So which is it—designer or writer?
Honestly, I can’t pick just one. Neither role contradicts the other; in fact, everything I do comes from the same source.
I start the design process by writing lists of words, and when I write, it is to paint a visual picture. You will always have white space, though it may not always be white, and you will never come face-to-face with 5-point body copy.
I’m passionate about my work, but I don’t believe a designer’s job is just to make something pretty. What I do is make connections and solve problems, using some combination of words and images to meet the client’s objectives. I don’t care how good something looks if it doesn’t do the job it was intended to do; my goal is to create things that work.
looking good
Over 30 years of graphic design, art direction, and consulting in industries as diverse as real estate development, luxury brands, banking, healthcare, nonprofits, and more • 28 years as president and owner of KOS Design • Received a BFA and Honors Diploma from Ball State University • Publication in PRINT Magazine Regional Design Annual and several “Best of” Design books from Rockport Publishing • Awards from Public Relations Society of America, Ad Club, Art Directors Club of Indiana, NAHB Pillars of the Industry (including best overall campaign), and Webby Design Awards.
something to say
Author of four books, Create: New Beginnings, Praying Upside Down, Designed to Pray, and InstaPrayer • Winner of Writer’s Digest Annual Inspirational Writing Competition, 2013 • Founder of Montgomery County Writers • Midwest Writers Workshop 12-year attendee and long-time planning committee member • Writing workshops attended include Elizabeth Berg Writing Workshop in Positano, Italy; The Loft Literary Center Memoir Conference; Wabash College Senior Seminar on the Memoir; Writing for the Soul; and Allume • Articles published in Today’s Christian Living, Kyria Magazine, Inside Indiana Business, Sasee Magazine, crosswalk.com, christianity.com, and more.
yes—and yes
Fortune 500 company? Check. Nonprofit? Check. Real estate, healthcare, business, luxury? Check (x4). Writing or design? Yep. My goals are the same, regardless of project size, client industry, or marketing objective: Good work that does what it’s supposed to. Effective, appropriate, on time, and within budget.
all in one
Articles, ads, and annual reports. Business plans and billboards. Websites, direct mail, newsletters, and packaging. Casual or formal, serious or quirky. Because, really, it’s not a long list of distinct categories. All my work falls under the same umbrella: Communication (saying what you mean in a way that the right people will grasp it). Whatever form that takes.
the fam
I’ve been married to Tim for 30 years, which officially makes him a saint. I love my three quirky grown-or-nearly-grown kids—even if they do call me all the time. (Or maybe especially because they call me all the time.) Katie and Garion live in Waynetown and are wonderful parents to Sully (who loves his Mia almost as much as I adore him). Anna and Erik live in Greenfield, and Bobby is in school.