Commissioned and ideated for design fulfillment, Healthline:

Commissioned and ideated for design fulfillment, Psych Central:

As a private health care company during the peak of the opioid epidemic, we had a duty to publish content on the severity of the crisis. As a journalist for a digital newsroom, I had a sense of urgency to communicate in a way the readers would take it personally. After interviewing the mother of a recent college student who died from overdose on a synthetic painkiller—accidentally—I was moved to take this infographic on myself, writing and concepting the creative direction. The infographic was embedded into my blog series on the young woman and the severity of U-4. The infographic was made available during a benefit concert in her honor.

A thought leader and storyteller enjoys looking for inspiration from all sources. I was moved by an anniversary cover contest for the New Yorker demonstrating how times have changed in almost a century since its inaugural edition. That inspiration was the foundation for this infographic I wrote and concepted.  Again, I enjoy meeting the target audience where they’re at and redirecting their intrigue to my marketing message, with attention to their stage in the buyer’s journey.  I also leveraged my familiarity with photo augmentation to Photoshop the black and white photo for my purposes.

I have experience working with departments remotely in India. Communication that is illustrative and makes sense across variations of the English language are key; as is attention to and respect for cultural nuances.

A moment I’m most proud of is when, following a kickoff call, after the discovery of a language barrier with the India team of graphic designers regarding the creative direction of this graphic, I was motivated to draw and color a draft on the spot! To be sure, I have no artistic ability! As an editor for a team of writers, India designers got a good chuckle out of my dedication to communicating the message and the writer was equally grateful I bridged the gap for her content and turned it into a relatable visual concept.

Often large numbers are lost on consumers. A really good creative is able to deconstruct macro concepts into digestible or relative or palpable images. I did my research as an editor, and using a little math, came up with resonating statements for my writer’s infographic text.

Those close to me know, I am fascinated by the science of people! I was so excited to coach a young writer on my team to think outside the box for his infographic topic. All he had to go on from the content manager was the intended audience: loved ones of those needing intervention from substance abuse or untreated mental health disturbances. I created the concept and provided my writer the research to draft the content. I enjoy making “saves”: B2C content the target audience will want to save on their device or print out for further use.

I treat each job I’ve had not as separate corners in the maze that is the rat race of life, but as badges of accomplishment and expertise on my vest. The common thread is being creative and helping people. For a time I had a second job as a nutritional supplement expert at a whole food retail chain. Another “save” was this infographic I concepted, drawing from prior knowledge and fresh research for another of my writers. I provided the creative direction to our India team of graphic designers.

True to “Blue Ocean Marketing,” I continually look for untapped avenues within the market to create content for. Drunk driving in cars is a huge one; but how often do we hear about other vehicles?

I salvaged this infographic for one of my writers who had the meat of the graphic but couldn’t figure out how to connect the dots for the audience: teens experimenting with drug use. I provided analogies, imagery and points to drive home, keeping in mind the attention span and takeaway message.