Mind and Life Institute
Where Contemplative Science Meets Considered Design
Skills Used
Print and Publication Design · Layout and Production · Digital Collateral · Social Media Campaign Design · Email Newsletter Design · Front-End Web Support · Brand Systems
Project Objective
The Mind & Life Institute, a nationally recognized research organization bridging contemplative practice and science with direct ties to the Dalai Lama, needed a sole in-house designer to produce a consistent, high-volume body of print and digital work across a year of programming. Deliverables spanned event programs, awards publications, annual reports, social media campaigns, email newsletters, and front-end website updates.
My Role & Process
As the organization's only designer, I was responsible for translating an established visual identity across every touchpoint, maintaining brand consistency while making independent decisions about format, image selection, and layout composition. No two pieces were the same format: the Varela Awards publication required a square booklet treatment; the ISCS symposium program called for a bold typographic cover that pushed further than the standard brand application; the annual report required data visualization alongside editorial photo layout.
The social media campaign was designed from scratch within the brand system, developing a cohesive template approach for ongoing use across platforms. Email newsletter layout and front-end website updates rounded out the digital scope.
Impact & Deliverables
Over the course of a year, I produced a full suite of print and digital materials for an organization operating at the intersection of neuroscience, contemplative studies, and public education. Deliverables included multiple event programs, an annual report, the Varela Awards publication, a social media campaign, email newsletters, and website updates, all maintaining visual coherence across a demanding production calendar.
Annual symposium program for the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies, designed for print and distributed at the 2016 conference in San Diego.
Social media campaign assets produced for Mind & Life's #HEARTOFMLI initiative, extending the brand across Facebook and Twitter.
Program booklet for a dialogue between the Dalai Lama, senior Tibetan scholars, and leading Western scientists and philosophers, held before thousands of monks and nuns from Tibetan monastic institutions. The event brought together perspectives from perceptual neuroscience, philosophy of mind, and contemplative scholarship in conversation.
Full layout of the 2014 Annual Report, including donor acknowledgments, financial position pages, and editorial spreads within the established MLI brand system.
Designed for the Varela Awards for Contemplative Research — an annual recognition program honoring early-career scientists bridging contemplative practice and scientific inquiry.
Monthly e-newsletter produced within MLI's established email template — layout, image selection, and content formatting handled on a recurring production schedule.