I am a Jedi. I KNOW this because I have a Yoda hand. Only, instead of lifting X-Wings from murky swamps and waving a light saber around, I raise eyebrows with my stellar skills, and wave ideas around instead. And sometimes my stylus when I get really excited.
The point is, I’m a writer, and a pretty decent one. And I like to design stuff, including a user’s experience with content. When the user, the content, the design, and the context all listen to each other in four-part harmony, good design follows. This is what it means (in my galaxy anyway) to “use the Force.”
I approach each project with empathy, allowing the user’s needs to guide every decision. I don’t believe “good enough” is ever good enough. I have a special passion for accessible design. The web is for everyone and barriers are just lazy.
I live in Boulder, CO, I’m educated, and I have a really great dog. My husband is pretty amazing too.
If you’ve read this far, have a look at my experience and education below, and maybe check out some of my writing content design experience. I can write in any style the occasion (or client) demands. Maybe I can help you out with something. My Yoda hand is pretty awesome.
Education
- University of Colorado (Boulder, CO) — M.A. English / Creative Writing
Magna Cum Laude - Baylor University (Waco, TX) — B.A. University Scholars
Magna Cum Laude
Phi Beta Kappa - Boulder Digital Arts (Boulder, CO) — Graphic Design Certificate
- W3Cx Web Accessibility Certificate
- Yonok University (Laampang, Thailand) — TEFL Certificate
Skills
Writing, Graphic Design, UX, Content Strategy, Editing, Design Thinking, Digital Accessibility (WCAG literate)
- Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, AfterEffects
- Microsoft Products: Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams
- WordPress and other CMS
- UX Writing
- SaaS: Constant Contact, Issuu, Hootsuite, Asana, Monsido, Site Improve, AccessGov
- Google Analytics
- Figma
- WCAG Literate
Employment History
- Digital Content Specialist with the City of Golden, CO (2011 to Present)
- Affiliate Communications & Social Media Director with PMG in Boulder, CO (2008 – 2010)
- Content Coordinator & Editor with Home&Abroad in Boulder, CO (2006 – 2008)
- Operations Manager with Naropa University in Boulder, CO (2004 – 2005)
- Creative Writing Instructor & Lead TA with the University of Colorado (2003 – 2005)
- TEFL Instructor at Yonok College in Laampang, Thailand (1999 – 2001)
Highly accurate representation of my Yoda hand. Except, maybe, the real one isn’t usually so green.
Writing
- From Gov-speak to Understanding: City Building Use Tax WebsiteBefore This is how the content was given to me by the city finance department: Anyone who performs construction work that requires a City of Golden building permit must pay City building use tax on the cost of construction materials used. Construction materials are estimated to be 1/2 of the cost, and the City building…
- Introduction to Python “Statements”Part 1: Introduction to Python Statements Video Script Audio Voiceover Screen Visual [Introduction] Python is one of the fastest growing programming languages in the world. This open source, multi-purpose language has a simple, clean, beginner-friendly syntax and allows you to solve complex problems in less time and with fewer lines of codes than other programming languages….
- Zoning Code Rewrite Ad CampaignThe City of Golden Planning Department embarked on a project to update the City’s 50-year-old zoning code. After a few weeks of little interest from the public, they requested assistance from our Communications Department to help drive engagement. I met with our videographer for a brainstorming session. Zoning codes are dull but important. We needed…
- Super Smellers and Their Anosmic HumansSuper Smellers and Their Anosmic Humans Clarissa Cutrell Every morning my dogs are anxious to get outside and read the pee-mail. That’s what I call it. Their daily ritual of exploring the world with that ever-quivering nose. This tree, that bush, and always the fence at the corner, which I always imagine as a doggy…
- User Error v. Design FlawUser Error v. Design Flaw Clarissa Cutrell Last week I built a page for our Police Department to introduce and explain their new online reporting system. I had information from the third party company, but wanted to rewrite and reorganize it to make it more scannable and easier to understand. I mean, if you just…
- Seeing with SapphoSeeing with Sappho Clarissa Cutrell I see the world in stills. Moments frozen in time. The details of a Russian novelist spill my thoughts with super saturated colors, vivid edges, brooding shadows, imagination filling in where memory fails. Poetry of the moment, I call these pauses. Opportunities to absorb everything in full relief. There’s a…
- Are Dog Guardians Anti-Green?Sustainable Pups I was reading an article in the “Dog News Daily” that led with how some hard-core environmentalists are saying dog ownership is bad for the planet, then goes on to describe how you can make your pet ownership more eco-friendly. The article’s first suggestion–“consider getting a smaller dog.” Ummmmm…. Okay, first off, who…
- Forbes Finds Sexier Cities to Replace Heartbroken Denver on Top Single Cities ListDenver is no longer Forbes’s pick as America’s number one city for singles. Poor, sad Denver!
- Travel Hotspots to GoPopular tourist destinations one can replicate with a little creativity when unable to make the journey.
- Keeping Your Senior Dog Healthy in Body and MindWatching your dog age can be difficult. No longer full of boundless energy for endless hikes and chasing squirrels, your pup is now a bit stiffer, a bit slower, and happier to settle for a belly rub instead of a long run.
- Trains, Planes, and NostalgiaMy favorite train moment was a quiet night train on the way to Munich. We stopped through Ulm, where my Dad served in the army years before.
- Cuddling Up in BambooIt’s hard to be eco-chic these days without buying at least SOMETHING made out of bamboo. Now it’s all about bamboo clothing and home textiles.
- Why Buy Refurbished Electronics?Electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation’s waste supply, already comprising 5% of the country’s total trash volume.
- Flip for the Flip Ultra HD!The second generation model of the Flip Ultra line, America’s number-one selling camcorder since its debut in 2007, now includes both standard-resolution AND high-definition models.
- Goodbye Wallpaper, Hello Wall Flats!Wall flats are making a big splash in the world of interior design. Winners of Interior Design Magazine “Best of Year” award in the Eco-Product category, Wall Flats are a unique and economical way to add texture and architectural interest to any space.
- Fidel Says “Adios!”… But Not ReallyAfter nearly 50 years of power, the ailing Fidel Castro announced today that he would not accept “the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief.”
- Pilots Wanted: Preferably Ones Who Know How to FlyFlight schools are complaining that they are now understaffed because their teachers are being recruited away to actually be pilots due to a global pilot shortage.
- Wince-worthy MuseumsCruising around the Travel Channel, I stumbled across a description of the Icelandic Phallological Museum in Husavik, Iceland.
- The VERY Friendly SkiesThe German travel agency, OssiUrlaubs, taking bookings nudist daytrip flight from Erfurt to the Baltic Sea resort of Usedom.
- Flying the Final FrontierPlans are currently underway to build “the nation’s first commercial purpose-built spaceport”. The design for Spaceport America was unveiled in September of 2007.
- Happy Birthday King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IXToday marks the 80th birthday of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).
- An RV with WingsThe aging gen-Xer 747 got the boot as the world largest, operational jumbo jet. There’s a new young punk in town, and it made its debut flight from Singapore to Sydney.
- ‘Luck be a lady’ and give Indonesia a breakIndonesia has had a rough go of things, from earthquakes to tsunamis. Nine years ago I was in Indonesia when the government fell.