Visual Storytelling

Simplifying complex ideas through narrative design

Visual Storytelling

Simplifying complex ideas through narrative design

I use the power of narrative and visual metaphors to translate complex information into intuitive, memorable experiences.

By applying UX principles such as user research, accessibility, and clarity to the medium of comics and graphic medicine, I help organizations connect with their audiences on a deeper, more human level.

A cartoon tiger sleeping in the panels of an empty comic strip while a nearby fox is about to blow into a tuba.

I use the power of narrative and visual metaphors to translate complex information into intuitive, memorable experiences.

By applying UX principles such as user research, accessibility, and clarity to the medium of comics and graphic medicine, I help organizations connect with their audiences on a deeper, more human level.

Malaria Prevention With Abu and Momo

The comic strip in discussion in English

I partnered with a Peace Corps volunteer to create an educational tool for kids and adults in Guinea to encourage the use of mosquito nets.

The Problem: A Peace Corps team needed to communicate vital malaria prevention steps to children and adults in Guinea in a way that was memorable, low-cost, and culturally relevant.

The Solution: Using UX research and local input, I co-developed an engaging one-page comic featuring a soccer-loving elephant. By using humor and visual metaphors instead of dry medical instructions, we created a tool designed for quick reading and high emotional resonance.

The Impact: Received immediate executive praise for its clarity and engagement; translated into French for wide-scale local distribution.

Related reading: The story behind the making of this comic at Soccer, mosquito nets, and malaria: the story behind Abu and Momo.

Malaria Prevention With Abu and Momo

The comic strip in discussion in English

I partnered with a Peace Corps volunteer to create an educational tool for kids and adults in Guinea to encourage the use of mosquito nets.

The Problem: A Peace Corps team needed to communicate vital malaria prevention steps to children and adults in Guinea in a way that was memorable, low-cost, and culturally relevant.

The Solution: Using UX research and local input, I co-developed an engaging one-page comic featuring a soccer-loving elephant. By using humor and visual metaphors instead of dry medical instructions, we created a tool designed for quick reading and high emotional resonance.

The Impact: Received immediate executive praise for its clarity and engagement; translated into French for wide-scale local distribution.

Related reading: The story behind the making of this comic at Soccer, mosquito nets, and malaria: the story behind Abu and Momo.

“A Child Starts To Stutter” PowerPoint Slide

I collaborated with Dr. Joseph Donaher to replace a dense, text-heavy PowerPoint slide with a visual tool for presentations at the Cleveland Clinic and other major clinical events.

The Problem: A dense, text-heavy PowerPoint slide was failing to engage non-specialist speech therapists at major presentations.

The Solution: I translated clinical accuracy into a friendly, approachable visual narrative that condensed key information into a clear story.

The Impact: Presented at the Cleveland Clinic; Dr. Donaher noted it “works great at setting the tone” for the entire presentation.

“A Child Starts To Stutter” PowerPoint Slide

I collaborated with Dr. Joseph Donaher to replace a dense, text-heavy PowerPoint slide with a visual tool for presentations at the Cleveland Clinic and other major clinical events.

The Problem: A dense, text-heavy PowerPoint slide was failing to engage non-specialist speech therapists at major presentations.

The Solution: I translated clinical accuracy into a friendly, approachable visual narrative that condensed key information into a clear story.

The Impact: Presented at the Cleveland Clinic; Dr. Donaher noted it “works great at setting the tone” for the entire presentation.

Teaching CyberSecurity to Children

The comic strip in discussion in English

This series was developed to make digital safety habits more engaging and less intimidating for a younger audience.

The Problem: Cybersecurity is a dry, technical, and often frightening topic for kids, making it difficult to teach basic digital safety habits.

The Solution: I developed a concept series that uses “silly scenarios” and playful cartoon characters to translate technical risks into relatable, low-stakes stories. The focus was on using expressive visuals to anchor key safety lessons in the child’s memory.

The Impact: Provides an accessible framework for parents and educators to start safety conversations without the technical jargon.

Teaching CyberSecurity to Children

The comic strip in discussion in English

This series was developed to make digital safety habits more engaging and less intimidating for a younger audience.

The Problem: Cybersecurity is a dry, technical, and often frightening topic for kids, making it difficult to teach basic digital safety habits.

The Solution: I developed a concept series that uses “silly scenarios” and playful cartoon characters to translate technical risks into relatable, low-stakes stories. The focus was on using expressive visuals to anchor key safety lessons in the child’s memory.

The Impact: Provides an accessible framework for parents and educators to start safety conversations without the technical jargon.

Encouraging Vaccine Confidence In Kids Through Storytelling

I developed this concept series to help children navigate the anxiety and confusion surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the benefits of vaccination.

The Problem: Traditional health communication often focuses on clinical data, which can be frightening or abstract for children, failing to address their lived experiences during lockdowns.

