FAQ

D'ou tu viens aux États-Unis ? — Where do you come from in the States?

In 1982, I was born in the state of Connecticut (près de New York City). I spent the second half of my childhood in southwest Michigan (près de Chicago) where the winters are long and the lakes look like oceans. I've also lived in Rhode Island, California, New York, and Florida.

Ca te manque les États-Unis ? — Do you miss the States?

Sometimes. But nationalized healthcare is fantastic…

Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire "Fuss and Feathers" ? — What does "Fuss and Feathers" mean?

"Fuss and feathers" is an old American idiom. It was also the nickname of a charismatic Union Army general during the American Civil War.¹ Today the expression means:

An extensively elaborate or pretentious display; ostentation ²

In all honesty, I didn't know anything about this Army general and this site is not a militaristic homage. When I was learning to speak French, I thought that using idiomatic expressions was a clever way to sound more fluent. I didn't fool anyone: people often replied, "My grandmother used to say that!" It's true that idioms are expressions of a bygone era, remnants of a disappearing oral tradition.

"Fuss and Feathers" is a small sliver of American history and perhaps my way of clinging onto some form of my American identity.

Non vraiment, qu'est-ce que ça veut dire "Fuss and Feathers" ? — No really, what does "Fuss and Feathers" mean?

The closest French translation for "fuss and feathers" is plumes et tralala. But there really is no exact translation for "Fuss and Feathers" and that's the beauty of it.

At this very moment

Since 2005, I call Paris, France my home (chez moi). I speak French with a thick American accent that I no longer try to hide. I currently reside in Montreuil with my partner and our two cats.

Education

I studied design, film, animation, and video at the Rhode Island School of Design (une bonne école) from 2000 to 2002. I pursued media-related academic studies in New York City and Florida until I moved to France.

Professional Interests

I help my clients create consistent visual identities across desktop and mobile platforms. I also address how these identities can thrive in different social media contexts. I am passionate about developments in web typography and responsive design. I acknowledge that web design is an intangible and mostly ephemeral medium, but I think it's possible to produce flexible, longterm, sustainable solutions.

Good web design is more than surface aesthetics; it's about problem-solving, it's about organizing content in a way that is readable and efficient, it's about helping the client communicate a select set of values and foretelling how that message will be received.