01 · THE BEGINNING
A life in art began in the town where it continues today.
My public creative journey began in 1986 at the Sauk County Art Festival. I was 16 when artist Gordon Glass made room in his booth for my first exhibition. A newspaper photographer captured me explaining one of my pen-and-ink drawings to a visitor.
That day showed me what art can do within a community: invite people to pause, look closely, begin a conversation, and see a familiar place differently. It established a creative direction I have followed for four decades.
“Art can invite people to pause, look closely, begin a conversation, and see a familiar place differently.”
02 · THE EARLY YEARS · ART & MUSIC
Composition found a rhythm.
Realistic illustration was my first discipline. Drawing taught me to study light, form, perspective, and the small details that make an image believable. I carried that eye into traditional and digital illustration, identity design, storyboards, and photography.
I began spinning house music in 1985. As Grandmaster Bam Bam, I learned to read a room, pace an experience, and connect people through rhythm. That instinct for audience and flow still shapes the way I design a page, edit a film, or build a story.
“I learned to read an audience, build energy with intention, and bring separate elements together as one memorable experience.”
03 · 1987–1991 · SERVICE
A chapter of service.
From 1987 to 1991, I served in the United States Army as a combat engineer. Working with a team toward a shared objective taught me leadership. Preparing for demanding assignments built discipline. Being accountable to the people beside me taught me responsibility. The precision that work required sharpened my attention to detail.
04 · 1997 · THE WEB
The canvas became a screen.
From 1997 to 1999, I studied visual communications and art at Madison Area Technical College (MATC). I also began designing for the web in 1997. The medium let me join visual communication with structure and usefulness: a visitor needed to understand where they were, what mattered, and what to do next.
That work grew into responsive and mobile-first design, UI and UX, information architecture, wireframes, prototypes, design systems, and conversion-minded pages. I still start with the message and the audience, then build the layout, language, and interaction around them.
05 · TWO DECADES · SEARCH
Being found became part of being useful.
For more than 20 years, search visibility has been part of my web practice. I connect keyword intent and competitive research to site structure, page titles, descriptions, technical SEO, local discovery, and content people actually want to read.
The same thinking carries into video: clear titles, useful descriptions, thumbnails, playlists, and publishing plans. Search works best when it is built into the experience rather than attached at the end.
06 · TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Creative perspective met operational responsibility.
In Sarasota, Florida, I served as Director of Information Technology at Wagner Realty, supporting the systems and digital work used by more than 200 real-estate agents. My work crossed company websites, digital marketing, property photography, client-facing materials, and the everyday problem-solving that keeps a business moving.
That experience taught me to translate complex needs into reliable, usable systems; guide projects across creative and technical teams; and improve a process without losing the people it serves. Sarasota’s architecture and coastal light also sharpened the eye I bring to photography and place-based design.
CLIENT WORDS · GOOGLE & YELP REVIEWS
The work, in their words.
“Shannon's Great to deal with, detailed and does phenomenal work. Goes the extra mile for you.”
“They took the time to listen, helped me draw out my ideas…”
“Very talented Shannan Rohde web designer has created an easy to navigate website, ready for your procurement.”
“Shannan does efficient website work and has an eye for detail.”
“I’ve never seen such amazing pictures. He is so talented and kind!”
“Shannan took excellent photos of Wisconsin Dells Bike Week!”
07 · 2024 ONWARD · OUTDOORS
A camera brought the work back outside.
With South Wisconsin Family Fishing, I built an outdoor content brand around Wisconsin waters, family fishing, kayak trips, and the stories found along the river. I plan and produce short and long-form videos, photography, thumbnails, scripts, and publishing packages shaped for the people searching for them.
It brings together field photography, lighting, composition, editing, audience research, and the practical side of YouTube SEO. In 2024, I earned my FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107 for commercial drone work. The setting is different from a website project, but the goal is familiar: make something clear, inviting, and worth returning to.
08 · 2026 · CINEMATIC SYSTEMS
New tools, the same eye for story.
I created Worlds of Tomorrow as an original science-fiction film project and a repeatable production system. Its workflow joins concept development, scripts, character references, storyboards, shot planning, image and video generation, voice and music direction, editing, and release assets.
Prompt engineering and AI help me move between those stages, but continuity, source awareness, accessibility, review, and final judgment remain human work. I design workflows with clear inputs and checkpoints so a promising experiment can become a dependable way to make something.
09 · TODAY · ONE STUDIO
Every discipline serves the same story.
Back in Baraboo, I bring those chapters together in an independent studio. My work spans local websites, product strategy, search intelligence, editorial platforms, documentary photography, and AI-assisted production. Projects such as Baraboo Website Design, Station 136, RankStature, Our Midwest Recipe Box, and the Wisconsin Dells Bike Week photo essay show how the approach changes with the audience.
I can move from discovery and requirements to visual direction, prototypes, responsive builds, search planning, testing, and launch.
I also develop applications for Mac and Android. Each project starts with the person using it: what they need to do, what should feel effortless, and where a clear interface can remove friction. I carry that thinking through prototyping, development, and testing, bringing design and function together on the device where it belongs.
The tools keep changing. The purpose does not: make work that is useful, distinctive, and memorable.
1985–86Began spinning house music in 1985; first public art exhibition at the Sauk County Art Festival in 1986.
1987–91Served in the United States Army as a combat engineer.
1997–99Studied visual communications and art at MATC while beginning a career in web design.
2024Earned Part 107 remote pilot certification and expanded outdoor storytelling.
TodayAI filmmaking, product work, and an independent Baraboo studio.
THE PRACTICE TODAY
One perspective, many disciplines.
Visual craft
Realistic and digital illustration, brand identity, typography, storyboards, photography, lighting, property imagery, and commercial drone work.
Web & product
Responsive UI/UX, information architecture, wireframes, prototypes, design systems, product strategy, requirements, testing, and application planning.
Search & content
Technical and local SEO, search intent, competitive research, metadata, editorial planning, video discoverability, and thumbnail strategy.
AI & leadership
Prompt and workflow design, AI-assisted film and software production, automation, quality review, project direction, and IT systems leadership.