The Solution: I centered the narrative on a relatable emotional pain point — the frustration of not being able to see friends — positioning the vaccine as a tool for reconnection rather than just a medical procedure.

The Impact: Demonstrates a model for empathetic public health messaging that prioritizes the user’s emotional needs to build trust and confidence.

Encouraging Vaccine Confidence In Kids Through Storytelling

I developed this concept series to help children navigate the anxiety and confusion surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the benefits of vaccination.

The Problem: Traditional health communication often focuses on clinical data, which can be frightening or abstract for children, failing to address their lived experiences during lockdowns.

The Solution: I centered the narrative on a relatable emotional pain point — the frustration of not being able to see friends — positioning the vaccine as a tool for reconnection rather than just a medical procedure.

The Impact: Demonstrates a model for empathetic public health messaging that prioritizes the user’s emotional needs to build trust and confidence.

Choose Your Own Adventure Comic Strip

A choose-your-own adventure comic strip entitled, “Choose your own Franky Banky adventure!”. A female fox cartoon tending to her gelato stand asks a male customer named Franky Banky, “may I take your order?”. Franky Banky wants to say vanilla but he stutters his order. He is thinking to himself, “aw man”. There are three next step scenarios he can take. The first is he says, “uh, lobster” to which the girl at the counter says “Here you go!” as she hands him a lobster ice cream cone. In the next panel, Franky Banky is walking away eating the ice cream but is disgusted. “Lobster” he sighs to himself, “bleah”. In the second scenario, he stutters his order, “va-va-vanilla”. The girl says, “here you go!” As she hands him a vanilla ice cream cone. In the next panel, Franky Banky walks away feeling embarrassed. “Why did I have to stutter? Why? Why?” He asks himself. In the third scenario, Franky Banky stutters his order, “va-va-va” but is interrupted by the girl who asks “Would you like cherry? Lemon? Pickle? Poutine? Lobster?”. Franky Banky explains in the next chapter, “no, I stuh stuh stutter. Vanilla, please”. The girl says, “Here you go!” as she hands him a vanilla ice cream cone. In the next panel, Franky Banky is happily eating his ice cream and saying “Yum! Yum! This is the best vanilla ice cream ever!”

The Problem: Children who stutter often feel a lack of agency in speaking situations, leading to social withdrawal or anxiety.

The Solution: I created an interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure” comic as part of the Franky Banky brand. This gamified storytelling approach allows the reader to explore different social responses, empowering them to take charge of their own narrative.

The Impact: Viral engagement on social media of over 4,000 views; translated into four languages and adopted by speech therapy clinics as a tool for building confidence.

Choose Your Own Adventure Comic Strip

A choose-your-own adventure comic strip entitled, “Choose your own Franky Banky adventure!”. A female fox cartoon tending to her gelato stand asks a male customer named Franky Banky, “may I take your order?”. Franky Banky wants to say vanilla but he stutters his order. He is thinking to himself, “aw man”. There are three next step scenarios he can take. The first is he says, “uh, lobster” to which the girl at the counter says “Here you go!” as she hands him a lobster ice cream cone. In the next panel, Franky Banky is walking away eating the ice cream but is disgusted. “Lobster” he sighs to himself, “bleah”. In the second scenario, he stutters his order, “va-va-vanilla”. The girl says, “here you go!” As she hands him a vanilla ice cream cone. In the next panel, Franky Banky walks away feeling embarrassed. “Why did I have to stutter? Why? Why?” He asks himself. In the third scenario, Franky Banky stutters his order, “va-va-va” but is interrupted by the girl who asks “Would you like cherry? Lemon? Pickle? Poutine? Lobster?”. Franky Banky explains in the next chapter, “no, I stuh stuh stutter. Vanilla, please”. The girl says, “Here you go!” as she hands him a vanilla ice cream cone. In the next panel, Franky Banky is happily eating his ice cream and saying “Yum! Yum! This is the best vanilla ice cream ever!”

The Problem: Children who stutter often feel a lack of agency in speaking situations, leading to social withdrawal or anxiety.

The Solution: I created an interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure” comic as part of the Franky Banky brand. This gamified storytelling approach allows the reader to explore different social responses, empowering them to take charge of their own narrative.

The Impact: Viral engagement on social media of over 4,000 views; translated into four languages and adopted by speech therapy clinics as a tool for building confidence.

Stuttering Awareness Poster

A comic strip in 7 panels that is more like an infographic. Entitled, How not to talk to people who stutter, the comic begins with a female fox asking a male fox, Hi, what is your name?. The male fox, named Franky Banky, begins to reply but it stuttering. The following six scenarios take place. Scenario A, the girl asks, did you forget your name? Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, you wouldn’t believe how many times we are asked this. Scenario B, the girl tells Franky Banky too breathe. Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, breathing is automatic. Not something anybody needs to think about doing. Scenario C, the girl tries to guess by asking Francis? Fred? Fizz? Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, we know you mean well, however, we just need a little extra time to say what we need to say. Scenario D, the girl says, think about what you want to say. Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, we already know what we want to say. Including our name. Re-read item A. Scenario E, the girl says, Name. Your name. Or maybe you’re nervous because of my pretty face? Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, stuttering is not caused by low intelligence or low self-esteem. Scenario F, the girl gives Franky Banky a funny look. Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, we are not weird. Stuttering is neurological. Near the bottom of the comic is a summary saying Long story short, keep natural eye contact and give us the time we need to say what we want to say. Followed by the it’s how we talk hashtag and the franky banky dot com website address.

