Hi there. My name's Ray. I'm a graphic designer and front-end developer from Grand Rapids, MI. I have a wicked passion for knowledge, detail, and perfection.
This was my first real job as a web/graphic designer. It was a big challenge at first to create things that met expectations, since I had never really messed with gigantic e-commerce systems or the MVC pattern up to that point.
However, my undying urge to learn more and more and more drove me to pick up all sorts of things in no time. Since I had always been focused on design, I decided to focus on development at Spearia so that I could not only draw things, but also make them come to life.
This was my entry point into the world of professional web/graphic design. After recording music at a recording studio chain, I was offered a job as an in-house designer whose main source of work came from the bands who recorded there.
I hopped right on it, but soon found out how much of a shoddy place it was. When my employer decided that I would never get paid anything above my probationary wages, I was forced to bounce. Which was a shame, because I genuinely loved what I created there.
I toured the midwest with my band, stuffed in a fifteen-passenger van with thirteen other guys. The experience taught me a lot of valuable lessons, and I've gone on to use them in the general context of my life.
I started working at this restaurant as a dishwasher. Within four months, I received five raises and was pretty much in charge of the kitchen.
Why bring this up? Because in every job I've had (there are three others not listed here), I've done the same thing. I am very passionate about my work, and my hard work has earned me plenty of praise from the people I work with.
The “Digital Media
” program at Temple University's Tyler School of Art was brand spankin' new when I enrolled. It sounded like a great idea: an open-ended major where students were generally allowed to do whatever they wanted, as long as they put it in writing and got it approved. Sweet!
Unfortunately, most of the teachers in the program were borrowed from the traditional fine art program and objected to a lot of things that I found interesting. I ended up dropping out in April of '05 after realizing that I needed to hone my skills elsewhere.
When I'm not in front of the screen, I do other things. I love to ride my bike, read, go ultra-light hiking, and grab a nice cup of joe. I also enjoy playing guitar, bass, and mandolin, writing songs, engineering sound, and building guitars. I'm also pretty partial to cooking, and I love trying new foods from different places.
616.914.3565
harlotsofmalta