3. You worked on high-profile design projects while still an undergrad, such as a piece that was exhibited in Tokyo Midtown’s “Open the Park” event, an international exhibition, which must have been exciting. What type of design work would you love to do in the future?
NLPeople: Ana Bitter, Design Lead
Ana Bitter
Hawai’i
1. What led you to the news literacy movement?
I grew up in a household of journalists and educators. And in college I worked on the student newspaper (Ka Leo O Hawai‘i), first as a copy editor and later as a designer. So, I’ve always understood the value of being informed and providing good information to others. I came across the News Literacy Project as a new graduate searching for a job during the pandemic.
It felt like just the right opportunity at a time when I was eager to do work that could have a positive impact on a world fraught with problems. I believe design can be a tool for improving universal communication and the greater good. I’m proud to use my design skills in the service of news literacy, and I’ve learned how to be a much better consumer of information in the process.
2. What news literacy tip, tool or guidance do you most often use?
It’s one of the simpler recommendations, but I always try to “slow down” when I’m consuming any kind of information — especially when I’m skimming headlines or posts online. And when I notice myself having a strong reaction to something I see, I really try to take that pause and ask myself what I’m feeling and why, is the content playing on one of my biases?
I also try to be skeptical, which I know can be mistaken for being negative. But I try to view it as approaching information with curiosity. Being skeptical allows you to learn more and dig deeper when something turns out to be credible, and it makes you better at recognizing when something isn’t.
3. You worked on high-profile design projects while still an undergrad, such as a piece that was exhibited in Tokyo Midtown’s “Open the Park” event, an international exhibition, which must have been exciting. What type of design work would you love to do in the future?
Yes! I had some amazing opportunities during my design BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) coursework, which focused a lot on projects that were intended for print and existed as physical objects, like books. We worked a lot with experimental book forms, designing the interiors and exteriors. In fact, it was my passion for books and book covers, in particular, that led me to study design in the first place.
I love the idea that good design gives the information books contain — whether informative or fictional — the best chance of being consumed and enjoyed by a reader. I’ve always wanted to design for a publishing house, (selfishly) so that I could read advanced copies of books before they’re published. I would also love to work on more technical texts like cookbooks, since they have so many fun layers of information to work with. My experience here at NLP designing resources for K-12 students has sparked my interest in designing books for young readers as well.
4. Are you on team dog, team cat, team wombat?
If forced to choose, I would have to say team dog (my dachshund Lila would never forgive me if I didn’t). I truly believe dogs make us better people. But I have recently had my first experience raising a kitten, and I must admit that cats are a lot of fun in totally different ways.
I need to give a shout-out to team bird as well! I’ve had two Eclectus parrots since I was a kid, and while parrots can be challenging pets, they’re truly remarkable animals with a surprising capacity for affection and emotion. I’ve also raised chickens (they’re way smarter than you think) and was 100% that little kid always trying to care for baby birds that had fallen out of their nest. So, I definitely think feather babies deserve some love too!
5. And finally, what item do you always have in your fridge?
I’m not a spicy food fanatic by any means — I really can’t handle much heat. Ironically, I usually have some sort of curry paste or garlic chili sauce at the back of my fridge. I don’t really like working with fresh chilis/peppers when I’m cooking. You have to be careful what you touch, and it’s hard to gauge how much spice you’re actually adding to a dish. But I love making Thai-inspired food, and once you’re familiar with a particular curry paste, it’s easy to add just the right amount of heat along with all its other great aromatic flavors.
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