The art of explanation (or)
Oh, I see what you mean!
We all want to be understood. We seek clarity in a casual conversation over dinner or while presenting data in a major presentation. Visual cues play an important part in clarity.
As a researcher, I study how visuals aid comprehension and retention of information. As a designer, journalist and consultant, I'm after a strong marriage of words and image through typography, color and illustration.
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As an educator, I dearly love to bring people together in a creative process. And it's a thrill to watch the careers of former students progress.
With every story I worked on in a newsroom, my knowledge grew. In order to create a clear, visual explanation, it was essential that I could boil it down. This fueled my desire to help find the simplest path to understanding.
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I’ve worked for years as a visual leader with the Poynter Institute and as president of the Society for News Design. These wonderful organizations have given me the chance to meet a host of creative folks from around the world.
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I'm grateful for the privilege. It has made me a better designer and opened my eyes to enormous possibilities.
Inspired by a need for creativity during the pandemic, I worked with two colleagues to launch Wander, an online magazine featuring illustrations from women around the world.
I developed a series of illustrated videos in Somali, Spanish and Karen to help residents of immigrant communities better understand the complexities of Covid, vaccinations and health care. Advised by leaders and translators from each community, the National Institute of Health followed a storytelling tradition customary to the cultures of the communities.
Each eyetracking research project has required working prototypes to test designs and stories across platforms.
The Mobile Resource Center has videos, tutorials and tools for designers and educators. I created this for Ball State University using the blogging tool, Medium.
Typography for News Design, my comprehensive tutorial for Poynter's News University is one of the top-viewed assets in the site's history. It remains free and open to the public.