We welcome our new Visual Designer, Christine Carforo, to The Charles team. Christine has a deep love for design and all things design-related. Her design style (as well as her personal style) is polished, poised, and most of all, artsy.

Our Studio Coordinator, Jacob Burstein, interviewed Christine to learn what makes her tick. Find out more below.

Who are you, Christine? I am a Designer. Athlete. Photographer. Traveler.

You said designer first, I noticed. Being a creative is a strong aspect of your identity, so when did you know you were wanted to be in the creative industry? Since I was a kid, I have always been into and surrounded by art. My parents always encouraged me to be independent and supported my interests in the creative industry from a very young age.

So you always knew art would be in your life path. Can you briefly tell me how you got to The Charles? I graduated college, then worked as a designer at a small agency in Norwalk, Connecticut. From there I moved to Boston for three years and worked for a larger agency. Then I moved back to New York City, where I’m from, to work at The Charles.

Christine, how do you stay inspired? I constantly surround myself with different sources of design, from interior design to industrial design, to automotive design, to fine art, to print, to digital. I have collected and aggregate for myself of different design influences on Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, so I refer to those feeds to draw on my inspiration daily.

Yes — these platforms are great for designers, so much visual eye candy! Are there any specific people, or blogs you ‘design stalk’? Yes, Chuck Close, Geoffrey Johnson, Aaron Draplin, Jessica Walsh, and Erik Spiekermann.

You seems to have a pretty clear personal aesthetic, how would you describe this in 3 words? Minimalist, clean, timeless.

As you are now very aware of, The Charles mantra is “One Step Further”, how do you feel like you represent this phrase? I try to go one step further by constantly working in new styles with each project, so that I grow into a well-rounded designer.

What do you hope to achieve at The Charles? I hope to grow my skills in all areas of design, refine my personal and professional design aesthetic, and learn how to pitch to clients more directly and clearly.