Home | Andrew Dennis Baker

skills

TECHNICAL

SKILLS

UI/UX Design

(Wireframing, Prototyping, Mockups)

Graphic Design & Illustration

Adobe Creative Suite

(Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, InDesign)

Figma & Sketch

Prototyping & Interactive Design

(Adobe XD, Figma)

Responsive & Adaptive Design

(UX Pin, ASCD Tools, WW2 School, Code Pen)

Typography & Color Theory

Branding & Visual Identity

Iconography & Vector Illustration

Motion Graphics & Animation

(Adobe Animate, Blender, Adobe After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro)

Web & Mobile UI Design

Design Systems & Style Guides

DEVELOPMENT

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE

HTML, CSS

(Basic Knowledge, Hardcoded This Website)

Front-End Design Principles

Collaboration Tools

(Figma Dev Mode)

CMS Design

(Markup Editors, WordPress, Webflow)

Design Systems, Not Stuff.

RESEARCH

USER EXPERIENCE

User-Centered Design

User Research & Persona Development

Usability Testing

Accessibility & Inclusive Design

Navigation Design

SOFT SKILLS

CRITICAL THINKING

Attention to Detail

Problem-Solving

Time Management

Collaboration & Teamwork

Adaptability & Willingness to Learn

Communication & Presentation Skills

PHOTOGRAPHY

FILE FORMATS

Camera Operation

(DSLR, Mirrorless, Medium/Large Format)

Working Efficiently in Challenging Environments

(Low Light, Crowds, Weather, Fast-Moving Subjects)

Lighting Techniques

(Natural, Studio, Flash, Continuous, Reflectors)

Aerial & Drone Photography

MUSICAL STRUCTURE

SIGN THEORY/MUSICAL ELEMENTS

I am interested in the way people perceive and process information, and how their ability to learn may be improved by using visuals, and sound to translate complex, abstract information into concrete, experiential forms. Music is the expression of the past, and the present, and helps define the course of time. My work explores this abstract and mystery communication device, by developing visuals that assist in understanding the complex musical elements:

Pitch
Dynamics
Tempo
Rhythm
Texture
Form
Timbre
Harmony

I have worked to translate the elements into a sign theory application and provide music educators with a highly useful visual presentation tool to improve current teaching methods. The developed pedagogy is currently in use at Eastman School of Music. The publication is introduced during the beginning stages of musical curriculums. It is my intention that it will also serve as a valuable model for other kinds of visual communication problems.

EIGHT MUSICAL ELEMENTS

DEFINITE PITCH

Pitch is defined as highness or lowness of sound and is determined by the frequency of vibrations. The faster the vibrations the higher the sound, the slower the vibrations the lower the sound. Definite pitch, or tone, has regular vibrations and reaches the ear at equal intervals.

INDEFINITE PITCH

Pitch is determined by the frequency of regular vibrations and then given a particular value and corresponding note name, expressed as Hertz value (Hz). Indefinite pitch has irregular vibrations and may include sounds like squeaking brakes or clashing cymbals.

DYNAMICS

Dynamics are defined as the intensity of volume with which notes and sounds are expressed. Dynamics are indicated in the music by the composer to indicate a certain degree of loudness or softness.

pianississimo
pianissmo
piano
mezzopiano
mezzo forte
forte
fortissimo
fortississimo

TEMPO

Tempo is the musical speed or pacing of a musical composition. It may be indicated by a metronome designation that links a particular durational unit with a particular duration in clocktime or by a description of speed and gestural character.

Largo
Adagio
Andante
Moderato
Allegro
Vivace
Presto

RHYTHM BEAT

The beat found within music is the regular recurring pattern which can be divided into equal units of time. Beats are basic units of time by which all notes are measured.

Regular
Accented
Variation

RHYTHM STRUCTURE

Rhythm is a combination of different note lengths in a piece of music or a regulated succession of strong and weak elements. Rhythm is an important parameter of musical structure, the other is pitch.

TEXTURE HOMOPHONIC

Homophonic texture is a single melodic line accompanied by chords. Attention is primarily focused on the melody. All parts are rhythmically dependent upon one another or there is a clear distinction between the melodic part and the accompaniment parts.

TEXTURE MONOPHONIC

Monophonic texture utilizes a single melodic line without accompaniment (this may include one or more people singing or playing an instrument in unison).

TEXTURE POLYPHONIC

Polyphonic texture consists of a simultaneous performance of two or more melodic lines with equal importance. Polyphonic writing often includes imitations when a melodic idea is presented by an instrument or voice and then restated immediately after by another voice or instrument.

FORM BINARY

Binary form gives a feeling of statement (A) and counter statement (B). A composition in AB form may be represented AABB, AAB, or ABB if either or both of its large sections are repeated. Differences between A and B sections can be of any kind and the two sections can be equal or unequal in length.

FORM TERNNARY

Ternnary form represented as a idea (A) contrast or departure (B), return of original idea (A). Contrast between A and B sections can be of any kind, sections can be of equal or unequal length and the return of the material with the A section the second time can be a smooth transition or an abrupt change.

TIMBRE

Timbre is identified as the characteristic color or sound of an instrument or voice. Changes in tone color create variety and contrast. When the same melody is presented in successive order by two different instruments the music takes on an expressive effect, or by contrasting a new melody and presenting it in a new instrument, this maybe used to highlight a new idea.

HARMONY

Harmony is defined as an aspect of music that pertains to simultaneous combinations of sound. The word 'harmony' has been used to describe the position of higher and lower notes in relation to one another, both in the placement of its vertical and horizontal design.

Typography / DIGITAL ART

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS

Genetically engineered (GE) foods have had their DNA changed/GENES CHANGED

My ongoing body of work explores the cultural and ecological implications of plant genetic modification. The installation Genetically Premature Rhetoric serves as a catalyst for dialogue, inviting viewers to question the language, science, and assumptions surrounding engineered ecology. This piece marks the beginning of a growing series that continues to investigate how rhetoric and biotechnology intersect in public consciousness.

My research critically examines the narratives of food science and genetically modified organisms, raising questions about biological safety, transparency, and long-term impact. I use visual communication as a tool for public engagement, aiming to create work that informs, challenges, and activates reflection.

In these projects, I combine both freeform and structured typographic systems with layered imagery referencing gene splicing. This visual approach produces momentary impressions of instability and transformation—echoing the evolving identity of genetically modified organisms. The work encourages viewers to consider the future of our food systems and the cultural shifts that may accompany irreversible change.

National Human Genome Research Institute

The pigments that drew Martin’s interest are anthocyanins, which give blueberries, blackberries and eggplants their rich blue-purple hues. With funding from a German consortium, she set out to engineer tomatoes high in anthocyanins, aiming to increase the fruits’ antioxidant capacity

We Are Programmed to Respond to Eyes

OVERLOOKING THE OBVIOUS/GENES CHANGED

The social function of the gaze extends far beyond humans. In most social species, eye contact serves as a powerful signal of intent, conveying unspoken messages of threat, dominance, submission, courtship, and more—whether through direct gaze, gaze aversion, or shifts in eye color. Evolution has even equipped many moths, butterflies, and fish with eyelike markings, known as “eyespots,” designed to mislead or intimidate predators.

Eye contact—often termed “mutual gaze” in the study of nonverbal communication—can be unsettling because it signals that the individual looking at us intends to initiate some form of interaction. That intention may be exciting and welcome or frightening and intrusive, but in either case, another’s gaze prompts us to respond.