Portfolio
Selected examples of my work from the past several years supporting USAID, Rainforest Alliance, and other endeavors.
Getting Past the Gatekeeper
Principles and Practices for Better Program Communications
Client: USAID
When I was serving as the Director of Communications and Knowledge Management for USAID’s Integrated Natural Resource Management program, I noticed a recurring challenge. USAID produces (or used to, anyway) thousands of toolkits, case studies, guidance documents, and other knowledge products every year. However, all that great knowledge easily gets lost in a sea of content that competes for the increasingly sparse attention of our audiences.
We often asked the question: How can we make sure that our work catches the eyes—and interest—of our audience members? The answer that came up again and again: We must first empathize with the people we want to reach and understand what really matters to them.
I produced this guide as a means to help USAID activity managers and implementing partners do just that.
The guide, Getting Past the Gatekeeper, shares principles and practices from psychology, business, and human-centered design to help us better understand and empathize with our target audiences.
If you produce knowledge in any form, this guide can help you
create something that delivers value to your target audience, and
communicate clearly the benefits of what you produce.
