design research, communication, education

I have a BA in History with a minor in fine arts / graphic design from Washington University in St. Louis and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Visual Communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I earned her Master of Graphic Design from North Carolina State University in 2010. 

I have worked in large and small design studies in Chicago and Boston, developing branding and communications systems for such clients at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Accenture, MIT and Harvard University. Through my practice, I have specifically focused on design as a catalyst for community engagement, using it as a participatory and co-creative process that helps community members take ownership of core social issues, and work to make change from the ground up. 

Along with Sara Queen, I am the co-director of the design research group co-lab, which focuses on critical mapping as a participatory design research tool. Currently, co-lab's focus is on developing a methodology for critical mapping that simultaneously embraces cartography as a power visualization and data processing method, while also challenging the assumptions that the mapping and visualization process embeds within it. Recent publications have included Beyond the Map: Unpacking Critical Cartography in the Digital Humanities in Visible Language (Fall 2015). 

tanialallen@gmail.com