I help people understand the news.
I’m the Creative Manager at KUOW, Seattle’s NPR station. I manage all data visualization, graphics, illustrations, and video projects for KUOW’s website, Instagram, and TikTok. I also lead design and development for KUOW’s new interactive graphics team. Outside of work, I’m a board member of the Society of Professional Journalists Western Washington Pro Chapter and the content editor of Nightingale, the magazine of the Data Visualization Society. In a previous era, I was a state political correspondent. In all roles, my goal is to create useful things for the audience — and do it in a kind and fun way for my team.
Great news design can make media more inclusive, build context for complicated stories, and stick in our memory. As our news habits change, so does the work of journalists. What doesn’t change is the building blocks of a compelling story: design, data, and storytelling.
A sample of my work is available below.
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES
Navigating the maze that rules Olympia (and your life)
How familiar are you with the Washington Legislature? The state's governing body adjourned in April with a new budget and hundreds of policy changes. Find out how bills become laws and what happened during the session in this choose-your-own-adventure experience from KUOW.
WA Legislators scale back ‘free school meals for all’ proposal
After a year of federally-funded free school meals for all students, Congress allowed the program to expire. Now, Washington lawmakers are considering legislation to pick up part of the tab — expanding free meals for elementary school kids in the lowest-income schools. Use our free meals calculator to see if you qualify under the state’s new legislation. (Note: this was a demonstration site project for internal use.)
Opioids on the Peninsula
They say that if you’re from the Olympic Peninsula, you know someone addicted to drugs. The peninsula has consistently had the highest rate of overdose deaths in Washington state, nearly twice that of King County. These two stories look at the opioid crisis on the peninsula.
DATA VISUALIZATION
ILLUSTRATIONS & FEATURE ART
INFOGRAPHICS
VIDEOS
@kuow949 Seattle has its own deep water exploration. Story: KUOW staff Appearance: Vaughan Jones (they/them) Sources: Coastal Sensing and Survey, GUE Seattle, DCS Films, Washington State Department of Natural Resources Design: Teo Popescu (she/her) Social editor: Stephen Howie (he/him) #seattle #titan #shipwreck #seattlehistory #ww2 ♬ Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz - MaSssuguMusic
@kuow949 Washington state’s drug possession law imploded. KUOW’s Clare McGrane hunts down the facts of the case, #wesanderson style. #wesandersonaesthetic #seattletiktok #waleg #blakebill ♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat
@kuow949 If anyone dares to ask, “Who is Sue Bird?” send them this video. Story: KUOW staff Appearance: Paige Browning (she/her) Design: Teo Popescu (she/her) Photos: Seattle Storm, Getty Images, Keith Allison, Luis Antonio Rodriguez Ochoa, U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Samuel Morse, and Bidgee Social editor: Stephen Howie (he/him) #seattlestorm #suebird #wnba #seattletiktok ♬ original sound - KUOW Public Radio
@kuow949 Decades ago, states began putting bundles of tires on the seafloor as "artificial reefs." Story: Alec Cowan Photos: Washington Scuba Alliance, Mark Stone/University of Washington, Coastal Sensing and Survey, Science Magazine Design: Teo Popescu Social editor: Stephen Howie #seattle #seattletiktok #seattlenews #publicradio #environment #tires #pugetsound #pugetsoundnews #pnw #kuow #tirereef #washingtonstate #publicradiotok #npr #nprseattle ♬ Under the Sea (Instrumental) [From "The Little Mermaid"] - London Music Works
@kuow949 Link light rail service disrupted due to damage at Westlake. Story: KUOW staff Appearance: Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez (he/him) Photos: Teo Popescu (she/her), iStock Design: Teo Popescu (she/her) Editor: Stephen Howie (he/him) #seattle #soundtransit #lightrail #westlake #mariners ♬ Summer Feelings (feat. Charlie Puth) - Lennon Stella
@kuow949 Election day is over, but ballots are still being counted. Here's how that works with KUOW's David Hyde. Story: KUOW Staff Appearance: David Hyde, Julie Wise Design: Teo Popescu #waelex #kingcounty #votetiktok #mailinballots #seattle #learnontiktok #electionsecurity #election ♬ Say So (Instrumental Version) [Originally Performed by Doja Cat] - Elliot Van Coup