Dropcap Creative · Des Moines, Iowa

The person
behind the
story.

One designer. Ten years of real work. I believe the right story, told well, can change everything for a business and the people who poured themselves into building it.

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Est. 2020 Des Moines, Iowa Solo Studio 10 Years of Craft 50+ Brands
Why the name
Every great story
begins with a dropcap.

That oversized first letter, ornate and impossible to ignore before you've read a single word. It set the tone for everything that followed. It told the reader that this story matters. That's always been the job. Whether it's a centuries-old manuscript or a small business in Des Moines, every story deserves an opening worth paying attention to.

The Journey

Ten years.
Earned every
one.

It started in high school. A kid in Ankeny, Iowa who loved art, drawing, and computers stumbled into graphic design and realized it somehow combined all three into one career. I graduated from DMACC in 2014 with my AAS in Graphic Design and went straight into the industry as the sole designer at a Des Moines marketing firm. For seven years I showed up, did the work, and grew comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable.

2021 changed everything. Within a week of each other, I lost my dad and welcomed our third child into the world. Grief and new life in the same breath has a way of recalibrating a person. I knew I couldn't keep coasting. I made a decision: if I work hard, I should be rewarded for it. The only way to guarantee that is to bet on yourself.

In 2022 I took a role at Aureon as their marketing designer. Work that's now seen on vehicles all across Iowa and on a website visited by thousands every month. That chapter completely changed how I saw my own potential. Dropcap Creative was born not long after a conversation at church reignited everything. One moment of clarity and the name just arrived: every great story starts with a dropcap.

"Early on, being the only designer in every room I walked into felt pretty isolating. But I've started finding my footing. Building real connections online, finding my people, and realizing the creative community is a lot bigger and more generous than I ever gave it credit for."

Today I run Dropcap Creative out of Saylor Township with my wife and four kids. Life is full and loud in the best way. I do some of my best work after bedtime, once the house finally goes quiet. Every project I take on gets the same thing I wish I'd had in those early years: someone who actually listens, asks the right questions, and builds something that lasts.

Timeline
2014
Graduated DMACC
AAS in Graphic Design. First full-time role as sole designer at Varsity Group Marketing & Signs, Des Moines.
2016
Starbucks Era
Part-time barista. Developed a genuine obsession with coffee culture that still shows up in the dream client list.
2021
The Pivot Year
Lost my dad. Welcomed our third child. Within the same week. Started building something of my own.
2022
Aureon & the Turning Point
Joined Aureon as marketing designer. Rediscovered what real creative growth felt like. Named the studio at church.
Now
Dropcap Creative
Independent brand studio. 50+ clients. Four kids. Doing the work.
What I stand on

Through
all of it.

I'm not shy about the fact that my faith is the foundation of everything I do. The uncertainty, the rejection, the late nights wondering if it's all worth it… none of that would be manageable without it. God has carried this studio from the very beginning. The name came from a conversation at church. The courage to start came from a season of loss. The clarity to keep going comes from knowing whose hands it's all in.

That shows up in how I work too. The patience I try to bring to every conversation. The honesty when something isn't quite right. The genuine commitment I feel toward every person who trusts me with something they've spent years building.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

James 1:2–4 · ESV
A few things to know
Fuel
Coffee, Always
Former Starbucks barista. Takes it seriously.
Home Base
Ankeny Born,
Saylorville Now
Born and raised in Iowa. Never left on purpose.
Off the Clock
Certified Tech Nerd
Computers, gadgets, and anything with a screen.
Home Life
Wife + Four Kids
Best thing that ever happened. Loudest too.
Early Influence
"How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul"
A birthday gift that shaped a career.
Dream Client
A Coffee Brand,
Soup to Nuts
Brand, packaging, web. The whole story.
Current Inspiration
Chris Do
The brand thinker who changed how I see the work.
Most Seen Work
Aureon
Thousands of monthly visitors. Vehicles across Iowa.

Your story
deserves
to be told.

No pitch. No pressure. Just 30 minutes to talk about your brand and see if we're a good fit.

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