danner Boots

       Our final project was to work with Danner boots out of Portland. We met with the client to identify needs and parameters, then research possible directions for improvement. Working through multiple facets of change allowed us to reduce the impacts of production and build an even stronger customer relationship. This group included Haida May, Kelsey Nelsen, Allison Tenn, and myself. My primary focus was on proposals for expanding recrafting services and increasing communication about current practices. I also produced many of the drawings used in the presentation. 

Spring 2022

Leadership Models in Nature

       This assignment was meant to be a guide to the basics of creative leadership. Utilizing natural models for different leadership tactics brought a fresh perspective while highlighting that none of these concepts are new, but have been on Earth for millennia.  I still reach for this pdf when I need some inspiration or just want to take a break from the work grind. 

Fall 2022

CoLab Business Plan

Spring 2023

Community Hub and Business Incubator