fathom Blog

design school

Posted by scott in Design, Our Team. 6/1/2010, 4:16 PM

I often view the world differently these days, with a bit more of a designer’s eye toward emotion, color, process, and experience. But it wasn’t always this way. Coming from many years of studying and working in the social sciences, I’m definitely on the research side of fathom’s ‘Research ∙ Design ∙ Strategy’ tagline. For me, information design consisted of deciding to use 1-inch margins and single spacing, or perhaps Arial over Times New Roman. But as I began working with my designer colleagues at fathom, I came to realize something that is surely a no-brainer for many, but that gets lost in the academic world so frequently: communication is more than simply transmitting data clearly and efficiently. It’s about connecting people and ideas on a fundamental level through the experience of information.

No where does this hit closer to home for me than the presentations I’ve given over the years. Looking back, I’m horrified to see slide after slide filled with bullet points and garish color combos like lime text on an emerald background. I once presented a single slide on which I had crammed a map, three diagrams showing statistical distributions, and a table of percentages with about 30 entries! Needless to say, I watched as the audience’s eyes glaze over as the experience of my presentation became harder and harder to endure.

But I have learned much at design school (fathom). A much more recent presentation was much cleaner and more focused, complementing my talk rather than smothering it. I not only helped my audience to understand my argument but also enabled them to feel it on a deeper level. And they both embraced my ideas and were moved by them–a success for any presenter.

In the fall, I will start teaching anthropology at Franklin & Marshall College, where I hope my newly acquired designer’s eye will create an exciting and engaging atmosphere for my students. As long as I can avoid the lime text on an emerald background, I think I’ll do alright.