We recently connected with Shireen Dooling and have shared our conversation below.

Shireen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I am a full-time marketing manager for Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative, and a freelance graphic designer specializing in science communications. I graduated with a graphic design degree in 2013 from ASU and ended up going back to school to earn a second bachelors in astrophysics, that I finished in May 2023. All while working full time while in my previous science communication position.

My hope is to combine skills from my graphic design and astrophysics degrees to continue exploring new methods of visual communication in relation to the space sciences and space industry. Advocating and facilitating designs as well as conversations about the importance of making hard to understand concepts in the space sciences easier for the public to understand. Communicating the objectives behind space exploration in an accessible manner is equally important to me, in hopes that the public will better understand what space science contributes to humanity.

But also increase awareness to the incredible information coming out of already existing science centers, like NASA, in hopes that their information may help inspire other people and students to get involved in the industry. I strive to help facilitate connections that could potentially further progress in missions across both the commercial and private space sectors, all while promoting an untraditional pathway for those in fields such as design or in the sciences who would like to pursue a communications career.

I want to show audiences that we are experiencing history every day in terms of space science. If the space and space science industry can portray this science revolution to the public, society may realize their place in history and want to contribute!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

This need to learn more about visual communication and my place in this career field was fiercely ignited in 2015 while sitting at a mundane design job. Bored out of my mind, I decided to watch the NASA live stream of the New Horizon’s mission showcasing the new images of Pluto’s “heart”. I was just a graphic designer before tuning into that live stream, but afterwards – after hearing about the incredible journey a small spacecraft and its ambitious team from planet Earth achieved – after seeing those high resolution photos of a celestial body orbiting our sun at an unfathomable distance, (a celestial body that was just a pixelated blob seconds before), that changed me, changed my ambitions, and I can pinpoint that that day was incredibly monumental for me. It changed my place in the universe and changed my perspective of the universe. It changed how I wanted to approach visual communication, and it changed how I could advocate for design to be more than a marketing tool, it could be a tool to educate, to bring awareness to others, to share knowledge and stories of incredible feats and possibilities.

Since that day, every career step I take has been to fulfill this mission and help bring awareness to a pathway other designers may not have seen themselves in before.

Personally, my work revolves around the visual communication of science mostly done through infographics. Visually walking though a complex topic in science using illustrations that help the viewer quickly grasp a main concept that could have been too abstract through text alone.

Communicating the science on a level the general public can understand is such an important aspect of science. and a very rewarding field in design.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A personal goal of mine that weaves together my mission is the fact that I wanted to experience working at NASA.

I think the instance that tested my resilience most during my journey was, March of 2020. I worked full-time at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute as their science illustrator and was taking one of my most intimidating classes, Physics for physics majors. I was already struggling even as it was in person, but to go from having in person support, to a completely virtual experience of the class was incredibly challenging for me. I was terrified this was going to be the class that kept me from continuing in my major. The class that would keep me from NASA. But the COVID restrictions had a plus side for me as a non-traditional student. I could work full-time from home. I gained back several hours in my day not having to travel to work or end up distracted during lunch. I took full advantage of this new schedule, told myself I would do as well as I could under the circumstances, and that I would just keep going, no matter what the outcome. The rest of that semester was spent with every spare hour studying virtually, and remotely, as well as balancing a full-time position in science communication, (that was actually visually communicating COVID information to the public), but at the end of all of it, I passed my most intimidating class I’ve ever taken with an A-.

And I just kept going.

This past summer, I was finally able to work at NASA. My second degree in Astrophysics opened the door for me to apply for the Brooke Owens Fellowship, (amazing fellowship for women interested in the space industry, that also allowed me to meet my favorite engineer/science communicator, Emily Calandrelli!), getting the fellowship, and the fellowship then matching me with the Conceptual Image Lab and the Hubble Space Telescope Outreach team at NASA Goddard for a summer internship!

Resilience, perspective, and drive. It will literally take you places. Maybe even to space…

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I’d have known about the intersection of design and science earlier in my career. I wish someone had been more forthcoming about the fact that you can create infographics to communicate science, that illustration is incredibly valued in the medical fields, and that UX/UI can be used to create incredible interactive experiences for educational purposes. Sometimes knowing what is possible, or knowing that untraditional paths can be carved out of any industry, is a valuable source of information going forward. This didn’t click for me until years after my first degree, and I just wish I’d been given those stories, anecdotes, and perspectives – they are valuable resources, as valuable as any tool, program, or skill.

Contact Info:

• Website: shireen.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/spaceismycolor
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shireendooling
• Twitter: twitter.com/spaceismycolor
• Other: I have an entire Etsy shop dedicated to my love of science and science fiction/science fantasy: etsy.com/shop/CarbonNight

Image Credits
Headshot: Matthew Wheeler All illustrations by Shireen Dooling