Reporting directly to the Chief Product Officer, I collaborate closely with Storyshares’s cross-functional team to develop and produce engaging, age-appropriate books that support adolescent literacy, particularly for striving readers in underserved communities. My work spans from concept to final production, aligning with the organization’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices through a diverse range of genres including realism, fantasy, and historical fiction. Storyshares partners with schools nationwide to bring a Science of Reading-aligned approach to literacy intervention in upper elementary, middle, and high schools. My role plays a vital part in producing resources that are not only educationally effective but also visually engaging and age-respectful.

Responsible for:

Book Design & Production: Design print-ready book covers, interior pages, and templates for a wide catalog of literacy-focused titles. Ensure all files meet publisher specifications and export standards. Generate and manage ISBNs and SKUs, and incorporate accurate barcodes into cover designs.

Series and Branding Consistency: Creating cohesive cover designs, spines, and back covers, ensuring series titles maintain a unified visual identity. Align logo placement and visual branding across partnerships and publishing agreements.

Editorial Collaboration: I read then design each title with attention to story tone and visual appeal. I typeset books according to publisher requirements, Storyshares’s style guidelines, and accessibility standards while incorporating editorial revisions promptly and thoroughly.

Supplemental Materials: Design educational components such as phonics sheets, lesson plans, and educator guides. Format and structure these materials to enhance usability and learning outcomes.

Digital Design & UI Support: Partner with developers to improve website UI/UX, ensuring optimal navigation and intuitive access to Storyshares’s programs, services, and book series. Design custom icons and graphics to enhance the user experience.

Visual Strategy: Apply broad typographic expertise and visual problem-solving to accommodate a range of age groups, reading levels, and content needs. Advise on image placement and illustration use in decodable books.

Workflow & File Management: Maintain design workflows between Canva and InDesign, transferring content from editors into production-ready layouts. Manage pricing tiers and print estimates through subscription stock systems.

Additional Skills & Expectations:

• High attention to detail across multiple concurrent projects

• Occasional typesetting in languages other than English with understanding of multilingual font pairings and cross-language typography

• Commitment to Storyshares’s “backpack test” design principle—ensuring that books look appropriate and appealing for older readers, while reinforcing foundational literacy skills