The Problem: Building a self-sustaining educational brand in a niche market requires a high level of trust and long-term audience engagement.

The Solution: I applied a digital strategy built on suspenseful storytelling and community-first outreach. This included “Stuttering is Cool Day” campaigns and whiteboard-style animations that used humour to break the stigma.

The Impact: Generated $24K+ in revenue to date; grew a global fanbase across 70+ countries; built deep B2B relationships with speech therapists and universities.

Stuttering Awareness Poster

A comic strip in 7 panels that is more like an infographic. Entitled, How not to talk to people who stutter, the comic begins with a female fox asking a male fox, Hi, what is your name?. The male fox, named Franky Banky, begins to reply but it stuttering. The following six scenarios take place. Scenario A, the girl asks, did you forget your name? Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, you wouldn’t believe how many times we are asked this. Scenario B, the girl tells Franky Banky too breathe. Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, breathing is automatic. Not something anybody needs to think about doing. Scenario C, the girl tries to guess by asking Francis? Fred? Fizz? Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, we know you mean well, however, we just need a little extra time to say what we need to say. Scenario D, the girl says, think about what you want to say. Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, we already know what we want to say. Including our name. Re-read item A. Scenario E, the girl says, Name. Your name. Or maybe you’re nervous because of my pretty face? Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, stuttering is not caused by low intelligence or low self-esteem. Scenario F, the girl gives Franky Banky a funny look. Next to this panel is Franky Banky saying to the reader, we are not weird. Stuttering is neurological. Near the bottom of the comic is a summary saying Long story short, keep natural eye contact and give us the time we need to say what we want to say. Followed by the it’s how we talk hashtag and the franky banky dot com website address.

The Problem: Building a self-sustaining educational brand in a niche market requires a high level of trust and long-term audience engagement.

The Solution: I applied a digital strategy built on suspenseful storytelling and community-first outreach. This included “Stuttering is Cool Day” campaigns and whiteboard-style animations that used humour to break the stigma.

The Impact: Generated $24K+ in revenue to date; grew a global fanbase across 70+ countries; built deep B2B relationships with speech therapists and universities.

Digital Marketing Campaigns

Speaking of my Franky Banky educational brand, I strategized and ran digital marketing campaigns to raise brand awareness and connect with my audience:

  • Generated over $24K in sales to date.
  • Grew my fan base with each campaign and used audience feedback to guide future content.
  • Built long-term relationships by engaging directly with readers and speech therapists.
  • Adapted messaging and visuals based on what resonated, improving each campaign’s performance.
Snippet of an instagram campaign for a book launch

Stuttering is Cool Day

Every Friday the 13th, I run a playful “Stuttering is Cool Day” hashtag campaign that encourages followers to try stuttering openly — and discover the surprising benefits that come with it.

Snippet of an instagram campaign for a book launch

Suspenseful Storytelling For My Second Book Launch

I created a suspenseful, character-teasing campaign that slowly revealed my new graphic novel across social, email, and web. It all led to a red-carpet launch day reveal that sparked strong engagement and excitement.

Snippet of an instagram campaign for a book launch

Draw Toons

I created “draw-toons” as a spin on whiteboard animations. They work well with parodies. In this case, a parody of Star Wars for stuttering awareness. Link open to video on YouTube.

Digital Marketing Campaigns

Speaking of my Franky Banky educational brand, I strategized and ran digital marketing campaigns to raise brand awareness and connect with my audience:

  • Generated over $24K in sales to date.
  • Grew my fan base with each campaign and used audience feedback to guide future content.
  • Built long-term relationships by engaging directly with readers and speech therapists.
  • Adapted messaging and visuals based on what resonated, improving each campaign’s performance.
Snippet of an instagram campaign for a book launch

Stuttering is Cool Day

Every Friday the 13th, I run a playful “Stuttering is Cool Day” hashtag campaign that encourages followers to try stuttering openly — and discover the surprising benefits that come with it.

Snippet of an instagram campaign for a book launch

Suspenseful Storytelling For My Second Book Launch

I created a suspenseful, character-teasing campaign that slowly revealed my new graphic novel across social, email, and web. It all led to a red-carpet launch day reveal that sparked strong engagement and excitement.

Snippet of an instagram campaign for a book launch

Draw Toons

I created “draw-toons” as a spin on whiteboard animations. They work well with parodies. In this case, a parody of Star Wars for stuttering awareness. Link open to video on YouTube.