Editorial Art Direction at
The On Being Project
Contribution
Art Direction
Year
2018-2021
About
As the Senior Art Director, I collaborated with editors, producers, designers, illustrators, and photographers to imagine creative ways to connect our community through digital and print. Part of a small and mighty art department, I've had the opportunity to work across a wide range of projects while playing different roles.
At the intersection of art & audio, the following projects are a handful of commissioned illustrations for The On Being Project.
Future of Hope
The On Being show turned to past guests of the show and asked them who they wanted to "walk alongside" and explore "Hope."
I partnered with Ifada Nisa to confront Hope with depth and tension through her gouache paintings. This medium allowed very little hesitation for our creative process compared to our digital commissions. It was an exhilarating challenge. Like Hope, we leaned into the beauty of difficult moments to land in a surprising destination.
Paintings by Ifada Nisa
Foundations for Being Alive Now
An illustration series that is a deeply felt visual invitation into reimagining, remaking, and realizing the world we want to live together.
These illustrations accompanied a Ted Talk and later on a digital offering around these themes: life-giving, hope-generating words, ideas and practices that shape your experience of reality — and shape what can become possible.
These lofty concepts are paired with these intimate, playful, and dynamic illustrations to energetically call people into the possibility, imagination, and heart of wholeness.
*Featured in Ted Talk: 3 practices for wisdom and wholeness
Illustrations by Lisk Feng
Care Packages
In 2020 we developed a Care Package for Uncertain Times and a Care Package for Care Givers. These included a collection of podcasts, poetry meditations and reflections that also reached into The On Being Project's archive to meet the moment.
In collaboration with Jocelyn Tsaih, the art we paired with the digital offerings acted as a soft landing place for folks.
During a time of so much grief and loss, Jocelyn's figures held the complexity needed.
Illustrations by Jocelyn Tsaih
This Movie Changed Me
Working deeply with host, producers, editors, and illustrators to capture the power of movies to teach, connect, and transform us.
*Reached #3 on Apple Podcast Top Shows Chart and was consistently in the Top 200 of the Apple Podcast TV & Film chart.
Season 3
Illustrations by Grace J. Kim
*Bonus illustration that features the This Movie Changed Me team for the final season of the show
*Left to right: Gautam Srikishan, Lilian Vo, Lily Percy, Chris Heagle, Eddie Gonzalez
Season 2
Illustrations by Julia Kuo
On Being
These illustrations accompanied podcast episodes for On Being – a Peabody Award-winning show that reached over 1 million audience members each week. This was an opportunity to collaborate with illustrators to visualize the big questions of meaning.
The genuineness of living in the world today. Nothing is forced, posed, or inauthentic. Always striving to shed light on the nuance and complexities of humans and their emotions.
Illustration by Hoi Chan
*Fun fact: Carlín and Devendra knew each other but I had no idea when I initially reached out to Carlín. A fun coincidence that really made this partnership feel so meant to be.
Copyright 2020 © Lilian Vo. All Rights Reserved.