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H E Y   T H E R E !

I'm Adele

I've been providing conceptual design & creative direction for over a decade

See My Curriculum Vitae
H E Y   T H E R E !

I'm Adele

I've been providing conceptual design & creative direction for over a decade

See My Curriculum Vitae

From Alaska to Bali, I have always had a love of wilderness travel, adventure, and creating. My diverse background allows me to bring a unique set of skills, knowledge, and expertise to Live Large Design.

Despite loving my environmental education work, I wanted more freedom and an opportunity to live out my purpose to create. I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Academy of Art University and launched Live Large Design to provide strategic branding and website platforms to the industries that I love most: social and environmental organizations and NGOs.

I travel while running Live Large Design and managing my worldwide, location independent team. My platform now reaches beyond the design agency to an online learning interface, Live Large Collective to support other creatives and designers motivated by freedom, adventure, and contribution. I guide my students to effectively work remotely and profit through their creative work.


 

Exploring the depths of growth through travel, wilderness, & art.

 

Adventurer

My wilderness and international travels have been one of my biggest sources of inspiration and growth. I became an outdoor guide at 18, and have traveled and taught extensively around the world. This has built my resilience and risk tolerance while growing my love of teaching and mentoring students.

Creative Director

My purpose has always been to create. With a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, I launched my own branding agency, Live Large Design, in 2012 to support non-profits. Inspired to mentor new designers, I launched my own online education platform, Live Large Collective, in 2021.

 Sojourner

I might wander, but am not lost. My curiosity drives me to explore new places while sharing my creativity with others. My path is driven by my core values of freedom, growth, and connection. I enjoy building community with others that share my values and strive to explore and create.

The Places I Call Home...

Alaska

My story has always started with Alaska. It's my first love and the place that I feel the most connected to. I was reading Hatchet and Julie of the Wolves in elementary school, dreaming of running sled dogs in the North. Alaska brought my wilderness dreams to fruition along with the birth of my business, Live Large Design. I spent the better part of a decade running dogs while experiencing a remote lifestyle with no plumbing.

Colorado

At 18, I became a commercial raft guide in Colorado, which will always hold a special place in my heart. I was able to explore a vast amount of Western America through the major waterways of the Colorado and Green River corridors, and eventually remote Alaskan rivers. Rafting kicked off my guiding career and showed me how much I love teaching. There is still nothing that compares to the nights camping under the stars.

Bali

Most recently, I have ventured internationally and discovered Bali while exploring surfing, learning Muay Thai martial arts, and climbing volcanoes. I've been able to join a community of location-independent entrepreneurs traveling the world while working online. Fortunately, I had already built my business in this model (without knowing it!), so it was a simple (not easy) transition into a life of full-time nomadic travel.

Curriculum Vitae: Work History


 

CEO & Creative Director


June 2012 – Current

Live Large Design


As the CEO and Creative Director of Live Large Design, I manage the daily production of design and development, oversee the team, manage the delivery of design work to clients, and execute our marketing efforts. We specialize in building strategic branding and web platforms for clients in the social and environmental impact sector. I mentor and guide all the departments (design, development, and customer service), providing consistent feedback and critiques.

We provide a remote branding process that includes brand strategy, visual language development, verbal voice, logo design, brand guideline development, website design, copywriting, and educational course platforms. I developed all of the strategies and workflows in our agency to provide an efficient, effective, and joyful branding process in the online environment.

Graphic Design Professor


August 2019 – January 2021

Academy of Art University


As a graphic design professor, I teach undergraduate students both fundamental and conceptual design skills. All classes are conducted in an online environment, where I support students with design critiques, grading, mentorship, and curriculum development.

I teach the creative process from start to finish to ensure that students can design and develop any creative project. Common topics I cover are typography, grids, layout, branding, hierarchy, balance, contrast, color theory, and branding. I also support students as they move into the real world of commercial graphic design and business.

Senior Graphic Designer


November 2014 – November 2015

Northwest Strategies


As a senior graphic designer for this advertising agency in Anchorage, Alaska,  I was the project lead on anything from logo designs to annual reports to websites. I implemented many new systems to help showcase our design work to clients and smooth out the feedback process for efficiency. I worked closely with the client relations team to ensure that work was presented effectively to clients.

I participated actively in a design team of five designers, giving and receiving feedback on design work and company processes. This was a fast-paced work environment with a substantial project load every day. Numerous of my projects received AIGA design awards.

Principal Brand Designer


September 2013 – October 2014

Innovate Brand Agency


As the principal brand designer, I supported this company as they grew their platform and client reach. I worked on up to 12 client projects at a time, with each requiring a custom logo, marketing materials, social media, and website design.

This was an online position where I delivered materials in an asynchronous environment with clear communication to manage timeline expectations and client interpretation.

Education



Master of Fine Arts

Graphic Design
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA — 2016

Bachelor of Fine Arts 

Environmental Education
Prescott College
Prescott, AZ — 2007

 

Leadership & Awards


  • The Freshman Project book
    [co-author]
  • Dojo Hackathon Winner
    [Bali, Indonesia]
  • AIGA Big One Design Awardee
    [Anchorage, AK]
  • 24-Hour Film Royal Winner
    [Anchorage, AK]
  • Membership Director with AIGA Alaska
    [Anchorage, AK]
  • Fairbanks Coordinator with AIGA Alaska
    [Fairbanks, AK]
Download Resume

A S   S E E N   I N

I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found me no outlet in our quiet life."

—LEO TOLSTOY

My Background

Live Large Founder & Creative Director


With a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design and over ten years of industry experience, I have diversified experiences in the creative and website industries as a graphic designer, professor, and creative director.

You can find my design work featured in Huffpost, NPR, Expertise, and American Institute of Graphic Arts. I have taught university design while working with countless clients around the world to build their brands and platforms seamlessly with my global team.

No matter what aspect of my life I’m exploring—adventure, travel, or design—community and growth are always centric to my pursuits. I have always been a true creative at heart, and bring that innate passion to my work through my curiosity and problem-solving skills.

Through my agency, Live Large Design, I have perfected the branding and web design process to provide an efficient and easy journey through my workflows, while ensuring that the joy and momentum of the creative process is maintained.

Most recently, I have brought my entrepreneurial knowledge to other creatives through the educational platform Live Large Collective, where I help them learn how to remotely run a graphic design business. Together, we work with organizations focused on social and environmental impact to help our clients make a bigger difference in the world.

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