About Rachel Farber
My Philosophy
I believe that digital content isn't just about making something look compelling. Creating truly innovative experiences means striking the right balance between business needs, visual appeal, accessibility, usability, SEO optimization, and more. However, the most important element in every digital experience is the user.
Think of it this way: The user is the person who uses your content to accomplish a specific goal, and if it's an overcomplicated or clumsy experience, they won't be coming back. Conversely, a design that takes user needs into consideration helps save them time, frustration, and it may even bring them a smile. Businesses benefit mutually from a great user experience, because those users return more often, have higher brand loyalty, and are more likely to make purchases, among many other benefits.
Ultimately, my work philosophy centers around users, because people matter.
Education:
- 2018 - 2022 | UX Master Certification (Certification ID: 1034054) | Nielsen-Normal Group | Virtual
- 2014 - 2016 | Graphic Communications B.S. | Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL
- 2012 - 2014 | General Studies & Fine Arts | Black Hawk Community College | Moline, IL
Employment:
- Feb 2022 - Jan 2025 | Senior Digital Publisher | John Deere
- Jan 2021 - Feb 2022 | UX Designer | John Deere
- Jun 2020 - Jan 2021 | Content Analyst | John Deere
- Nov 2016 - Jun 2020 | Content Analyst | Aquent IT Solutions (John Deere contingent)
- Aug 2016 - Nov 2016 | Marketing Intern | Western Illinois University, Moline Campus
Hobbies:
- Drawing & writing
- Cooking & baking
- Audiobooks
- Video games / creating strategy guides
- Guide Samples:
- Persona 4 "Hardcore Risette Fan" Achievement Checklist
- Persona 3 Reload Complete New Game All Achievements Guide
- Music - I'm a metalhead! (My favorite band is Between the Buried and Me)
Ready to See Some Samples of My Work?
Duplexium, My Passion Project
Duplexium is a webcomic I wrote, drew, and published weekly from 2014-2022, while still maintaining full-time work/college courses. I wanted the story to reflect the change we all experience when put into emotionally distressful or complex situations, as well as learning to improve oneself over time. In many ways, writing Duplexium was a way for me to hit the pause button on life and enjoy practicing new art skills and work to better understand perspectives different from my own. The creative learning journey I took is immediately visible when chapter 1 and chapter 10 are compared.
Originally, Duplexium was drawn entirely with Photoshop using a Wacom drawing tablet, but with time I discovered more tools like Clip Studio Paint on iPad, which really improved my creativity and style flexibility. I continued to use both tools for various processes - CSP for drawing and formatting, Photoshop for text and final image file size optimization.
I'm extremely proud of the eight years I dedicated to Duplexium, and I'm actively working on a complete re-conception of the story. I also spend time working on character designs for a Roblox game in development and drawing just for the sheer joy of it.
An example page published in December 2021. Click it to view full-size.