Emily Leach

Emily Leach, Visual Arts Specialist
College of Business
East Carolina University
3405 Bate Building
Greenville, NC  27858-4353
252-328-9998
leachem22@ecu.edu
View my digital portfolio


Design Statement: I have always been inspired by visual things. Lack of visual representation or poor designs always make me sad as I see the missed communication opportunities that good design can produce. This is what gave me a desire to begin a journey of learning the rules that govern good design so I could help others communicate their ideas more perfectly. I have found my calling in being the one who bridges the language gap by strengthening the impact of ideas and concepts through visual representation.

​Overall Aesthetics Qualities: On a formal note, my work is largely energized by a young vibe as I tend to use a lot of bright colors and two-dimensional geometric shapes along with a strong typographical esthetic. I am an avid supporter of a strong underlying grid, especially when working with print media and large bodies of type. I believe that everything must have a purpose and that just having an esthetic quality is not enough reason to implement an element into a design. 

​Tools and Process: As a kid, I started out with my dad’s Flexi Sign software and CorelDRAW, back in the days when Adobe wasn’t the only player in the realm of design software. I have since used everything from Microsoft programs and Adobe CS2, all the way to the current Adobe Creative Cloud. The one question I get asked most about software, and particularly the Adobe Creative Suite, is, “What software program (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) do you like best?” My answer is always the same, “you wouldn’t ask a chef what utensil they prefer because it all depends on what they are using that utensil for.” This is exactly how I feel about software; each program has some really great feature. I personally float between InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop constantly while doing any project. It just depends on the project, and I believe in using the right tool for the job!