"Selfie" circa 1985.
My design work started pre-computer. “Cut and paste” meant — literally — cutting paper with an exacto knife and pasting it to a board with hot wax. And the “web” referred to a large press that printed newspapers.
I learned design from the ground-floor up. I first worked in the graphic arts departments of two print shops, where I honed my production skills and mastered how to set up print-ready files. I attended design classes at UC Extension, and launched my freelance business: Bobbi Sloan Design.
Some years later, I was hired by UC Berkeley — first at University of California Printing Services and then at Berkeley Law; I used (and added to) my design and technical skills in both those positions, while continuing my freelance business after hours. (The UC examples I've included on this site were designed while an employee of the university.)
I don’t know if life is really like a circle, but my career seems to be following that pattern. After 10+ years I decided to retire from the university and return to freelancing as my “day job.” I still love designing for print, but my universe has expanded to working in CMYK and RGB, as well as in picas and pixels.
I work mostly with local (Bay Area) small businesses, environmental groups, and non-profit organizations. I enjoy working with each of my clients, from beginning concept to finished piece — helping them to transform their ideas into effective visual solutions.