Creative Direction

I'm a storyteller first. Journalism, radio, video, and the web have taught me how a message lands in each medium, and how to make it sound like one voice across all of them.

Story First

Every project I direct starts with the story. I've written features for SUCCESS Magazine, Next City, and Kirkus Reviews, personal essays for Business Insider, and I'm a regular contributor of Perspectives to WNIJ, Northern Public Radio.

Reporting taught me to find the angle an audience actually cares about and to say it plainly. Radio taught me to do it in under two minutes.

Read my writing Listen to my Perspectives

Whimsy That Holds Attention

I shoot and edit short-form video known for its whimsical style and compelling narratives that viewers want to watch over and over again.

I run social media for Northern Illinois University's Department of Communication, and I've made videos for Fox Valley Ballet and DeKalb County Parent. Each account has its own audience and tone, and my job is to find the version of the story that fits it.

Watch my videos

Built to Be Found

A creative idea only works if people can find it. Through my firm, Springer Creative Associates, and its avantDigi practice, I help local businesses get mentioned on Google, on social media, and in the AI tools people now ask for recommendations.

Earthpop was one of my firm's projects, and my web work also includes avantDigi, DeKalb County Parent, and Greenacre Cleaners.

See my web work

Grounded in Research

I study how people and technology communicate. My MA thesis examined how local radio journalists use and perceive artificial intelligence, and I teach web development, journalism, and computer-mediated communication.

That work keeps my creative decisions tied to how audiences and new tools actually behave, not just to what looks good.

See my academic work