Summary
Amber Walsh has been in the communication design industry since 1999 when she started working as the art coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Abilene in Texas. A native Texan, her love for nonprofits only grew as she still continues to work with charitable organizations and foundations today. Amber has had many titles including graphic designer, art coordinator, manager, business owner, freelancer, educator and researcher.
Her professional experience spans across identity design, print design and interaction design: magazine publication, catalogs and print advertisement, logotype and trademark branding, marketing collateral, signage, annual reports, illustrations and web design. Walsh’s research interests focus on how design acts as a diverse and disruptive force, particularly in educational settings. The methods and theoretical underpinnings of design research humanize design approaches. Solving problems can help change situations and environments; it is not just about arriving at a visual artifact. Although the field of graphic design is expansive, design in its broadest sense is more of that which Jorge Frascara talks about: Solving an interdisciplinary problem that involves better understanding of people and society (Frascara, Design and the Social Sciences: Making Connections, 2002). For Walsh, visual communication design transcends the surface level of visual elements, carrying a greater capacity to connect, stimulate and even persuade an audience to action.
Education
- BFA in Graphic Design, University of Texas at Arlington.
- MFA in Design Research, University of North Texas