Process Design
One of the most common requests I would receive from clients was to describe a process using minimal wording. Pictures can help a process to resonate with a wider reach than a formal document, so I learned how to create visuals that could easily explain complex processes.
Counter Tunnel Operations Continuum
Much of my design work leans toward a minimalist style. I believe that minimalist work can convey a great deal without creating distracting elements. This graphic, one of the first I produced for the US Border Patrol, is an excellent example of this. This single graphic is designed to convey the entire continuum of the USBP NSO effort to find subterranean tunnels, investigate, and remediate the site. The goal of this boxology was to express to the wider Border Patrol that the newly-formed NSO was going to bring structure to the process, something that had been lacking before, and this graphic would serve as a means to circulate that message to all levels of the Border Patrol, from agents in the field to the top leadership.
Cross-Border Tunnel Exit Remediation
The larger part of the work I did for the US Border Patrol focused on the efforts of the National Subterranean Operations division. The NSO is responsible for identifying and drilling into (called “interdicting”) subterranean passages dug under the border for the purposes of transporting illicit goods. The efforts and resources of the smugglers were vast and extensive, yet the methods of the NSO were quite antiquated when we first began our collaboration, so building a solid foundation of technology and procedure was essential. As part of this effort, my team built various process graphics designed to look like comic strips like this one. As an avid fan of comics myself, I know how helpful they can be for conveying activities, and these various comics proved extremely valuable for the USBP client in conveying their developing methods to a wide range of audiences.
License Plate Reader (LPR) Latency Issues
Process-style graphics can be used for a variety of purposes. This graphic was designed to bring attention to the fact that latency issues in the communications between USBP checkpoints and data centers could result in suspects not being properly identified before they exited the site. To convey this, I combined a series of comic panels with boxology directed graphics to reinforce a visual flow from left to right. The different sequences being separate but parallel also implies a series of events happening in different locations.
“When the sponsor saw your initial draft, she had the same reaction as the team: ‘Wow!’ It's always a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with you and learn more about the power of visualizations to impact understanding of complex topics. Thank you!!”
~ Lisa Ide, The MITRE Corporation