Interview with Dana: Artist and Collaborate to Connect Consumer Advisory Group Member
The Collaborate to Connect project is incredibly fortunate to be supported by such a talented and creative Consumer Advisory Group. Among our wonderful CAG members is Dana Pratt Hague, a professional illustrator who has generously shared their artistic talents with the project. Dana has lent their artistic talents to create the magical cover illustration for our training resource toolkit. We’re thrilled that Dana has also agreed to share more about their work and their involvement in the project.
For organisations working with consumers who need high-quality, meaningful artwork- we can’t recommend Dana highly enough!
Can you share the story behind the illustration you created for the cover of our resources document?
The initial design of the brochure image served as a strong basis for the illustration and communicated a lot of the ideas present in the document – such as multiple figures facing the viewer and the space scenery.
I felt the figures were too static or neutral for the collaborative nature of the C2C co-design that they were supposed to be representing, and so I altered them to be positively interacting with one another, shaking hands and standing in front of a beam of light (potentially the project they had been working together on!).
What message or feeling did you hope to convey through this piece?
I wanted to convey a sense of hope and productive future-forward action on a basis of lived experience, to reflect the concept of “looking back to look forward” that was presented to me in the design brief.
I also wanted to convey a sense of wonder and that the planets and night sky were filled with opportunity and connection.
What do you hope people take away when they see your illustration on the cover?
I hope that the work piques curiosity and engagement, hopefully making them equally as interested in the information inside the document!
What motivated you to join the Collaborate to Connect consumer advisory group?
I had a strong desire to turn my experiences into something useful and meaningful beyond myself, something positively influential for others that I could work hard on and be proud of.
What has your experience been like being part of the group?
My experience within the group has been wonderful, being around other group members and facilitators with whom I can relate, or form a greater understanding of and empathy with is so valuable.
It is so lovely to have your experience treated as genuinely important and having your working capacity respected, too.
What would you say to others thinking about getting involved in a consumer advisory group like this?
Doing this kind of work can be hard, as it requires discussion of tough and sensitive topics but I can say that it has been an incredibly rewarding and positive experience.
