Work Experience Case Studies

These case studies highlight how I approach real‑world communications challenges. Rather than focusing on individual deliverables, they outline the context, constraints, and strategic decisions behind the work — including how complex ideas were clarified, processes were structured, and communications goals were met within organizational environments.

Please feel free to reach out for additional samples on my Contact Page.

Storytelling Leadership

I have led storytelling initiatives and rebrands that bring clarity, structure, and purpose to complex ideas. I’ve shaped how institutions identify meaningful stories, translate technical subject matter, and communicate impact to public, internal, and stakeholder audiences. My work goes beyond writing individual pieces: I build editorial frameworks, guide teams and contributors, and ensure storytelling aligns with organizational priorities while remaining accessible, accurate, and human. This approach helps organizations communicate consistently, confidently, and with intention, even in complex or highly regulated environments.

Case Example: Department-wide Storytelling Initiative at Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada

  • With many organizations, businesses, and individuals receiving funding through federal government initiatives, senior leadership identified a need to better showcase the real‑world impact of this work to the public.

  • While funding announcements communicated what was supported, they rarely illustrated how these investments affected communities. Leadership needed a consistent, engaging way to surface meaningful stories while operating within institutional constraints and approval processes.

  • I led a department‑wide storytelling series focused on highlighting the achievements of small businesses, individuals, and volunteers. Using a classic story arc, I identified and developed compelling narratives that translated policy and funding outcomes into accessible, human stories. I oversaw writing, editorial direction, approvals, and distribution of these stories on the external Canada.ca platform.

  • The series provided the public with a clearer, more relatable view of how government funding supports communities across the country. It strengthened external communications by pairing accountability with storytelling, helping audiences understand the tangible impact of public investments beyond announcements and generic data.

Samples:

Content Development

I have produced a wide range of communications products, from translating highly technical research into long‑form narratives to developing social media plans to drafting senior‑level speaking points. My specialty is learning complex subject matter quickly and making it clear, accessible, and meaningful for different audiences. Effective communication depends not only on what is said, but on who it’s for, a consideration that is often overlooked during the initial stage of content development. I bring an audience‑first lens to every project, ensuring messages resonate with stakeholders, the public, and internal teams alike.

Case Example: Research Storytelling for External Audiences at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

  • Healthcare research institutes produce a high volume of complex, research‑driven work across a wide range of disciplines. To sustain funding, attract and retain talent, and build public trust, this research must be communicated clearly and credibly to diverse audiences, including funders, media, patients, trainees, and internal staff. Translating highly technical findings into accessible long‑form stories, newsletters, internal communications, and social media content was essential to ensuring the work was understood, valued, and engaged with beyond academic circles.

  • Research findings are often highly technical and jargon-heavy, making them difficult for non‑expert audiences to understand the value of research. Each story required accuracy, nuance, and sensitivity, while remaining accessible and engaging. This work also involved collaborating closely with scientists and clinicians who were not always accustomed to public‑facing storytelling.

  • I led the end‑to‑end production of external research stories, interviewing subject‑matter experts and reading research papers to deeply understand the science and its implications. I then translated complex concepts into clear, structured narratives that balanced accuracy with readability. This process involved shaping story arcs, identifying human relevance, managing review cycles, and ensuring tone and language aligned with overarching communications goals.

  • The resulting stories made complex research accessible to broad audiences while maintaining scientific integrity. They strengthened trust in the organization by providing clear, engaging explanations of research advances and their relevance to patients and communities.

Sample: Global study identifies gene responsible for rare neurodevelopment disorder

Website Content & Information Design

I have produced a wide range of communications products, from translating highly technical research into long‑form narratives to developing social media plans to drafting senior‑level speaking points. My specialty is learning complex subject matter quickly and making it clear, accessible, and meaningful for different audiences. Effective communication depends not only on what is said, but on who it’s for, a consideration that is often overlooked during the initial stage of content development. I bring an audience‑first lens to every project, ensuring messages resonate with stakeholders, the public, and internal teams alike.

Case Example: RESPONSE Q1 Phase Clinical Study at The Ottawa Hospital

  • A clinical research initiative required a dedicated website to support participant engagement and education throughout the research process. The site needed to serve as a trusted resource for patients and caregivers by explaining the purpose of the research, what participation would involve, and what to expect at different stages of the study. Because participation in clinical research can feel unfamiliar or intimidating, the website needed to make complex information approachable, accessible, and easy to navigate.

  • Clinical research processes often involve unfamiliar terminology, multiple steps, and detailed study information that can be overwhelming for patients and caregivers. The challenge was to transform complex study information into a clear, intuitive digital experience that helped participants understand the research journey, anticipate what to expect, and confidently engage with the study.

  • I collaborated with researchers and project stakeholders to map key participant information needs and develop a website structure and patient-facing products that supported understanding and engagement. This involved simplifying technical language, organizing content around the patient experience, and creating audience-focused messaging that guided users through the clinical trial process step by step. Content was developed with a strong emphasis on clarity, accessibility, and ease of navigation while maintaining scientific accuracy and alignment with project objectives.

  • The final website transformed a complex research process into a clear and intuitive digital experience for patients and caregivers. Through thoughtful content structure, plain-language messaging, and audience-focused design, the site made it easier for prospective participants to understand the study, navigate available resources, and engage with the research journey confidently.

Internal Communications Structuring

Solid and consistent internal communications documentation is rarely prioritized until it becomes urgently necessary. I help teams create clear, practical structures for internal processes, including templates, SOPs, guidelines, cheat sheets, and tutorials. This documentation is essential to keeping organizations running smoothly, and it plays a critical role in onboarding and knowledge distribution. When designed thoughtfully, these materials can remain evergreen and be adapted as processes evolve over time.

Case Example: Establishing Consistent Internal Documentation

  • Across multiple teams and organizations, work relies on a wide range of processes, from basic operational tasks like secure access and onboarding to more complex workflows for planning, producing, and approving projects. Much of this knowledge lived informally with individuals or scattered in documents, making it difficult to scale, transfer, or sustain during staff changes or periods of increased workload.

  • Without clear, centralized documentation, teams experience inconsistency, duplication of effort, and unnecessary delays. New staff and collaborators often rely on ad hoc explanations to understand everyday tasks, while more experienced team members repeatedly shared institutional knowledge with varying levels of clarity. While teams often understand processes at a high level, the lack of structured documentation made those processes inefficient, difficult to transfer, and costly to maintain over time.

  • I worked with multiple teams to design and document internal communications processes end‑to‑end. This included developing SOPs, templates, step‑by‑step guides, and quick‑reference resources covering everything from technical access (such as VPN log‑ins) to more advanced communications workflows and project how‑to guides. My approach focused on clarity and usability: breaking processes into logical steps, using plain language, and tailoring documentation to how teams actually work. Rather than creating static documents, I built resources that could be updated and adapted over time as tools, roles, and priorities evolved.

  • The resulting documentation created a shared foundation for how communications work was carried out across teams. Clear processes reduced friction, supported smoother onboarding, and made institutional knowledge easier to access and maintain. By turning informal know‑how into structured, evergreen resources, teams were better equipped to work consistently, adapt to change, and operate more efficiently over time.