Man with white hair and beard holding a glowing wand in a magical setting.

A design wizard

I’m a designer with a strategic mindset and a background in visual communication. My work sits at the intersection of creativity and practicality — where ideas are shaped into systems that can actually be used, reproduced, and trusted.

I’ve worked with businesses, nonprofits, and organizations that value clarity, craftsmanship, and thoughtful problem-solving over short-term trends.

If you’re looking for design that supports your goals rather than distracts from them, we’ll work well together.

After years in large advertising agencies surrounded by creative talent and comprehensive services, I noticed something: many clients simply needed smart, strategic design without the overhead of a full agency team.

My favorite professional experience came at a small agency housed in a charming carriage house. Working directly with clients—hearing their needs firsthand and delivering results personally—proved immensely satisfying.

In 2000, I left agency life behind to establish my own design studio. My mission: provide intelligent creative solutions for businesses, non-profits, and startups that need agency-quality work without agency-level fees.

With more than 30 years of advertising and marketing design experience, modern AI tools, and a network of talented collaborators, I deliver fast, strategic projects tailored to your brand and messaging. From brochures and banners to websites and social media, I help organizations build their brands without breaking their budgets.

What could we create together?

My books

Cover of the "Herbology Magic" book featuring terrariums and botanical projects inspired by the Harry Potter films.

My most recent book is Harry Potter, Herbology Magic: Botanical Projects, Terrariums, and Gardens Inspired by the Wizarding World (2023) with Jodi Revenson for Warner Brothers Entertainment. Inc. and published by Insight Editions. It’s packed with gardening tips, wizarding-world inspired terrariums, and enchanting uses for a wide range of plants. It’s an indispensable guide that would make Professor Sprout proud.

Cover of the book 'Buffalo-Style Gardens' by Sally Cunningham and Jim Charlier, featuring a lush garden scene with eclectic decor.

My first book was Buffalo Style Gardens: Create a Quirky, One-of-a-Kind Private Garden with Eye-Catching Designs (2019) written with garden writer Sally Cunningham, for St. Lynn’s Press of Pittsburgh, PA. It’s a garden design book featuring the funky, quirky and fun gardens created the gardeners of Buffalo.

In addition, my garden photography has been featured prominently in a variety of renowned national magazine publications, as well as in several notable and acclaimed books including Cultivating Garden Style (Timber Press, 2014), Garden Up! (Cool Springs Press, 2011), Edible Spots & Pots (Rodale, 2014), and The Urban Garden (Cool Springs Press, 2022).