Kristen Weber
principal designer
professional expertise includes:
book and publication design + production since 1984
graphical interface design and usability since 1991
marketing communications design + production since 1991
visual artist working in kilnformed glass and sculptural paper since 2000
professional synopsis:
Visual and information design has formed the backbone of Kristen Weber’s professional life for three decades. She has excelled in a diverse range of projects. Her portfolio focuses on the complex and in depth: designing and producing four-color textbooks for the higher education market; software documentation for Fortune 500 companies; and easily used, yet graphically rich interfaces to complex software applications. It also includes the more straightforward: collateral, newsletters, and websites.
Weber began her long association with typography and design when she joined the College Division of West Publishing Company as part of the production team for the editor-in-chief/publisher’ office. This particular group’s hallmark was its agile design and production abilities. As a member, Weber individually assembled and managed multiple teams of independent contractors to complete production of college textbooks from manuscript to bound volume on budget, on time, and within time constraints that were less than half of industry norm.
The demands of the comprehensive, but quick-paced design and production cycle were excellent preparation for what was to come. Five years later, her colleagues sent Weber off into the freelance world with their good wishes and blessings. Her freelance textbook design and layout work expanded to include software documentation, which in turn led to the world of software development. But the “book bug” never left her; she continued to design books.
principal designer
professional expertise includes:
book and publication design + production since 1984
graphical interface design and usability since 1991
marketing communications design + production since 1991
visual artist working in kilnformed glass and sculptural paper since 2000
professional synopsis:
Visual and information design has formed the backbone of Kristen Weber’s professional life for three decades. She has excelled in a diverse range of projects. Her portfolio focuses on the complex and in depth: designing and producing four-color textbooks for the higher education market; software documentation for Fortune 500 companies; and easily used, yet graphically rich interfaces to complex software applications. It also includes the more straightforward: collateral, newsletters, and websites.
Weber began her long association with typography and design when she joined the College Division of West Publishing Company as part of the production team for the editor-in-chief/publisher’ office. This particular group’s hallmark was its agile design and production abilities. As a member, Weber individually assembled and managed multiple teams of independent contractors to complete production of college textbooks from manuscript to bound volume on budget, on time, and within time constraints that were less than half of industry norm.
The demands of the comprehensive, but quick-paced design and production cycle were excellent preparation for what was to come. Five years later, her colleagues sent Weber off into the freelance world with their good wishes and blessings. Her freelance textbook design and layout work expanded to include software documentation, which in turn led to the world of software development. But the “book bug” never left her; she continued to design books.
Weber’s ability to produce graphically appealing, cost sensitive results on remarkably short timelines was a key to her success in software interface design and usability analysis. Digital media was a natural choice given her interest in information and visual design. Weber managed and participated in software development teams for complex projects ranging in scale from websites and digital media to stand-alone enterprise-wide manufacturing applications (third-party AutoCAD development). Her experience with accelerated publishing production schedules prepared her well for the aggressive deadlines in bleeding-edge software development.
After twelve successful and interesting years as a company owner and human-computer interaction specialist, Weber decided to leave the for-profit market place. The move was a deliberate choice that would allow more time to pursue her work in kiln-formed glass. She remained committed to improving how humans interact with various environments. As Weber puts it, “That can be found in art, good design, or by working directly with the ecosystems around us.” Fortunately, she found a good match in the Minnesota Project, an environmental non-profit. Her position encompassed managing the office and IT infrastructure, but happily it also included communications management. Weber oversaw the extensive expansion and redesign of the organization’s website, the layout and production of quarterly newsletters, fact sheets, as well as the design and production of specialized publications.
Weber relinquished her position with the Minnesota Project at the end of 2008 to join her husband on his overseas assignment with Permasteelisa Group, S.p.A. While located in the lovely Veneto region of northern Italy from January 2009 through 2011, she focused on the visual arts: creating a new body of work in sculptural paper and exploring Italy’s rich heritage of art, architecture, and design.
Since returning to the U.S., Weber has dipped back into the deep vein of visual and information design running throughout her professional experience and re-established her design and production services with I Libri. Through I Libri, she works directly with clients or in collaboration with other publishing and digital media professionals.
After twelve successful and interesting years as a company owner and human-computer interaction specialist, Weber decided to leave the for-profit market place. The move was a deliberate choice that would allow more time to pursue her work in kiln-formed glass. She remained committed to improving how humans interact with various environments. As Weber puts it, “That can be found in art, good design, or by working directly with the ecosystems around us.” Fortunately, she found a good match in the Minnesota Project, an environmental non-profit. Her position encompassed managing the office and IT infrastructure, but happily it also included communications management. Weber oversaw the extensive expansion and redesign of the organization’s website, the layout and production of quarterly newsletters, fact sheets, as well as the design and production of specialized publications.
Weber relinquished her position with the Minnesota Project at the end of 2008 to join her husband on his overseas assignment with Permasteelisa Group, S.p.A. While located in the lovely Veneto region of northern Italy from January 2009 through 2011, she focused on the visual arts: creating a new body of work in sculptural paper and exploring Italy’s rich heritage of art, architecture, and design.
Since returning to the U.S., Weber has dipped back into the deep vein of visual and information design running throughout her professional experience and re-established her design and production services with I Libri. Through I Libri, she works directly with clients or in collaboration with other publishing and digital media professionals.