PresenTense Magazine

I was invited to contribute to PresenTense, a magazine that focuses on Jewish identity around the world. This issue's issue is "philanthropy". My task: to create a visual information graphic that showcases the breadth and diversity of the magazine's volunteer contributors. I decided to honor each contributor by adapting their own country's currency to feature their own faces.

Vibrant Media

Vibrant's leaders needed a conversation starter to convey how their company works to both an internal and external audience—from employees to investors. I worked closely with Paul Pangaro, a technology advisor and conversation theorist, to create a visual concept map that walks the participant through Vibrant's ecosystem that includes overlapping webs of people, products, technology, revenue and data streams.

Vibrant's internal team then felt inspired to create this video.

Vera Institute of Justice Spin-off Toolkit

The concept of materiality (sidebar) helps maximize the functionality of an object. This non-profit organization needed materials that would be suitable to guide a continually changing cast of partnering organizations, each with individualized goals and workflows. The sleeve works as a book cover or file folder, allowing it to be used and accessed frequently over the course of a year or more. The visual design's use of multi-inks maximizes a limited printing budget while conveying a sense of steady transition at ones own pace.  Designed with Alissa Levin at Point Five, NY.

International Festival of Arts & Ideas Calendars, 2007 and 2008


Most people feel lost without their personal calendars, but poor design can make one feel lost with a calendar. Organizing the information for two weeks of events throughout the day in multiple locations – and all in a portable format – required a unique visual language that would help the festival find its audience and the audience find the festival. Color-coding, typography & iconography communicate event time, location, cost, and (added in 2008) concurrency & duration. Designed with Anita Merk and Arch Garland at Flyleaf. 

Princeton University Center for Human Values Identity


Creating an organizational identity is a challenge of balancing contradictions: It should be fresh but classic, solid but dynamic, interesting but recognizable. In the case of Princeton University Center for Human Values, the added challenge was the single stipulation that the mark contain a question mark to represent the organization’s questioning nature. The creative process underlines finding the balance between concrete and abstract, resulting in a series of four interlocking question marks, thus incorporating the organization’s idea and adding the connotation of the connectedness of human values. Typography by Ben Levine at Point Five, NY.

Westchester Vitreoretinal Web Site


The widespread availability of information on the Internet does not always correlate to accessibility. Sometimes those that need information most have the least access to it, as in this case, a medical office that works with low vision patients. The design features accessibility tools that allow the viewer to adjust the style of the page (contrast, font size, printable pages) to their vision needs. Design is about looks – as with the incorporated eye surgery detail photos – but also about looking.


 

Contact me: berkowitz@berkowhat.com.

ETHNOGRAPHY Design walks in socio-cultural anthropology’s shoes to gain a thorough understanding of an audience. I read and collect, and try to communicate in a group’s visual language. 

PHYSICAL ENGAGEMENT Turning the pages of a book, moving closer to a poster, or clicking a mouse, can be useful tools used to convey a deep understanding of complex subject matter.

MATERIALITY In our look-but-don’t-touch culture, we need to use our vision to feel. I seek to emphasize these qualities in my work, to regain some of what is lost when haptic experience is not possible.


view my portfolio:
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