ART DIRECTOR, CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO
AURORA CO
I’ve spent most of my career on the client side, working for inhouse creative teams spanning industries from digital marketing to finance to wellness and now healthcare. I’m also the mother of two spirited boys who fill my heart with joy. I think I’ve always been community-minded. I serve on the board of a small preschool, where I created a brand identity and suite of materials, and I lead the marketing and creative efforts of my church. So, when I started at Children’s Hospital Colorado in 2012 I knew I’d landed my dream job, connecting my love of children with work that matters. I’m inspired, motivated and challenged by the people in this organization every day. And I continue to be inspired by our mission: to heal every child, no matter who they are or what their circumstance. As a designer and marketer, it’s my job to make sure they know where to go if and when they need us.
HOW AND WHY DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN DESIGNING FOR GOOD AND WHY DO YOU BELIEVE DESIGN IS AN ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR THIS GOAL?
I’ve always been energized by helping people, whether it’s through volunteerism, serving at my church, or even just helping a friend create beautiful wedding invitations on a tight budget. I love graphic design’s unique ability to make an impact. Design welcomes and invites people in. At Children’s Colorado, we designed our brand guidelines to ease the burden for families under a tremendous amount of stress. Through clear, intuitive communications that reflect our pediatric expertise and express the spirit of childhood, we guide our patients and families through their entire journey — from awareness to engagement to loyalty. We want every point of engagement to lead to another, and we work through multiple channels: web, video, advertising, social media and even physical hospital signage. There are endless opportunities. One of the initiatives that’s meant the most to me is our work in diversity, health equity and inclusion, promoting care that recognizes not only the factors that contribute to discrimination in the healthcare system, but also the differences that make us special, no matter who we are. Our small but mighty team of designers, writers and videographers makes it all possible, and our marketing director and VP of marketing and communications continually advocate for us to keep developing as a best-in-class creative team. I’m inspired every day by the amazing work my team produces.
GIVEN THE CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS AND CHALLENGES WE FACE THIS FALL, DOES 2020 PRESENT ANY SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES, URGENCIES, OBSTACLES TO DESIGNING FOR GOOD?
Yes. Definitely. And wow, what a wild year 2020 has been. We’ve designed dozens of urgent communications on everything from new telehealth options to donning and doffing personal protective equipment. As a design team at a pediatric hospital, our most important mandate throughout the pandemic has been to help team members and families navigate many sudden changes in healthcare, but also to reassure families that it’s safe and necessary to get care. Kids can’t wait. Our patients needed us before COVID-19 and they need us now ⎯— and we’ll be there for them long after COVID-19 is a thing of the past.
