Hi! I’m Amber Spencer, a visual communications designer specializing in graphic design and UI design. I have always loved the shape of letters, the smell of ink on a printed page, and the repetitive patterns that find their way from nature into design. I began my career rather by accident as an English major putting herself through college by working at a small hometown newspaper. I had an opportunity to try on many hats working at that small newspaper, and I quickly found my passion when they asked me to design their advertising. I changed my major, specializing in Print Media and went on to move to a much larger publisher working in newspaper, new media and magazine design. I started as a graphic artist in the advertising department, moved into the new media and internet department and then became the advertising department’s creative director. In that time I learned page layout, print processes, and branding working under intense deadlines. I managed a team of 14 designers to daily deliver content and advertising material.
A few years later, I became a mother and transitioned into a freelance career. In that time I have had numerous opportunities to expand my creative toolbox. I’ve animated commercials for local businesses, including Citizens Bank and Women’s Healthcare and Associates. I’ve designed logos, illustrations, advertising and books for many of the local art entities including Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony and Lone Star Ballet. I’ve successfully designed informative catalogs such as the ones for Downtown Amarillo, Inc, educating the public on downtown development. Much of that contracted work was recognized from the American Advertising Federation.
As a freelance designer, I have challenged myself to grow in an evolving industry. Print has morphed into digital design, and the rules are ever changing. A page that was static can now be viewed from a variety of electronic devices. I’ve gained skills in motion graphics, completing courses from School of Motion in After Effects and Illustration. I earned certification in UX/UI from The University of Texas and gained valuable skills in design thinking, design sprints, user centric design research, persona creation, wire framing and prototyping, responsive and atomic design, and user testing. I’ve even begun learning HTML, CSS, GitHub and Bootstrap to enhance my web prototyping understanding.
Outside of advertising and media, I am very passionate about design in nature, sustainability, and green energy. I earned my certification in Permaculture Ecological Design from the Permaculture Institute of New Mexico and my Master Gardener’s Certification from the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension.
What I’ve gained from all of my education, whether it is in ecological design, graphic design or user interface design, is that design is more than the fundamentals like color theory, layout and drawing pretty pictures. It serves a much larger purpose in communication. For a design to truly be successful, it must begin with the user’s experience.
As a designer, regardless of the stakeholders or project, I start with the user in mind. It begins with researching their needs and desired outcomes. As a visual problem solver, I take that information and work hard to provide a solution that will please users, bring stakeholders success, and look outstanding as well.
I would love the opportunity to work with you.
