As the decade draws to a close, I was inspired to create a personal visual annual report on the past year. In putting this report together (which I drew on an iPad Pro) I learned that self-tracking “the quantified self” is a movement that started even before this past decade. I guess I was never…
World Usability Day I celebrated World Usability Day on November 15, 2019 with the Indiana chapter of the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) – a single day of celebration and educational events occurring around the world that brings together communities of professional, educational, and other groups for a common objective: to ensure that the services…
The Genesis A couple of years ago, with my 50th birthday approaching, I wanted to plan an epic trip to somewhere really good: Alaska. And I wanted to ride my mountain bike. After all, my shared bucket list item with my husband is to ride a mountain bike in all fifty states, and this would…
Here’s an interesting – and challenging – project I recently completed: the How to Plan Your Meeting or Workshop process map. This step-by-step infographic provides a color-coded, single-page pathway to the significant components of an important meeting or workshop. Background This past spring I earned a certification as a Structured Professional Facilitator with the goal…
Julia was a fantastic addition to our conference. She took complex information and distilled it into graphic notes that enhanced learning, provided beautiful visuals, and added an element of fun to the day. Her work played perfectly to our social media strategy of creating Instagram-worthy content to help fulfill our nonprofit’s educational mission.” – Erin…
The more iconic something is, the more we project ourselves onto it; the more detailed and realistic, the more we see it as something other than ourselves.” – Scott McCloud Drawing out concepts and ideas instead of writing down words is an effective way to communicate. Simple drawings such as icons can help overcome…
HOW Design Live is one of the largest annual gatherings of creative professionals in the world. In the past I’ve been an attendee and a speaker, but this year in Chicago I made a special appearance in the Expo Hall by doing live graphic recording. At an “Interaction Wall” I captured attendees’ thoughts in response…
I was hired by an award-winning creative graphic design agency in New Jersey this past year. Two of their clients – one a leading supplier of fiber-optic technology in the metro NYC area, the other a NJ-based non-profit behavioral healthcare provider – were going through big organizational changes. Both needed to clearly define and communicate…
Heading into the new year, I have two concerns: one professional, one personal. Call them resolutions, if you will: How can I continue to use large-scale visual note-taking to channel my passion for helping people enjoy meetings more, and increase the value clients receive when they hire me? Give me all the carbs: Flying in…
How to use the four principles of graphic design to create images that engage audiences and make your organization look good As a 20+-year professional veteran of the graphic design field – most often working with nonprofits – I believe an organization’s marketing materials need no, require good design. In my experience good graphic design has…