Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting someone who I believe to be a very rare gem in the design industry. Melissa, who is best known to others as SPXDS her design persona, has the unique talent of being able to produce the design arts expected of a freelancer, but can also speak fluent code. And she has been managing this precious balancing act for the past 13 years. Now, if you are a designer and have tried to read code then you know that it’s not easy, in fact some college programs qualify it as a foreign language credit. And if you are a hard core coder, then you know that sometimes it can be anywhere from difficult to darn near impossible to switch gears and make attractive designs. But this is exactly what Melissa manages to do on a regular basis. To top it all off, she is also tech savvy. Hardware, software, she knows it all!

What also blows me away about this beautiful gem that I see in her, is that she is seriously devoted to educating herself through college courses and on-her-own learning. Already she has one degree in Information Systems, and is currently working on more in Web Development, Design, and Commercial Graphics. Hard work and dedication are no strangers to Melissa. She is always doing her very best to keep up to date with web standards and has a personal mission to not only create attractive looking websites but also make them as user friendly as possible. She really cares about meeting the needs of her clients and it shows.

I also dig Melissa’s attitude about herself…

Quote Melissa: “Honestly, I’m a geek! I love using & working on computers from building them to installing hardware. Plus I have always had a love for drawing (the paper and pen kind). That’s why I fell in love with doing artwork digitally and the reason why I enjoy doing web development and design so much. I just love being able to be creative and get to work on a computer all day.”

To me, Melissa is the whole package. Heart, dedication, talent, drive, extensive knowledge, and years of carved out experience. It’s no wonder she shines! So Melissa Ray, this Shout Out is for you! And I hope you continue to dazzle for years to come.

To learn more about Melissa and the work she does – click the pic!  :D