JJ‘s take on:
Embracing all aspects of the craft.
JJ has done some impressive design work. He’s interned for National Geographic Photo Ark photographer Joel Sartore, documenting the world’s endangered species. He’s directed and designed a production of the Little Shop of Horrors. He’s invented an experimental publication and tool for film analysis called Long Story Short, to answer the question ‘can a physical book replicate the experience of watching a feature length film?’ Ask him his specialty, though, and you’ll find that his specialty is – he doesn’t have one.
JJ Says:
I’m a visual communication designer and multimedia creative. To say I specialize in any one thing would be to overstate that thing and understate everything else. I enjoy using visual media and design thinking to instruct, inform, inspire, persuade, and entertain. That can take a lot of different forms, from setting typography to writing code.
Acting on curiosity.
When he saw a former high school classmate post on social media about her internship with wildlife photographer Joel Sartore, JJ didn’t just like the post and move on. He reached out to ask her how she’d gotten the gig, and if he could get it next. That request led to an introduction, and landing the job, where JJ built out a library of photography and even assisted onsite at a wildlife rehabilitation center photo shoot.
This same curiosity is how he landed at DH. “I’d heard about DH’s social justice work, and its focus on the public good. It’s a positive place where people want to improve the world through creative work on a variety of subjects.”
Planting roots.
Washington has been home for more than 15 years, and JJ has embraced a variety of the nature-oriented pursuits the state has to offer, from flyfishing to gardening to wildlife photography. “I am an aggressively amateur gardener. I love to grow things I can cook with like herbs and spices. I have a basic starter garden now, but my goal is to learn to garden with native plants and eventually create a yard that attracts local birds and animals.”
When he ventures away from the state, JJ looks for destinations that offer unique experiences. Two of his favorite travels have been to Sydney, Australia and to Singapore. In Sydney, he watched the entire city light up at night, pulsing to the same changing colors synced to a musical soundtrack. In Singapore, he was drawn to the harmony of nature and city. “Every building is bathed in green; it’s taking over. There are thousands of birds making noise. It’s a modern city, with nature everywhere.”
Follow JJ’s travels and his wildlife photography on Instagram at @jahathewayjr
Education
Bachelor of design, visual communication design, University of Washington