Hello. My name is Gail. I have enjoyed the gift of creativity ever since I could hold a crayon. I think and learn visually.
There was a time (high school math class) when thinking and learning visually was not ideal. Attempting to solve word problems by drawing Train A and Train B didn’t get me very far. Get it? Trains, getting far? Anyway, I thought I had escaped the doldrums of linear thinking in 1993 once I was accepted to Pratt Institute.
In 1997, armed with my BFA in Communication Design, I set out to have some fun. And I did. I had fun. My illustrations were published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Time Magazine and several smaller NYC-based magazines. I did not, however, escape the need to think linearly. My business demanded a strong linear-thinking muscle. Happily, my determination to make the business successful, drove me to identify and prioritize the more linear components.
My world changed in 2003 when I accepted a full time position as a Graphics Editor for The Wall Street Journal. My ability to manage stressful situations came in handy (7pm deadline every day, no exceptions), my communication skills were also valuable as it was necessary to collaborate with reporters and editors. I gained invaluable data gathering, interpreting, and visualization skills. I remained with The Wall Street Journal for almost 7 years.
Then, in 2010, I followed a colleague from The Journal to a branding agency known as Siegel + Gale. Working as an Information Designer, I was reintroduced to traditional design skills and I vastly improved my written communication skills. Siegel + Gale has a killer research department and I imagined myself nestled within that segment of the company.
That was what I imagined, but it was not what S+G needed. We parted ways in 2013 and I was left blessed for the experience. By 2013, I had classical artistic training, illustration skills, business management skills, data visualization skills, verbal and written communication skills, as well as killer information design skills. I went into business for myself.
And that is where you find me now. For the past decade I have been an Information Design Consultant. Currently, each of my projects requires all I’ve learned and that is what keeps me engaged.
Thanks for reading my story. I would love to chat with you about how Information Design, Illustration, or some combination thereof, can make your content shine.
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